Westport Among Best Credit Scores in Connecticut: Report

Editor’s note: We previously posted this article, but here it is again in case you missed it.

When it comes to credit, we all need it but not all of us know what our scores are, much less the scores of our friends and neighbors.

Personal finance website WalletHub recently crunched the credit score numbers from more than 2,500 cities and towns throughout the United States to come up with a list of the communities with the best and worst credit scores for 2016. You can read their methodology by clicking here.

A good credit score, say 715 or higher, can help you obtain a favorable interest rate for a home or car loan, a credit card with a low interest rate or even a desirable apartment or rental property.

“But have you ever wondered how well your neighbors, your coworkers or perhaps your local Starbucks barista handle their finances?” WalletHub writes. “Are they as responsible — or irresponsible — as you when it comes to paying your bills or knowing when to keep your plastic in your pocket?”

Topping the list nationally is the retirement community The Villages in Florida with an average credit score of 779.51, followed by Sun City West, AZ, at 758.08 and Saratoga, CA, at 755.70. Rounding out the top five are Los Altos, CA, 754.12 and Sun City Center, FL, 753.05.

At the other end of the spectrum, the five communities with the worst credit scores are College Park, GA, 582.80; Forest Park, GA, 579.75; Harvey, IL, 573.61; and East St. Louis, IL, 571.41.

And the community with the worst credit score? Camden, NJ, at 565.62.

In Connecticut, Darien has the best score at 739.10, good for 29th nationally, followed by Westport, 738.37, or 33rd nationally, and Ridgefield, 735.09, or 50th nationally.

The Constitution State’s community with the lowest score? Hartford at 588.84, good for (or bad for?) 2545th place nationally.

The rest of Connecticut’s scores, in order based on national rank:

86 – Glastonbury Center, 730.03

130 – Guilford Center, 725.64

136 – Trumbull, 725.25

193 – Greenwich, 719.93

198 – West Hartford, 719.60

207 – Newington, 719.27

T-262 – North Haven, 715.65

356 – Milford, 710.26

657 – New Milford, 696.73

802 – Stratford, 690.00

806 – Norwalk, 689.90

1037 – Stamford, 681.53

1052 – Manchester, 680.98

T-1125 – East Haven, 677.87

1142 – Middletown, 677.12

1241 – Bristol, 673.50

T-1266 – Groton, 672.69

1292 – Torrington, 671.88

T-1298 – Naugatuck, 671.62

1391 – Danbury, 668.63

1674 – Meriden, 658.56

T-1698 – Norwich, 657.92

1737 – West Haven, 656.43

2092 – East Hartford, 644.14

2305 – New London, 634.19

T-2330 – New Britain, 633.09

2389 – New Haven, 628.35

2396 – Bridgeport, 627.77

2433 – Waterbury, 624.36

2545 – Hartford, 588.84

Click here for the full list on the WalletHub website.