Residents of Mississippi had the lowest average credit score, at 677; those in Minnesota had the highest, at 743.

Credit scores vary widely across the U.S., according to a study by personal finance firm WalletHub.

Credit scores shape Americans' abilities to get everything from credit cards to mortgages. This is bad news for Southerners.

Your credit score is the key to financial tools like credit cards, mortgages and auto loans. A good score (FICO Score of 670 to 739 or higher) can mean approval and desirable rates, while bad credit ...