If you grew up in Utah, you probably have a good credit score
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People who grew up in Utah tend to have relatively high credit scores by early middle-age, newly released data shows.
Why it matters: Credit scores can determine people's access to loans, housing, better interest rates and more — but also come with flaws and biases.
Driving the news: The data for the above map comes from The Opportunity Atlas — a joint project from the U.S. Census Bureau and Opportunity Insights at Harvard University — and is based on anonymized info from a major credit bureau.
- The map shows average credit scores in 2020 by childhood county for people born 1978-1985, making them roughly 35-42 at the time of measurement.
- The result: a snapshot of people's credit scores based on where they grew up, not necessarily where they lived when the snapshot was taken.
Between the lines: A credit score of 670 or higher is considered "good," while below 580 is "poor."
By the numbers: Those who hailed from Utah's 29 counties averaged at least 671.
- In the top 5% of all 3,225 counties studied were those from Piute County (733), Morgan (731), Summit (730), Rich (729) and Cache (728).
- Only those from San Juan County averaged in the bottom half of counties, with a score of 671 ranking at the 43rd percentile.
Zoom in: Those who grew up in Salt Lake County had an average score of 711 — in the top 15%.
Zoom out: Those with the highest average scores came from the Great Plains.
- All 27 counties whose kids went on to average a "very good" score of 740 or higher are in the Dakotas, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas and Minnesota.
Between the lines: A related Opportunity Insights study published in July found "significant differences in credit outcomes by race, class, and geography."
- "In particular, Black Americans, individuals from low-income families, and those who grew up in Appalachia or parts of the South are more likely to have lower credit scores and more limited access to credit."
- "These gaps emerge early, persist into adulthood, and remain stable through age 65."
The bottom line: Measurements based on your childhood neighborhood can reveal how the geographic roll of the dice may impact the course of your life, even if you're no longer there.