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2026 Data Study β€’ 50 States Analyzed

The Real Cost of
Bad Credit: By State

We calculated the lifetime difference in mortgage, auto loan, and credit card interest between a 580 and 750 FICO score in every U.S. state.

National Average Lifetime Overpay

$0

580 vs 750 FICO Score

$77,693

Mortgage

$8,832

Auto Loan

$4,419

Credit Cards

Bad credit costs Americans $8/day in extra interest|$253/month in wasted payments|$3,031/year down the drain

Where the Money Goes

A 580 credit score costs more on every major loan. Here's the national average breakdown.

TOTAL$90,944
MortgageAutoCards

Mortgage

30-year fixed, 20% down

$0

85% of total

580 FICO:7.59%
750 FICO:6.47%

Auto Loan

60-month new car, 10% down

$0

10% of total

580 FICO:14.76%
750 FICO:5.64%

Credit Cards

Avg balance, 10 years

$0

5% of total

580 FICO:28.99%
750 FICO:20.74%
Interactive Tool

How Much Is Bad Credit Costing You?

Select your state to see your personalized lifetime overpay estimate.

Bad credit costs you in California

$186,620

in lifetime extra interest (580 vs 750 FICO)

Ranked #2 out of 50 states β€’ Very High Cost

$171,975

Mortgage Overpay

Median home: $793,100

$9,522

Auto Loan Overpay

Avg car: $39,200

$5,123

Credit Card Overpay

Avg balance: $6,210

β˜€οΈ

$17

Per Day

πŸ“…

$518

Per Month

πŸ“Š

$6,221

Per Year

Cost of Bad Credit by State

Hover over any state to see its total lifetime overpay. Darker red = higher cost.

$200K+ Extreme$150K - 200K Very High$120K - 150K High$90K - 120K ModerateUnder $90K Lower
AKHIALARAZCACOCTDEFLGAIAIDILINKSKYLAMAMDMEMIMNMOMSMTNCNDNENHNJNMNVNYOHOKORPARISCSDTNTXUTVAVTWIWVWYDCDC

Top 10 Most Expensive States

Stacked by loan type: Mortgage Auto Cards

HI
$208,776
CA
$186,620
WA
$143,835
MA
$143,299
CO
$132,852
UT
$123,700
NJ
$123,660
OR
$121,273
NH
$114,869
NY
$111,375

Most vs Least Expensive States

Where bad credit hurts the most, and where it's least punishing.

Most Expensive

1Hawaii$208,776
2California$186,620
3Washington$143,835
4Massachusetts$143,299
5Colorado$132,852

Least Expensive

50West Virginia$42,646
49Mississippi$49,507
48Arkansas$55,405
47Kentucky$57,073
46Oklahoma$57,165

Complete 50-State Rankings

Total lifetime overpay sorted by most to least expensive. Click headers to sort.

