Net Worth Percentile: Key Facts (2026)
- Median US household net worth: $215,900
- Top 10% threshold: $2.54 million
- Top 1% threshold: $16.27 million
- Mean net worth: $1.24 million (skewed by wealthy households)
- Highest median by age: 75 and older ($504,900)
Data source: Federal Reserve Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF) 2025, computed from the public microdata and checked against the Fed’s published tables on every update. Method, open dataset and charts.
last updated November 2026 with latest Federal Reserve and Census data.
My first real paycheck was $60,000. It was more money than my parents had ever earned in a year. I thought I was rich.
Then someone told me the median household income in New York City was over $200,000, and I thought that was the most money in the world. When I first played with a net worth percentile calculator and learned that $10 million was roughly the top 1%, I told my then-boyfriend (now husband) like it was a joke. We both laughed. We saved half our income anyway, but neither of us actually believed we’d get there.
That was about ten years ago. We’re on track to hit it now. And I still catch myself asking “is this enough?” Which is, honestly, an insane question.
Here’s what I’ve learned: people assume the 1% are happier than the 10%, like net worth is a dial you turn up. It’s not. Your number only means something relative to where you came from, who you’re around, and what stage of life you’re in. The most content people I know aren’t the richest. They’re the most intentional.
I built this calculator because I’ve been obsessed with this question for years — where do I actually stand? I wanted to filter by age, education, race, marital status. I wanted to know that I’m enough. That I’m okay. If I’m being honest, there’s something a little obsessive about me needing to check — again, and again — that I’m safe. I know that about myself.
What building this thing eventually taught me is that safety doesn’t come from knowing your exact percentile. It comes from acceptance. But I still check. So I built this for people like me.
Enter your net worth below to see where you stand.
Median Net Worth by Age (2026 Data)
Net worth varies dramatically by age as people accumulate wealth over their careers. Here are the percentile benchmarks, including a finer split for people under 35. They are computed from the Fed’s public survey data, so the medians can differ slightly from the official figures above.
| Age | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | 99th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 25 | $750 | $13K | $55K | $101K | $471K |
| 25-34 | $5K | $48K | $209K | $406K | $1.9M |
| 35-44 | $18K | $156K | $468K | $1.2M | $8.3M |
| 45-54 | $55K | $255K | $942K | $2.6M | $14.1M |
| 55-64 | $72K | $411K | $1.4M | $3.5M | $20.1M |
| 65-74 | $118K | $432K | $1.3M | $3.7M | $20.5M |
| 75+ | $144K | $505K | $1.4M | $4.2M | $20.3M |
Source: Federal Reserve Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF) 2025. Percentiles computed from the Fed’s public SCF microdata (weighted), 2025 dollars. Auto-updated when the Fed releases new data.
And here are the Fed’s own published medians and averages by age, with the inflation-adjusted change since the 2022 survey:
| Age | Median | Average (mean) | Median change since 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 35 | $33,000 | $135,400 | -22.7% |
| 35-44 | $155,600 | $681,900 | +4.9% |
| 45-54 | $253,700 | $1,244,500 | -6.2% |
| 55-64 | $411,900 | $1,878,000 | +3.3% |
| 65-74 | $431,300 | $1,897,500 | -3.9% |
| 75+ | $504,900 | $1,962,200 | +37.5% |
Source: Federal Reserve, Survey of Consumer Finances 2025 (figures published by the Fed), 2025 dollars. Change is versus the 2022 survey, adjusted for inflation.
Data Source
All figures come from the Federal Reserve Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF) 2025, the most comprehensive wealth survey in the United States. Medians and averages by age are the figures the Fed publishes; percentiles are computed from the Fed’s public microdata using the survey weights. All amounts are in 2025 dollars.
Key Wealth Statistics
Why the Median and Mean Differ So Much
The mean net worth ($1.24 million) is 5.8x the median ($215,900) because wealth is extremely concentrated at the top. The median is a better measure of “typical” American wealth.
What Counts as Net Worth?
Net worth = Total Assets – Total Liabilities. This includes:
- Assets: Home equity, retirement accounts (401k, IRA), brokerage accounts, savings, vehicles, real estate, business equity
- Liabilities: Mortgage balance, student loans, car loans, credit card debt, personal loans
What Your Percentile Means
If You’re in the Top 10%
Your wealth provides significant optionality. Focus on tax optimization, estate planning, and protecting wealth from inflation. You can also reduce what you owe on investment gains through strategic harvesting.
