Free Calculator · 2026

What Credit Score Do I Need to Buy a House in

See exact credit score requirements for FHA, conventional, and jumbo loans. Calculate how much each score tier costs over 30 years.

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Credit Score Requirements
See exact credit score requirements for FHA, conventional, and jumbo loans. Calculate how much each score tier costs over 30 years.
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How It Works

Our calculator uses the same underwriting formulas that banks and lenders apply when reviewing mortgage applications. All calculations are based on standard amortization math, current Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac guidelines, and real market data from NAR, CFPB, and Freddie Mac.

Results are for educational purposes. Always consult a licensed mortgage professional before making financial decisions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this calculator free?
Yes — completely free. No sign-up, no email required, no hidden fees.
How accurate are the results?
Results use standard amortization formulas and national average assumptions for taxes, insurance, and PMI. Your actual costs will vary based on location, lender, and credit profile. Use these as a starting point, not a final answer.
What data sources do you use?
Rate data from Freddie Mac PMMS. Tax averages from US Census Bureau. PMI estimates from Urban Institute. Lending criteria from Fannie Mae and FHA guidelines.
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The half of the answer almost nobody publishes free

Credit-score thresholds are the visible half of qualifying. The other half is which lender receives your file — and that half is measurable. In the complete 2025 federal HMDA record (1,187,606 FHA applications that reached a credit decision), denial rates across the 100 largest FHA lenders ranged from 1.8% to 78.7%. Same federal program, same year: a 44× spread.

And it is not simply a matter of who applies where. Holding state, loan amount, income, debt-to-income and loan-to-value constant across 24,933 borrower-profile cells, applicant mix explains only a 2.9× range — while the observed spread stays 44×.

Which lenders approve most → Is it you or the door? → Apply to more than one? →

CFPB HMDA 2025, computed by FinanceRateCalc · decisioned = actions 1,2,3 · rates partly reflect applicant mix · historical observation, not a prediction about any individual application · free, CC BY 4.0.

The Denial Dispatch
One finding a week from the federal mortgage record.
One chart, three paragraphs, every Saturday. Measured, not assumed.
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FinanceRateCalc · Independent analysis of the complete federal HMDA record · Measured, not assumed. · No lender or AI vendor funds or previews this work.