Average Net Worth by Age in the US: 2026 Data — How Do You Stack Up?
US median net worth is $192,084 overall, $39K for under-35s, and $409K at 65–74. Full Federal Reserve SCF breakdown by age group with percentile rankings.
Disclaimer: Tax figures reflect estimated 2026 projections based on IRS Publication 15-T. Tax law changes frequently. Verify with a CPA or the IRS Tax Withholding Estimator. Calcwyse.com is not a tax advisor.
The median American household has a net worth of $192,084. The average is $1,063,700 — $871,616 higher — because the top 1% of households pulls it up. For personal benchmarking, the median is the number that actually matters.
Here’s the full Federal Reserve breakdown by age group, plus where you fall by percentile.
Your Net Worth vs. Every Age Group
The Federal Reserve’s Survey of Consumer Finances is the authoritative source for US household wealth data. It runs every three years. The 2022 wave, released October 2023, is the most recent full dataset available. The 2025 wave publishes in late 2026. For more on this topic, see our guide: $50/Month for 10 Years at 5%: The Exact Final Value (And What Changes It).
📊 Median and Mean Net Worth by Age — 2026 Benchmark Table
Age group Median net worth Mean net worth Under 35 $39,000 $183,500 35–44 $135,600 $548,100 45–54 $247,200 $971,300 55–64 $364,500 $1,566,900 65–74 $409,900 $1,794,600 75+ $335,600 $1,624,700 All households $192,084 $1,063,700 Source: Federal Reserve Survey of Consumer Finances, 2022 wave (released October 2023). Most recent full dataset; 2025 SCF publishes late 2026.
Net worth peaks in the 65–74 bracket, then declines. Most of that drop is retirement drawdown and rising healthcare costs. Not investment losses. For more on this topic, see our guide: Cap Rate Explained: What Makes a Good Rental Investment in 2026 (With Real $420K Examples).
Most people don’t realize the mean figures are nearly useless for benchmarking yourself. A handful of households with $50M+ in each bracket drag those averages far from anything typical.
Where You Fall by Percentile
Median vs. mean is only half the picture. The more useful question: where do you land within your own age group?
📊 Net Worth by Age — 25th, 50th, 75th, and 90th Percentiles
Age group 25th pct Median (50th) 75th pct 90th pct Under 35 $5,000 $39,000 $120,000 $290,000 35–44 $14,000 $135,600 $380,000 $864,000 45–54 $39,000 $247,200 $660,000 $1,560,000 55–64 $59,000 $364,500 $924,000 $2,050,000 65–74 $75,000 $409,900 $970,000 $2,300,000 75+ $55,000 $335,600 $800,000 $1,900,000 Derived from Federal Reserve SCF 2022 microdata. Percentile figures are approximate — the SCF uses multiply-imputed data with bounded confidence intervals at the tails.
The gap between the 25th and 75th percentile widens sharply with age. Under 35, that spread is $115,000. By 55–64, it’s $865,000. The choices made in your 30s and 40s compound into a real gap by your 50s.
Negative net worth at a young age is normal. The 10th percentile for under-35 households is around –$15,000. Student loans and car loans explain most of it. A small positive number in your late 20s already puts you ahead of peers.
What Counts — and What Doesn’t
Net worth is assets minus liabilities. Simple formula, frequently miscalculated.
Assets that count:
- Home equity (market value minus mortgage balance)
- Retirement accounts: 401(k), IRA, Roth IRA, pension present value
- Brokerage and investment accounts
- Bank accounts: checking, savings, money market
- Vehicles (current market value — not what you paid)
- Business equity
- Other property
Liabilities that count:
- Mortgage balance
- Student loans
- Auto loans
- Credit card balances
- Personal loans
- Medical debt
Your income doesn’t count. Your credit score doesn’t either. Net worth is a snapshot of what you own minus what you owe on a specific date.
Most people overestimate their net worth in two ways: forgetting to subtract the full mortgage balance, and using the car’s purchase price instead of today’s market value.
The Home Equity Factor
Home equity is the largest single asset for the median household in every age bracket from 35 onward.
The Federal Reserve’s Distributional Financial Accounts show aggregate household net worth for the 35–54 cohort is up roughly 11–14% in nominal terms since the 2022 SCF. Most of that is housing appreciation.
If you bought a house in 2018 or 2019, your equity likely grew $60,000–$120,000 from price appreciation alone. No extra payments required. The 2022 SCF numbers understate where many 35–54 homeowners actually are today.
