Wilmette Credit Scores Among Nation's Highest

Your credit score dictates a lot of decisions you can make in life. If you're trying to take out a loan or qualify for an apartment, a good credit score is a must.

Now, by lumping together populations of entire towns and cities, you too can make broad judgments about the financial habits of strangers.

A new analysis by WalletHub compares the average credit scores of residents in more than 2000 U.S. cities, telling you which city has residents with the best financial habits. Wallethub used October 2016 data from TransUnion, a credit reporting agency, to make the comparisons.

It turns out several place on Chicago's North Shore made it into the top 100.

According to Wallethub, the highest credit scores in Illinois are as follows:

1. Wilmette, average credit score: 744.93, 99th percentile, 14th in nation
2. Lake Forest, average credit score: 738.91, 99th percentile, 30th in nation
3. Northbrook, average credit score: 739.38, 99th percentile, 34th in nation
4. Deerfield, average credit score: 736.15, 98th percentile, 55th in nation
5. Huntley, average credit score: 735.32, 98th percentile, 58th in nation
6. Libertyville, average credit score 734.89, 98th percentile, 61st in nation
7. Glenview, average credit score: 733.74, 97th percentile, 71st in nation
8. Highland Park, average credit score 731.84, 96th percentile, 93rd in nation
9. Park Ridge, average credit score 729.37, 96th percentile, 108th in nation
10. Buffalo Grove, average credit score 727.89, 95th percentile, 125th in nation

And here are the nation's top scores:

1. The Villages, Florida, average credit score: 778.77
2. Los Altos, California, average credit score: 757.1
3. Lexington, Massachusetts, average credit score: 756.08
4. Sun City West, Arizona, average credit score: 778.77
5. Saratoga, California, average credit score: 754.4
6. Sun City Center, Florida, average credit score: 752.73
7. Green Valley, Arizona, average credit score: 749.51
8. Colleyville, Texas, average credit score: 748.57
9. Pittsford, New York, average credit score: 748.35
10. Needham, Massachusetts, average credit score: 747.56

Where does your city stand?

• Find out at Wallethub and read more about their methodology.

Image via Shutterstock

Patch Editor Feroze Dhanoa contributed.

Editor's note: This story initially stated potential employers may check a candidate's credit history. They can pull a credit report on a candidate, but cannot see credit scores as a lender might. Patch apologizes for the error.