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617 Credit score: What You Need to Know in 2025
July 1, 2025
TL;DR
A 617 credit score places you in the "Fair" range of FICO scores, offering a solid foundation to build upon. While it's below the national average, it represents a manageable starting point from which you can take strategic steps to improve your financial standing.
What Does a 617 Credit Score Mean?
A credit score of 617 falls into the "fair" range on the FICO Score scale, which runs from 300 to 850. This score indicates to lenders that you may pose a moderate risk. As a result, you might find it more challenging to get approved for new credit or loans. If you are approved, you will likely face higher interest rates and less favorable terms, which increases the cost of borrowing for major purchases like a car or home.
However, a 617 score is a solid foundation with significant room for growth. It's a score from which you can certainly build. By demonstrating responsible financial habits over time, you can steadily improve your standing and move into higher scoring tiers, unlocking better financial opportunities and more competitive interest rates in the future.
Who Has a 617 Credit Score?
While age isn't a direct factor in calculating your credit score, there is a clear correlation showing scores tend to improve over time. Data on the average credit scores by generation from 2023 shows a steady increase with each age group.
- Generation Z (ages 18-26): 680
- Millennials (ages 27-42): 690
- Generation X (ages 43-58): 709
- Baby Boomers (ages 59-77): 745
- Silent Generation (ages 78 and older): 760
Credit Cards With a 617 Credit Score
A 617 credit score places you in the "fair" credit range, which can be a mixed bag when applying for new credit cards. While you may be approved for some cards, they will likely come with less favorable terms, such as higher annual percentage rates (APRs) and lower credit limits. You might also find that your options are primarily limited to unsecured cards designed for building credit or secured cards that require a cash deposit.
Kudos can help you find the best credit card for your financial situation with its AI-powered tools that provide personalized recommendations based on your unique needs and preferences. By asking what you're looking for in a card or analyzing your spending habits, the platform sifts through nearly 3,000 options to match you with cards that align with your goals, whether that's maximizing rewards or securing a low interest rate.
Auto Loans and a 617 Credit Score
A 617 credit score places you in the non-prime category, meaning you can likely get approved for an auto loan but will face higher interest rates than borrowers with stronger credit. Lenders view this score as carrying more risk, which translates to less favorable loan terms and potentially higher monthly payments.
- Super-prime (781-850): New Car: 5.25%, Used Car: 7.13%
- Prime (661-780): New Car: 6.87%, Used Car: 9.36%
- Non-prime (601-660): New Car: 9.83%, Used Car: 13.92%
- Subprime (501-600): New Car: 13.18%, Used Car: 18.86%
- Deep subprime (300-500): New Car: 15.77%, Used Car: 21.55%
Mortgages at a 617 Credit Score
With a 617 credit score, your mortgage options are generally limited to government-backed programs. You are unlikely to qualify for a conventional loan, as most lenders require a minimum score of 620. However, you are within the range for an FHA loan, which accepts scores as low as 580 with a 3.5% down payment. According to mortgage loan requirements, you might also be eligible for a USDA loan, though some lenders prefer scores of 620 or higher.
This credit score will directly impact your loan terms. Lenders associate lower scores with higher risk, which translates to higher interest rates. For instance, you could face rates around 7.8%, significantly higher than the 6.2% offered to top-tier borrowers. You can also expect to pay higher mortgage insurance premiums for an FHA loan and undergo stricter underwriting, where lenders scrutinize your overall financial stability more closely.
What's in a Credit Score?
Figuring out what goes into your credit score can feel like trying to solve a complex puzzle, but it generally boils down to a handful of key elements. The most common factors include:
- Your history of making payments on time is the most significant factor.
- How much of your available credit you're currently using, known as your credit utilization ratio, plays a major role.
- The age of your credit accounts, including the average age and the age of your oldest account, is also considered.
- Lenders like to see that you can responsibly manage different types of credit, such as credit cards and loans.
- Opening several new credit accounts in a short period can be seen as a risk and may temporarily lower your score.
How to Improve Your 617 Credit Score
No matter your starting point, improving your credit score is always within reach. A 617 score plays a crucial role in your financial life, but with the right strategies, you can boost your creditworthiness and achieve a healthier financial profile.
- Monitor your credit reports. Regularly checking your reports from all three bureaus helps you spot and dispute errors or fraudulent activity that could be unfairly dragging down your score. This ensures your report is an accurate reflection of your credit behavior.
- Set up automatic bill payments. This simple step helps you avoid late payments, which are the single most important factor in your credit score calculation. Building a consistent, on-time payment history is fundamental to raising a 617 score.
- Lower your credit utilization ratio. High credit utilization is a common reason for a lower score, so aim to keep your balances below 30% of your total credit limit. This demonstrates responsible credit management to lenders and can result in a quick score increase.
- Become an authorized user. Being added to a credit card account that has a long history of on-time payments and low utilization can add that positive data to your own credit file. This can be a fast track to improving your score, especially if you have a thin credit file.
To help you make smarter decisions and maximize rewards while you build your credit, use a data-driven tool like the Kudos card explorer.
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