Rank State Total Overpay Mortgage Auto Loan Credit Cards Median Home
1Hawaii$208,776$195,025$9,279$4,472$899,400
2California$186,620$171,975$9,522$5,123$793,100
3Washington$143,835$129,821$9,328$4,686$598,700
4Massachusetts$143,299$129,323$9,133$4,843$596,400
5Colorado$132,852$118,567$9,376$4,909$546,800
6Utah$123,700$110,414$8,988$4,298$509,200
7New Jersey$123,660$109,157$9,182$5,321$503,400
8Oregon$121,273$108,029$9,036$4,208$498,200
9New Hampshire$114,869$101,524$8,939$4,406$468,200
10New York$111,375$97,274$9,085$5,016$448,600
11Montana$110,689$98,185$8,890$3,614$452,800
12Nevada$106,933$92,287$9,085$5,561$425,600
13Rhode Island$105,578$92,330$8,842$4,406$425,800
14Idaho$105,342$92,655$8,793$3,894$427,300
15Connecticut$103,677$89,446$9,182$5,049$412,500
16Maryland$102,526$88,210$9,085$5,231$406,800
17Florida$101,818$87,733$9,036$5,049$404,600
18Arizona$100,127$86,345$8,939$4,843$398,200
19Virginia$98,250$84,437$9,036$4,777$389,400
20Vermont$94,321$81,705$8,648$3,968$376,800
21Maine$93,915$81,358$8,696$3,861$375,200
22Georgia$89,644$75,655$8,890$5,099$348,900
23Alaska$89,571$75,590$9,328$4,653$348,600
24Delaware$88,282$74,853$8,842$4,587$345,200
25Minnesota$86,538$73,422$8,842$4,274$338,600
26North Carolina$85,391$72,077$8,793$4,521$332,400
27Tennessee$82,192$69,041$8,745$4,406$318,400
28Texas$80,596$65,876$9,036$5,684$303,800
29Wyoming$80,458$67,740$8,939$3,779$312,400
30South Carolina$78,081$64,748$8,696$4,637$298,600
31New Mexico$77,304$64,358$8,648$4,298$296,800
32South Dakota$76,013$63,404$8,550$4,059$292,400
33Illinois$73,080$59,544$8,842$4,694$274,600
34Pennsylvania$72,688$59,587$8,745$4,356$274,800
35Wisconsin$71,287$58,720$8,648$3,919$270,800
36North Dakota$66,415$53,906$8,648$3,861$248,600
37Nebraska$66,172$53,819$8,550$3,803$248,200
38Missouri$64,002$51,261$8,599$4,142$236,400
39Michigan$63,775$50,849$8,793$4,133$234,500
40Indiana$62,937$50,328$8,599$4,010$232,100
41Kansas$61,763$49,179$8,550$4,034$226,800
42Ohio$60,174$47,466$8,599$4,109$218,900
43Alabama$59,690$46,924$8,550$4,216$216,400
44Louisiana$58,720$45,666$8,648$4,406$210,600
45Iowa$57,176$44,994$8,453$3,729$207,500
46Oklahoma$57,165$44,127$8,599$4,439$203,500
47Kentucky$57,073$44,734$8,453$3,886$206,300
48Arkansas$55,405$42,891$8,405$4,109$197,800
49Mississippi$49,507$37,166$8,307$4,034$171,400
50West Virginia$42,646$30,921$8,210$3,515$142,600
Calculations based on 2025-2026 average interest rates by FICO tier (Bankrate, LendingTree). Median home prices from Zillow/NAR.

Methodology & Data Sources

This study calculates the lifetime cost difference between a consumer with a 580 FICO score ("Fair") and a 750 FICO score ("Very Good") across three major credit products:

  1. Mortgage (30-year fixed), Rates from Bankrate and Freddie Mac: 7.59% APR for 580 FICO vs 6.47% for 750 FICO. Assumes 20% down payment on state median home price.
  2. Auto Loan (60-month new car), LendingTree and Experian rate data: 14.76% APR for 580 FICO vs 5.64% for 750 FICO. Assumes 10% down payment.
  3. Credit Cards (10-year period), Federal Reserve and CreditCards.com: 28.99% APR for 580 FICO vs 20.74% for 750 FICO, applied to state average revolving balance.

Home prices from Zillow Home Value Index and NAR Q1 2026. Credit card balances from Experian State of Credit (Q4 2025).

Limitations: Individual rates vary by lender, DTI ratio, and other factors. This study uses median values to illustrate the credit score gap magnitude.

AK

Written by

Alexander Katsman

Founder, Credit Booster & Credit Booster AI

Alexander Katsman has spent more than 15 years in credit and finance, helping thousands of people and small business owners dispute inaccurate reporting, rebuild their scores, and get approved for funding they were once denied. His latest project, Credit Booster AI, puts that entire toolkit in everyone's hands, using AI to make fixing, building, and funding your credit accessible to all.

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