Mid-sized metros in Southern states make up the majority of the 20-plus point increase club. Many of these cities are attracting newer residents seeking more affordable and available homes for purchase, and construction data indicates that much of the new housing stock in the U.S. is being built in similar metros. Presumably, those with both the means and the credit to purchase homes in what is still broadly a seller's market may be responsible for yanking up average scores significantly more than the national average. A similar phenomenon may also be occurring in Idaho, where two metros saw average FICO Scores increase by 20 points, thanks in part to in-migration of about 50,000 new residents from neighboring Pacific states annually, according to Census data. In addition, cities where FICO Scores grew the most over the past five years had more room to improve than other metros: In 2019, only two of the nine cities—Boise, Idaho, and Wilmington, North Carolina—sported average FICO Scores that were above the then-nationwide average FICO Score of 703. Experian.