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What Credit Score Do You Need to Buy a House?

There's no universal cutoff — the minimum depends on the loan type, and your score affects your interest rate as much as your approval. Here's the practical breakdown.

Typical minimums by loan type

• Conventional loans: usually around 620 or higher.
• FHA loans: often 580 with a 3.5% down payment (and sometimes as low as 500 with 10% down).
• VA loans (eligible veterans/service members): no set minimum from the VA, but many lenders look for around 620.
• USDA loans (eligible rural areas): no official minimum, but roughly 640 is common for streamlined approval.

These are lender guidelines, not guarantees — individual lenders set their own overlays.

Approval isn't the whole story — your rate is

Two buyers can both be approved and still get very different interest rates. The best pricing generally goes to scores in the mid-700s and above. Moving from "fair" to "good" credit before you apply can lower your rate, which lowers your monthly payment for the life of the loan — often worth waiting a few months for.

What actually moves your score

Two factors dominate: payment history (pay everything on time, every time) and credit utilization (keep balances well under 30% of your limits, lower is better). Beyond those, avoid opening new accounts right before you apply, keep older accounts open, and check your credit reports for errors.

Check your report first — it's free

You're entitled to free credit reports from the major bureaus, and disputing inaccuracies can raise your score at no cost. Fixing a reporting error is one of the fastest legitimate ways to improve where you stand before applying.

Not sure how your credit stacks up against the other pieces lenders weigh? A readiness check puts your credit in context with your income, savings, debt, and documents.