Hawai'i consumers generally score better than the country as a whole when it comes to how they manage their credit, according to a new study by a national credit bureau.

Residents' average credit score of 708 compared to the national average of 692, and was 12th highest among the 50 states and District of Columbia, according to the study by Experian Information Solutions Inc.

The scores by Experian, one of three national firms that track consumers' credit histories and assign scores, look at a variety of factors including the amount of debt carried, amount of available credit used and late payments.

Experian's Scores Plus scale assigns consumers a number ranging from 330 to 830, with higher scores assumed to be better credit risks than ones at the low end.

Hawai'i consumers generally score well in such rankings with lenders saying many people here tend to be more conservative financially than the nation as a whole. Foreclosure rates are among the lowest nationally because of this and property values.

Experian reported the average Hawai'i consumer owed $15,345 on credit cards and other loans excluding mortgages. That was lower than the U.S. average of $16,581.

Hawai'i's late payment rate was 0.54 percent, almost half the national average of 1.05 percent.

In terms of credit usage, Hawai'i consumers used 31.6 percent of available credit.

The national average was 32.8 percent.

The highest credit score was in Minnesota, where the average was 721. Texas had the worst average score at 666.

The Experian National Score Index is based on a sample of 3 million U.S. consumers' credit profiles.