How Many Americans Have a Perfect 850 Credit Score?

Characteristics of Consumers With Perfect Credit Scores

In the U.S., 1.71% of consumers with a credit file had the highest possible FICO^® Score of 850 in June 2026, according to Experian data. That's an increase from the 1.67% of consumers who had an 850 FICO^® Score in June 2025.

Consumers with a perfect FICO^® Score typically have lower debt balances than the national average across all revolving credit products, as well as lower overall non-mortgage debt. Their lower auto loan balances may also indicate that they benefit from more favorable loan terms than consumers with an average FICO^® Score, resulting in lower borrowing costs. Mortgage balances for 850 scoreholders are nearly identical to the national average, but this data doesn't indicate how much equity may be behind that mortgage balance.

Source: Experian data as of June 2026

More telling may be the data without dollar signs in front of the digits: Credit utilization and tradelines ever delinquent.

At 4%, those with 850 FICO^® Scores use very little of the amount of credit extended to them by lenders—especially when compared to the national average of 29%. As you might imagine, lacking late payments is a hallmark of an 850 FICO^® Score. Consumers who fall short of 850 have had at least one dent blemishing their credit, on average, according to Experian data.

States Where Perfect Credit Scores Are More Common

As in prior years, there are more consumers with perfect scores in Western states and far fewer in the South. There are 2.07% of consumers in Western States with 850 FICO^® Scores, which is a greater percentage than 38 of the 50 U.S. states.

Source: Experian data from June 2026Note: Geography based on U.S. Census regions

Most states with a higher concentration of perfect scores will naturally have a higher average FICO^® Score when all scored consumers are counted. Two exceptions to this are Delaware and Maryland, where populations have average credit scores close to the national average of 713.

Percentage of Consumers With 850 FICO^® Scores by State

While 1.71% of consumers—roughly 1 out of 58 consumers—have a 850 FICO^® Score as of June 2026, there are numerous states where the perfect percentages are higher. In 15 states, perfection rates exceed 2% in 2026. Minnesota has the highest concentration of perfect scorers, with 2.61% (1 out of every 38 consumers) not having anything more to improve upon, scorewise.

Source: Experian data as of June 2026

Tellingly, much of the nation's "knowledge economy" is more concentrated in these states with unblemished credit than other parts of the country, with states known for health care (Minnesota), defense (Maryland and Virginia) and technology (California and Washington) well-represented.

Top Metros With Perfect Credit Scores

At the top of the list for perfect 850 FICO^® Scores in 2026 is Silicon Valley, centered around San Jose and down the peninsula from San Francisco. In this part of the Bay Area, more than 3% of consumers had a perfect 850 FICO^® Score in 2026.

Source: Experian as of June 2026

Working our way down the list of the 100 largest metros in the U.S, Experian finds that the midsize cities—maybe not home to a major league team, but enough of everything else—more than hold their own as being perfect score incubators. Meanwhile, the largest metropolises like New York, Los Angeles and Chicago are more middling with the percentage of 850 FICO^® Score holders. Just more than half (51%) of the top 100 by population metros exceed the 1.71% national level of consumers with scores of 850 in 2026.

Percentage of Consumers with 850 FICO^® Score by Metro, 2026

Washington, D.C., is the metro with the highest percentage of 850 FICO^® Score consumers in the South, where 2.75% of residents there had a 850 FICO^® Score in June 2026; Boston is the metro in the Northeast with the greatest percentage of "perfect scores"; and in the Midwest, Madison, Wisconsin, shows that 2.95% of residents there have a perfect FICO^® Score. San Francisco leads not only in the West, but in the nation as well, with 3.10% of consumers there possessing perfect FICO^® Scores.

Percentage of Perfect Score Consumers Among the 100 Largest Metros

Source: Experian data as of June 2026

Aim for 850, But Close Will Be More Than Enough

An 850 FICO^® Score is an achievement, but it's not necessary to secure the best terms on credit. A FICO^® Score that is even somewhat close to 850 can provide the same advantages as a perfect score.

Consumers with exceptional credit scores of 800 or higher certainly qualify for the same favorable loan and credit terms as someone with a perfect 850 score, assuming all other factors are equal. Even borrowers with scores slightly below 800 may receive the same offer.

And although gamifying perfection can be a motivator for some, it's probably more important to maintain healthy credit habits, such as:

• Maintaining low revolving credit balances compared with credit limits. In other words, having a low credit utilization ratio. Those with the highest credit scores typically use less than 10% of their available credit.
• Making all debt payments on time. A payment history with few, if any, delinquencies reported on past and present credit accounts will help most.
• Growing a reasonably long credit history. Keeping credit card accounts open, even if you rarely use them, can help (assuming they won't provide too much temptation to spend).

Even if you're on the more compulsive side of paying your bills as they come due, it'll still take time to reach an 800 or better FICO^® Score: No one can instantly create a decadelong credit history overnight, with or without blemishes. However, consistently practicing good credit habits today can lead to meaningful improvements over time. Even if you never reach a perfect FICO^® Score, stronger credit can make borrowing easier and more affordable when you need it most.