Credit utilization: how it's calculated, with a free calculator
Edited by Moe Ameen · Published
Credit utilization is the share of your available credit you're using: a card's balance divided by its limit. Your overall utilization is your total balances divided by your total limits. It matters because amounts owed make up 30% of a FICO Score, the second-largest factor after payment history at 35%. Use the calculator below to see yours per card and overall.
Key takeaways
- Per card, utilization is the balance divided by the credit limit.
- Overall, it's total balances divided by total limits.
- Amounts owed are 30% of a FICO Score, and payment history is 35%.
- Your income doesn't factor into FICO Scores.
How do you calculate credit utilization?
Divide a card's balance by its credit limit. For your overall rate, divide total balances by total limits.
That's the method myFICO describes for both the per-card ratio and the aggregate one [1]. A worked example: a $1,200 balance on a $5,000 limit is 24%. Add a second card with $300 on a $3,000 limit, and overall utilization is $1,500 ÷ $8,000, or about 19%.
How much does credit utilization affect your credit score?
FICO counts amounts owed as 30% of a score, second only to payment history at 35%.
| FICO factor | Weight |
|---|---|
| Payment history | 35% |
| Amounts owed | 30% |
| Length of credit history | 15% |
| New credit | 10% |
| Credit mix | 10% |
FICO Scores range from 300 to 850 [3].
Does paying down a card lower your utilization?
Yes. Utilization is calculated from your balances, so a smaller balance on the same limit means a lower rate.
Using the example above, paying the first card from $1,200 down to $500 drops its rate from 24% to 10%, and overall utilization falls from about 19% to 10% ($800 ÷ $8,000). Try your own numbers in the calculator.
Does income affect your credit score?
No. FICO Scores don't consider your salary, occupation, employer or employment history.
myFICO lists salary, occupation, title, employer and employment history among the things its scores don't use [2]. Lenders may still ask about income when you apply, but it isn't part of the score.
Glisten tool
Credit utilization calculator
Glisten tool · Credit utilization calculator
Enter a balance and a limit for at least one card.
Runs in your browser. Nothing you type is sent anywhere or saved.
Is this right for you?
Best for
- Anyone with credit cards who wants their utilization per card and overall.
- Deciding which balance to pay down first.
Not ideal for
- Predicting your exact score. Scoring models weigh several factors at once.
- Business credit. The business bureaus score differently; see business credit scores explained.
Frequently asked questions
Is credit utilization calculated per card or overall?
Both. myFICO describes a per-card ratio and an aggregate ratio across all your cards [1].
What share of a FICO Score is amounts owed?
30% [2].
Does my salary affect my credit score?
No. FICO lists salary, occupation and employer among the things its scores don't consider [2].
How long does negative information stay on a credit report?
The CFPB says most negative information can be reported for seven years, and bankruptcies for up to ten [4].
Is the calculator private?
Yes. It runs in your browser, and nothing you type is sent anywhere or saved.
How we know this
We read myFICO's pages on what goes into a FICO Score and on credit utilization, plus the CFPB's guidance on negative information, on October 28, 2026. The calculator does the arithmetic myFICO describes and nothing else.
- Credit utilization, myFICO. Checked October 28, 2026.
- What's in my FICO Scores?, myFICO. Checked October 28, 2026.
- What is a FICO Score?, myFICO. Checked October 28, 2026.
- How long does negative information remain on my credit report?, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Checked October 28, 2026.