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Credit Score Capital of the UK

Victoria Russell
Written by  Victoria Russell
5 min read
Updated: 04 Jun 2024

See how your credit score compares to average scores in different parts of the country

When applying for a loan, credit card, mortgage, car finance, or even a mobile phone contract, your credit score plays an important role in determining how much you can borrow, the interest rate you’ll pay, and even whether lenders will let you borrow anything at all. 

So, it’s a good idea to check your credit report and take steps towards improving your credit score before making any major financial decisions. 

But how does the average credit score compare across the UK and what impact can factors such as being on the electoral roll have on your score?  

We analysed a year's worth of MoneySuperMarket Credit Score data to find the UK postcodes with the highest and lowest average credit scores. We also looked at where there have been the biggest changes in credit scores over the last 12 months.  

What is a credit score?

Your credit score is a rating based on your financial history and how you’ve managed credit in the past. In general, if you’ve always made repayments on time and borrowed smaller amounts relative to your total credit limit, then you’re likely to have a higher credit score.  

On the other hand, if you’ve previously struggled with debts and missed one or more repayments, your credit score is likely to be lower.  

The higher your score the more likely you are to be accepted for credit cards, loans and mortgages – and at better rates of interest.  

At MoneySuperMarket we use the credit reference agency TransUnion for our Credit Score service. TransUnion’s credit scores run from 0 to 710 with a score of around 566 to 627 being decent to good. A score of 628 or higher is considered excellent.  

According to our research, the average credit score across the UK was 570 in April 2024, falling by 0.2% compared to April 2023 when the average credit score was 571. 

average credit score

Credit score by location

Top 50 postcodes with the highest average credits core

At 617 points, people living in the FK14 postcode district that covers areas such as Dollar, Glendeven, and Burnfoot near Falkirk in Scotland have the UK’s highest average credit score. 

Our data also shows that areas in the South East of England are likely to have higher average credit scores with more than a third (34%) of the top 50 postcode districts in the South East region. 

Digging a little deeper, areas covered by the post districts of Elmbridge, Guildford, Edinburgh, Richmond upon Thames, and Renfrewshire accounted for 20% of places with the best average credit scores with each appearing twice in our top 50. 

Top 50 postcodes with the lowest average credit score 

According to our research, people living in Middlesbrough’s TS3 postcode district, which covers Brambles Farm, Thorntree, Park End, North Ormesby, and Berwick Hills, have the lowest average credit rating with 512 points. 

 People living in the North West and Yorkshire and The Humber are likely to have the lowest average credit score.  

 These regions each had 14 postcodes ranked among the 50 with the lowest average score, accounting for more than half of the list. 

 Of the 50 postcodes with the lowest average credit scores, six were in the Liverpool postal district (12%), while Glasgow, Hull, Bradford, and Middlesbrough each had three appearances on the list.  

Credit score biggest movers

Residents of the AB44 postcode district that covers the town of Macduff in Aberdeenshire saw their average credit score increase by 5% in the last year, rising from 553 points to 581. 

 Other areas that saw their average credit scores increase the most include the Welsh town of Newcastle Emlyn (SA38) at 4.5%, and the TR6 postcode region in Cornwall that covers Perranporth, Bolingey, and Perrancoombe (4.4%). 

 On the other end of the scale, Buckfastleigh (TQ11 postcode) saw the largest fall with the average credit score down 6.5% on the year, falling from 585 points to 547. 

 Other areas that saw the largest fall in average credit scores include the ST20 postcode district (Stafford and Woodseaves) with a fall of 4.6%, and Penzance (TR20) at 4.2%. 

 On a regional level, Scottish towns accounted for almost a quarter (24%) of the top 50 biggest winners with 12 entries, while more than a fifth (22%) of areas that saw the largest fall in average credit scores were in the South West of England. 

Effect of registering on the electoral roll

Registering on the electoral roll (registering to vote) is quick and easy and can have an immediate positive effect on your credit score.  

This boost is generally a one-time benefit and typically happens when you first register to vote.  

 Being on the electoral register gives lenders greater confidence that you are who you say you are, and that the details (such as name and address) you provided are correct and up to date.  

 Our data shows that the average score for people who are on the electoral roll is 41 points higher than those who are not. However, any change to your credit score because of registering to vote will be specific to your personal circumstances. 

Average credit score for electoral roll

By analysing voter registration data from the House of Commons Library, MoneySuperMarket estimates that the UK could potentially boost its collective credit score by 209 MILLION points simply by registering to vote. 

See how registering to vote could impact your constituency’s collective credit score below. 

 

*Parliamentary constituency boundaries will change at the next UK general election following a boundary review in 2023 

 MoneySuperMarket personal finance expert, Kara Gammell said: “A common mistake people make when it comes to their finances is only checking their credit report when they’re just about to apply for credit. 

 “Instead, try checking your report regularly and identify opportunities to boost your score, which could mean that you’re offered more competitive interest rates when you do need to use credit – for instance, to finance a car or for a credit card or loan. 

 “If you’ve checked your report and you think your score might be a little low, there are usually some simple steps you can take to improve it, such as registering to vote, checking your credit report for errors or mistakes.” 

How to improve your credit score

There are a number of ways to improve your credit score. Here are MoneySuperMarket’s top five tips: 

  1. Sign up for Credit Score – the best way to keep on top of your credit score is by tracking its progress. MoneySuperMarket’s Credit Score allows you to check your credit score as many times as you like without affecting your rating. It also offers personalised tips on how to improve your score.

  2. Get on the electoral register - simply by being registered to vote, you could improve your credit rating. It’s quick and easy to register through the gov.uk website. 

  3. Watch your payments - try to keep on top of your credit card, mortgage and loan repayments, setting up a direct debit where possible to avoid missing payment dates – which can lead to penalty fees and damage to your credit score.

  4. Use credit with care – aim to keep your credit card spending well within your available credit limit and try to avoid having too many card accounts. Lender may think you’re too reliant on credit if you’re borrowing up to your limit every month. Check the interest rates on your cards and loans – switch where possible to get a better deal and lower rate, including 0% interest deals, which can enable you to pay off debt faster. 

  5. Get a credit builder card – if you’ve had debt problems in the past and have a low credit score you could still be eligible for a credit builder credit card. Although you’re likely to be offered a low credit limit and interest rates will be relatively high to begin with, this can help get you on the road to increasing your credit rating and improving access to better credit deals.

Sign up to Credit Score from MoneySuperMarket to keep up to date with your credit score and get personalised recommendations for credit cards and balance transfer cards

 

Methodology  

The data, accurate as of April 2024, is based on the latest credit reports for users of MoneySuperMarket’s Credit Score.  

 Postcodes districts with fewer than 100 users were not considered 

People registered to vote by UK parliamentary constituency, December 2022 (Constituency data: electorates) 

Constituency population by age (Constituency data: Population, by age) 

  • Estimate collective credit score increase 

People registered to vote by constituency - people of voting age by constituency = people not registered to vote 

 The average credit score for MoneySuperMarket Credit Score users on the electoral roll is 41 points higher than those not on the electoral roll. 

 People not registered to vote x 41 = potential collective credits core increase. 

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