Why Whole Regions Have Better Credit Scores Than Others

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- U.S. consumers seem genuinely committed to doing a better job handling their personal finances, but depending on where you are, some are doing a better job than others.

TransUnion, the Chicago-based credit ratings firm, says in a recent survey that 53% of Americans say their main financial resolution for 2013 is to save more money; 49% say they want to cut back on "unnecessary expenses"; and another 42% want to pay down existing debt.

That's commendable, but as the saying goes, there's theory -- and then there's execution. And those in or near large population centers in the Northeast and California are more apt to do a better job handling their money than those in smaller cities and vast rural areas, especially in the South.

So says TransUnion in a different study released last week.

According to TransUnion, the top credit scores in the country come from the San Francisco-San Jose, Calif., region. The worst credit scores come from residents in or near Memphis, Tenn.

On average, residents of San Francisco and San Jose boast credit scores of 690 to 700. Conversely, residents of Memphis find themselves sliding down the scale all the way to 638.

Other U.S. regions that show better credit scores includes Bridgeport-Stamford, Conn., and Boston (both around 690). Thousand Oaks, Calif., And Portland, Maine, residents are right behind, with an average credit score of 685.

On the downside, southern cities such as El Paso, Texas, and Jackson, Miss., have a ways to go to catch up, with average credit scores of about 625.

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