Costa Mesa, CA/September 22, 1010/PR Newswire:  Experian, with the State of Credit, has ranked the cities with the highest and lowest average credit scores.  

Minneapolis, MN, Madison, WN and Cedar Rapids, IA, topped the list.  At the bottom of the ranking were Harlingen, TX, Jackson, MS, and Corpus Christi, TX.  

Experian executive vice president Peg Smith observed, regarding the report, that, “Certainly, the troubled economy has impacted us all in different ways, and we’re now seeing how it is affecting credit scores – which are a critical factor in determining a person's ability to access affordable credit.”

Missing or paying bills late are often the most common factors that drag down credit scores.

“Late payments and delinquencies such as foreclosures drive lower credit scores, and the State of Credit data shows that unemployment has been a major factor in contributing to higher delinquencies," said Smith. “Certainly anyone who has lost a job understands how such a life event could affect their ability to pay their bills on time.”

The ten cities with the highest average credit scores and the 10 cities with the lowest average credit scores in the U.S., ranked by VantageScore:                                                    

Cities with the highest credit scores            

1. Minneapolis, Minn.: 787     

2. Madison, Wis.: 785              

3. Cedar Rapids, Iowa: 781    

4. Green Bay, Wis.: 780          

5. San Francisco, Calif.: 780       

6. Boston, Mass.: 779              

7. Peoria, Ill.: 778                      

8. La Crosse, Wis.: 778           

9. Seattle, Wash.: 777             

10. Sioux Falls, S.D.: 777                                                                  

Cities with the lowest credit scores                                                   

1. Harlingen, Texas: 684         

2. Jackson, Miss.: 698             

3. Corpus Christi, Texas: 700                   

4. Shreveport, La.: 701            

5. El Paso, Texas: 706             

6. Monroe, La.: 706                  

7. Las Vegas, Nev.: 707          

8. Bakersfield, Calif.: 708        

9. Myrtle Beach, S.C.: 709      

10. Tyler, Texas: 709                                                                

VantageScore was the credit industry's first credit rating scale, developed jointly by Experian, Equifax and TransUnion.  The scores range from 501 (high risk)  to 990 lowest likelihood of risk.

Experian’s complete list of cities and credit scores is available at www.livecreditsmart.com.