The short answer
FHA's own rules allow the lowest down payment at a score of 580 or higher, and limit a borrower with a score from 500 to 579 to 90% of the home's value, which means 10% down. Lenders may set higher minimums of their own. The rules are the same for every borrower.
The rule
| Deciding credit score | What FHA allows |
|---|---|
| 580 and above | Maximum financing: a loan of up to 96.5% of the home's value, so at least 3.5% down. |
| 500 to 579 | A loan of up to 90% of the home's value, so at least 10% down. |
| No credit score | Eligible for maximum financing, but the file must be reviewed manually. |
The handbook passage read covers 500 and above. Confirm the wording for scores under 500 before publishing; article 1 states "not eligible".
Which score counts
Lenders pull scores from the three credit bureaus. FHA uses one "deciding" score for the whole loan:
- Three different scores for a borrower: the middle one.
- Two different scores: the lower one.
- One score: that one.
- More than one borrower: the lowest of the borrowers' scores.
Starting with loans assigned a case number on or after January 1, 2027, lenders may also use two newer score models, FICO 10T and VantageScore 4.0. HUD says the minimum scores stay the same.
What changes below 580
If the file is reviewed manually, a borrower under 580 is held to a house payment of no more than 31% of income and total debts of no more than 43%, with no exceptions. What manual underwriting means
FHA's rule and a lender's rule are different things
Many lenders set a minimum score above FHA's. If one lender says no because of your score, ask whether that is FHA's rule or the lender's own.
An example of the deciding score
Two people apply together.
- Borrower A has scores of 598, 612 and 640. The middle one is 612.
- Borrower B has two scores, 575 and 590. The lower one is 575.
- The deciding score for the loan is the lower of the two borrowers: 575.
At 575, FHA's rule is 10% down. If Borrower A applied alone at 612, it would be 3.5% down, but only Borrower A's income would count.
What your score does not change
FHA's mortgage insurance rates do not depend on your credit score. They depend on the size of the loan, its length, and how much you put down. See the mortgage insurance table
FHA does not set your interest rate either. The lender does.
What I see in real files
Jamal's own words go here: two to four sentences on what he sees in real files like this. Claude does not write this part.
Questions people ask next
Is there a minimum score for FHA?
FHA's score table starts at 500. Lenders can require more.
My spouse has a lower score. Does that matter?
If you are both on the loan, the lower borrower's score is the deciding one. If your spouse is not on the loan, see spouse debts in California.
Can I qualify with no score at all?
FHA allows it, with a manual review using other payment records such as rent and utilities.