If You’re Between 50th-90th Percentile
You’re building wealth successfully. Maximize tax-advantaged accounts and increase savings rate annually.
If You’re Below 50th Percentile
Focus on the fundamentals: emergency fund, pay down high-interest debt, increase income, and start investing consistently.
Ready to Accelerate Your Wealth Building?
Take the free FI Assessment to see your full financial picture and get personalized recommendations.
How to Use This Calculator
Enter your total net worth above and click the button. You immediately get your percentile among all U.S. households, from the Federal Reserve Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF) 2025. Age is optional: add it and the age-group comparison unlocks, which is the sharper read, because the same net worth can be top-quartile at 30 and below the median at 60.
Your percentile tells you what percentage of households you have more wealth than. If you land at the 80th percentile, it means you have a higher net worth than 80% of people your age. The 50th percentile is the median, the exact middle.
You can also compare against education, race or ethnicity, marital status, children, and family-structure groups, and, once you add your age, against the exact combination (for example, married and 45 to 54). Every row uses that group’s own net-worth distribution from the survey, never groups multiplied together, because stacking group averages overstates the top end. Where the survey has too few households for a combination, the calculator says so instead of guessing. The demographic comparisons matter more than most people realize. A 35-year-old with a graduate degree has a very different wealth distribution than a 35-year-old without one. Use the filters that reflect your actual situation. Context changes the number.
Net Worth by Age: What the Data Actually Shows
The Federal Reserve conducts the Survey of Consumer Finances every three years. The 2025 survey is the most recent, and its public dataset covers 4,360 households. Here is what the median net worth looks like across age brackets, with the change since the 2022 survey after adjusting for inflation:
- Under 35: Median net worth of $33,000, which fell 22.7% since 2022. Most households in this bracket are still paying off student loans and just starting to build equity.
- 35-44: Median of $155,600, which rose 4.9% since 2022. This is when home equity and retirement account balances start compounding.
- 45-54: Median of $253,700, which fell 6.2% since 2022. Peak earning years, and compounding is doing real work on earlier investments.
- 55-64: Median of $411,900, which rose 3.3% since 2022. The final stretch before retirement, where catch-up contributions and reduced spending accelerate wealth.
- 65-74: Median of $431,300, which fell 3.9% since 2022. Social Security kicks in and many mortgages are paid off.
- 75+: Median of $504,900, which rose 37.5% since 2022. These households have had the longest to compound and many own their homes outright, while spending down savings and healthcare costs pull the other way.
In the 2025 survey, households 75 and older had the highest median net worth of any age group.
Here is the number that should stop you in your tracks: the average (mean) net worth across all ages is $1.24 million. The median is $215,900. That is a 5.8x gap.
Why? Because wealth is extraordinarily concentrated at the top. The wealthiest 1% of households hold 32.5% of all household wealth in the United States, according to the Fed’s Distributional Financial Accounts (Q2 2026). When you hear “the average American is a millionaire,” you are hearing the statistical shadow of billionaires pulling the number up. The median is the number that actually describes the typical household. If you are comparing yourself to the average, you are comparing yourself to Jeff Bezos and Warren Buffett blended into the mix.
Net Worth by Education, Race and Family Structure
Age is the biggest single driver of net worth, but it is not the only one. The calculator above compares you against each of these groups on that group’s own distribution; here are the Fed’s published medians and averages for each.
By education
| Group | Median | vs. all households | Average (mean) |
|---|---|---|---|
| No high school diploma | $18,600 | 0.09x | $294,300 |
| High school diploma | $106,700 | 0.49x | $470,600 |
| Some college | $181,000 | 0.84x | $661,100 |
| College degree | $505,400 | 2.34x | $2,263,300 |
Source: Federal Reserve, Survey of Consumer Finances 2025 (figures published by the Fed), 2025 dollars. “vs. all households” = group median divided by the overall median ($215,900).
Households headed by someone with a college degree have a median net worth of $505,400, about 4.7x those with only a high school diploma and 27.2x those without one. The gap is partly income, but mostly access to employer retirement plans and higher savings rates.