Renters in the same age range missed that passive gain. That explains a big portion of the wealth gap within each bracket — not income differences alone.
What “Good” Looks Like at Each Age
Fidelity Investments’ retirement savings benchmarks are widely used in planning:
- By 30: 1× your annual salary saved
- By 40: 3× your annual salary
- By 50: 6× your annual salary
- By 60: 8× your annual salary
- By 67: 10× your annual salary
The SCF medians fall short of every one of these. A 45-year-old earning $75,000 would need $450,000 saved by 50. The actual median at 45–54 is $247,200 — a $202,800 gap.
That’s why Social Security remains the primary retirement income source for most Americans, per the Social Security Administration. Average monthly benefits run around $1,900 in 2026.
Quick Answers About Net Worth by Age
What is the average net worth at 40? The median for ages 35–44 is $135,600. The mean is $548,100. Most 40-year-olds are near the median — the mean is skewed by high-net-worth households.
What net worth is considered wealthy in the US? The 90th percentile overall is roughly $1.9 million. The top 1% starts at about $13.6 million. $1 million puts you above approximately 85% of all US households.
Is $100,000 net worth good at 30? Yes. The under-35 median is $39,000. At $100,000, you’re near the 75th percentile for your age group. If most of it is in retirement accounts, you’re well ahead.
Does net worth include home equity? Yes. The Federal Reserve SCF definition includes primary residence equity — market value minus mortgage balance. It’s the biggest single asset for most households over 35.
What’s the median net worth at retirement age? For ages 65–74, the median is $409,900. The mean is $1,794,600. Most retirees pair that with Social Security — the SSA reports average monthly benefits around $1,900 in 2026.
Why is average net worth so much higher than median? Wealth concentration. The top 1% controls about 30% of total US household wealth. A small number of extremely wealthy households pull the mean far above what a typical household holds.
I’m 50 with $300,000 net worth — am I behind? You’re above the 45–54 median of $247,200. Whether that’s enough depends on your target retirement spend, expected Social Security benefit, and savings rate going forward. The gap to the 75th percentile at your age is $360,000 — a real but closeable number with 15 years of aggressive saving.
Three Moves That Add the Most Net Worth Before 55
The SCF data shows the 50th-to-75th gap widens most between ages 35 and 55. The households pulling ahead aren’t earning dramatically more. Three things separate them.
1. Maxing tax-advantaged accounts
The 401(k) employee limit in 2026 is $23,500 — or $31,000 at age 50+, per IRS Notice 2024-80. A 35-year-old maxing this for 20 years at 7% average annual return accumulates roughly $1.2 million by 55. Contributing $6,000 a year instead gets you to about $310,000. The difference is $890,000. It’s not subtle.
HSA contributions — $4,300 individual, $8,550 family in 2026 per IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-19 — are pre-tax going in, grow tax-free, and come out tax-free for medical expenses. Most people skip them entirely.
2. Eliminating high-interest debt first
The average American carries about $6,000 in credit card balances at 20%+ APR. Paying that off is a guaranteed 20% return. No publicly traded investment reliably beats that number. Every dollar going to interest is a dollar not compounding elsewhere.
3. Tracking net worth monthly
People who track their net worth regularly spend more carefully — because they can see exactly what each decision does to their balance sheet. Apps like Empower pull all accounts automatically. The tracking is the mechanism, not the goal.
💡 Estimated Net Worth at 65 — Contribution Rate Comparison
Starting age Annual contribution Projected net worth at 65 25 $10,000/yr ~$2,006,000 25 $23,500/yr ~$4,714,000 35 $10,000/yr ~$944,000 35 $23,500/yr ~$2,218,000 45 $10,000/yr ~$394,000 45 $23,500/yr ~$925,000 Compound growth illustration only. Assumes consistent annual contribution at 7% average annual return. No employer match included. Actual results vary. Source methodology: IRS Notice 2024-80 · IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-19
Starting at 25 vs. 35 produces roughly 2× more money at the same annual contribution. The decade between 25 and 35 is worth about $1.3 million at $23,500/yr. It can’t be recaptured.
Run Your Own Numbers
The benchmarks show where you stand. The calculators show what to do about it.
- Net Worth Calculator — tally every asset and liability in one place
- Retirement Calculator — project whether your current trajectory reaches your number
- FIRE Calculator — if you’re targeting financial independence before 65, start here