By race and ethnicity
| Group | Median | vs. all households | Average (mean) |
|---|---|---|---|
| White, non-Hispanic | $332,100 | 1.54x | $1,694,700 |
| Black, non-Hispanic | $36,800 | 0.17x | $242,400 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $79,600 | 0.37x | $334,100 |
| Other or multiple races (incl. Asian) | $205,000 | 0.95x | $1,029,100 |
Source: Federal Reserve, Survey of Consumer Finances 2025 (figures published by the Fed), 2025 dollars. “vs. all households” = group median divided by the overall median ($215,900).
White non-Hispanic households have a median net worth about 9x that of Black households and 4.2x that of Hispanic households. The Fed’s public tables fold Asian households into “other”; the public microdata separates them, and that group’s median is $677,400 on 328 surveyed households. This is a structural gap rooted in decades of policy around homeownership, lending and inheritance, not a personal-finance failing.
By family structure
| Group | Median | vs. all households | Average (mean) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single with children | $45,800 | 0.21x | $298,900 |
| Single, no children, under 55 | $25,400 | 0.12x | $175,500 |
| Single, no children, 55+ | $193,000 | 0.89x | $835,800 |
| Couple with children | $333,000 | 1.54x | $1,517,600 |
| Couple, no children | $469,000 | 2.17x | $2,174,900 |
Source: Federal Reserve, Survey of Consumer Finances 2025 (figures published by the Fed), 2025 dollars. “vs. all households” = group median divided by the overall median ($215,900).
What Is a Good Net Worth at 30? 40? 50?
“Good” depends entirely on what you are optimizing for. But here is how I think about it, and how the data breaks down.
Net Worth at 30
The median net worth for Americans under 35 is $33,000. But if you are reading this site, you are probably not median. You are likely saving aggressively, investing early, and thinking about financial independence. For ages 25 to 34, the top 20% starts at about $247K. That includes retirement accounts, taxable investments, and any home equity minus debt.
Net Worth at 40
The median for 35-44 is $155,600. The top 20% starts around $632K. If you are on a FIRE path, many people in this bracket are targeting $500K-$1M. The key at 40 is that compounding is starting to do the heavy lifting. Your investment returns may be contributing more than your annual savings. That is the inflection point.
Net Worth at 50
Median for 45-54 is $253,700. Top 20% starts at roughly $1.13 million. If you have been consistently saving 20-30% of your income and investing in index funds since your early 30s, $1M+ by 50 is very achievable. Many people at this stage are thinking about when they can actually retire.
The “right” number depends on your goals. Traditional retirement at 65? The median might be fine. FIRE or “enough”? You need multiples of the median. The calculator above will tell you exactly where you stand relative to your peers. What you do with that information is the more interesting question.
Net Worth vs Income: Which Matters More?
Income is what you earn. Net worth is what you keep. They are fundamentally different, and confusing them is one of the most expensive mistakes in personal finance.
High income paired with high spending produces a net worth of approximately zero. This is the “high income, low net worth” trap that catches a surprising number of six-figure earners. A surgeon earning $400,000 a year with $350,000 in student debt, a $1.2 million mortgage, and leased cars may have a lower net worth than a teacher who has been quietly maxing out her 403(b) for 20 years.
The reason net worth matters more: it compounds. Income does not, unless you invest it. Every dollar you save and invest today generates returns that generate their own returns. Income is linear. Net worth, properly managed, is exponential. That is the entire engine of wealth building.
Curious where your income ranks? Use the income percentile calculator. Then check your savings rate to see how much of that income is actually converting to wealth.
How to Increase Your Net Worth at Any Age
There are exactly three levers: earn more, spend less, invest the difference. Everyone knows this. What most people get wrong is the order.
Cutting expenses has a ceiling. You can only reduce your grocery bill so far. You can only cancel so many subscriptions. Frugality is necessary but finite. Earning more has no ceiling. A side income stream, a career pivot, a negotiated raise, equity compensation — these can add tens or hundreds of thousands to your trajectory.
But the real engine is the third lever: investing the difference. Compounding is not intuitive. A 25-year-old who invests $500 a month at a 7% real return will have over $1.2 million by 60 without increasing contributions. Start at 35, and the same $500 a month gets you roughly $567,000. Ten years of delay costs you more than half. That is not a rounding error. That is the difference between financial independence and working until 67.
Here is what I would actually do, in order: (1) Eliminate high-interest debt above 6-7%. (2) Max out tax-advantaged accounts (401k, IRA, HSA). (3) Invest in low-cost index funds in a taxable brokerage. (4) Increase your income and invest 100% of every raise. Do not inflate your lifestyle in lockstep with your earnings.
Use the compound interest calculator to see what your current savings rate produces over 10, 20, 30 years. Then check the investment fee calculator to make sure you are not leaking returns to fund managers.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I calculate my net worth?
Add up all your assets (home value, retirement accounts, savings, investments, vehicles) and subtract all your debts (mortgage, student loans, car loans, credit cards). Include spouse/partner for household net worth.
Should I include my home in net worth?
Yes. Include your home’s current market value as an asset and your mortgage balance as a liability. The difference (home equity) contributes to your net worth.
Why do the demographic filters change my percentile?
Wealth varies significantly by education, race, marital status, and family structure. The filters help you compare to people in similar situations rather than the general population.
What is the average net worth of a millennial?
Millennials (born 1981 to 1996, ages 29 to 44 in the 2025 survey) have a median household net worth of $110,300 and an average of $491,830. The enormous gap between median and average reflects wealth inequality within the generation. A small number of millennials with tech equity, inheritances, or early real estate purchases pull the average far above what the typical millennial actually has.
How does net worth vary by race?
The racial wealth gap in the United States is stark and well-documented. According to the 2025 SCF: White non-Hispanic households have a median net worth of $332,100, Black households $36,800, and Hispanic households $79,600. These gaps reflect generations of systemic differences in homeownership access, inheritance, income, and investment opportunity. The data does not sugarcoat this and neither should we.
What net worth is considered wealthy?
By the numbers: the top 10% of American households starts at about $2.54 million in net worth, and the top 1% starts at about $16.27 million. But “wealthy” is relative to your cost of living. $2 million in rural Tennessee provides a very different lifestyle than $2 million in Manhattan. A more useful framing: you are wealthy when your investments generate enough income to cover your living expenses without working. That number is different for everyone.
How often should I check my net worth?
Quarterly is enough for most people. Monthly if you are actively paying down debt or in a high-savings phase and want to see momentum. Daily is anxiety, not strategy. The market moves every day and your net worth will fluctuate with it. Checking too often leads to emotional decisions. Set a calendar reminder for the first of every quarter. Update a simple spreadsheet. Track the trend, not the noise.
What is a good net worth for a 30 year old?
The median net worth for households headed by someone 25 to 34 is $48,110. With $208,600 or more you are in the top 25% of that age group. The common rule of thumb, one year of salary saved by 30, sits well above where most 30-year-olds actually are.
What is the average net worth of a 40 year old?
The average (mean) net worth for 35 to 44 year olds is $681,900, but the median is $155,600. The average is pulled up by a small number of very wealthy households; the median is where the typical 40-year-old stands.
Is negative net worth normal?
Yes, especially under 35. The 10th percentile for 25 to 34 year olds is -$9,000, usually student loans exceeding assets. Most households cross into positive net worth in their early 30s as retirement balances grow and debt is paid down.
How does net worth change after retirement?
In the 2025 survey the median was $431,300 for households 65 to 74 and $504,900 for 75 and older. Retirees draw down savings, but investment growth and paid-off homes offset much of it, so net worth holds up better in retirement than most people expect.
Sources, Method and Author
Every number on this page is computed from the Federal Reserve’s public Survey of Consumer Finances microdata and checked against the Fed’s own published tables each time the data updates (82 of 82 statistics reproduced on the current run). The full method, the sample-size rules, the open dataset and the charts are on the net worth data and methodology page.
- Federal Reserve, Survey of Consumer Finances: the survey, its documentation and the public extract
- Federal Reserve press release, October 9, 2026: the SCF 2025 headline figures
- SCF 2025 public-data tables (real dollars): the spreadsheet every median and mean here is validated against
- Download the full percentile dataset (CSV, CC BY 4.0)
About the author
Veronica is a pen name. The person behind it holds an MBA, spent fifteen years as a product manager building data products at large technology companies, and manages her own family’s $8M+ portfolio. She built the data pipeline that produces this page and publishes her real portfolio. Nothing here is financial advice; see the terms and disclaimer.
Related Tools
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- Compound Interest Calculator – Visualize wealth growth over time
- Spending Percentile Calculator – How does your spending compare?
- Savings Rate Calculator – Are you saving enough?
- Budget Worksheet – Track spending and savings rate
- FI Assessment – Comprehensive financial independence score
- Best Vanguard Funds – Where to invest your wealth
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