By Ziv Shay | Updated April 2026
Find out where you stand compared to others your age — based on Federal Reserve data.
This calculator uses data from the Federal Reserve Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF 2022), the gold standard for measuring American household wealth. We've adjusted all figures for inflation to reflect 2026 values.
Simply enter your age, add up your assets (home, investments, savings, crypto, vehicles), subtract your debts (mortgage, student loans, credit cards, car loans), and we'll instantly show you your percentile ranking among Americans your age.
Here's an overview of how net worth breaks down across different age groups in America:
| Age Group | Median | Mean | 75th Percentile | 90th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 25 | $10,000 | $75,000 | $45,000 | $120,000 |
| 25-29 | $20,000 | $120,000 | $85,000 | $230,000 |
| 30-34 | $50,000 | $200,000 | $175,000 | $450,000 |
| 35-44 | $135,000 | $550,000 | $400,000 | $950,000 |
| 45-54 | $250,000 | $975,000 | $700,000 | $1,600,000 |
| 55-64 | $365,000 | $1,200,000 | $950,000 | $2,200,000 |
| 65-74 | $410,000 | $1,500,000 | $1,050,000 | $2,500,000 |
| 75+ | $335,000 | $1,100,000 | $850,000 | $2,000,000 |
Your net worth percentile tells you what percentage of people in your age group you have more wealth than. For example, being in the 70th percentile means you have a higher net worth than 70% of people your age.
Key benchmarks to keep in mind:
Explore detailed net worth data for specific ages:
While income is what you earn, net worth is what you keep. A person earning $200,000/year with $300,000 in debt has a lower net worth than someone earning $60,000/year with $150,000 in savings and no debt. Net worth measures your true financial health and progress toward financial independence.
Tracking your net worth over time is one of the most powerful financial habits you can develop. It shows whether your wealth is actually growing, regardless of income changes.
The percentile rankings on this page are derived from the Federal Reserve Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF), widely regarded as the most authoritative dataset on American household wealth. The Federal Reserve conducts this survey every three years, interviewing roughly 6,500 families across every income and wealth bracket in the country. The most recent completed survey uses 2022 data, which we have adjusted for inflation to reflect estimated 2026 values.
Net worth is calculated as total assets minus total liabilities. Assets include everything you own that has monetary value: real estate, retirement accounts (401k, IRA, Roth IRA), brokerage and savings accounts, vehicles, business interests, and other property. Liabilities include every debt obligation: mortgages, student loans, credit card balances, auto loans, medical debt, and personal loans. The difference between what you own and what you owe is your net worth.
Percentiles are more useful than simple averages because wealth distribution in America is extremely skewed. The wealthiest 1% of households hold roughly 30% of all wealth, which pulls the national average far above what a typical family actually has. A percentile ranking tells you exactly where you stand relative to the full population. If you are at the 60th percentile, you have more net worth than 60% of people in your age group and less than 40%. This relative measure provides a far more honest picture than comparing yourself to an average that almost nobody actually represents.
The table below summarizes both the median and mean net worth for each major age bracket, based on SCF data adjusted to 2026 dollars. Use this as a reference point to gauge where a "typical" household stands at each life stage.
| Age Group | Median Net Worth | Mean Net Worth | Ratio (Mean / Median) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 35 | $39,000 | $183,500 | 4.7x |
| 35 – 44 | $135,000 | $550,000 | 4.1x |
| 45 – 54 | $250,000 | $975,000 | 3.9x |
| 55 – 64 | $365,000 | $1,200,000 | 3.3x |
| 65 – 74 | $410,000 | $1,500,000 | 3.7x |
| 75+ | $335,000 | $1,100,000 | 3.3x |
The gap between the mean and the median is the single most important thing to understand in this table. In every age group, the mean is 3 to 5 times higher than the median. This happens because wealth concentration at the top is extreme: a handful of ultra-high-net-worth households drag the average far above what a middle-of-the-pack family actually holds. If you compare yourself to the "average," you will almost certainly feel behind, even if you are doing perfectly well.
The median is the true midpoint — half of households have more, half have less. If your net worth is at or above the median for your age group, you are in the top half. That is a solid position. Being "on track" generally means meeting the retirement savings benchmarks described later on this page: roughly 1x your salary by 30, 3x by 40, and so on. Most Americans fall short of those targets, so even reaching the median puts you ahead of many of your peers.
Notice that median net worth peaks at ages 65–74 ($410,000) before declining slightly after 75. This pattern reflects the natural life cycle of wealth: accumulation during working years followed by gradual draw-down in retirement as households spend savings on living expenses and healthcare.
Abstract numbers are easier to understand with a concrete example. Let us walk through the calculation for a 35-year-old with a fairly common financial profile:
Assets:
Total Assets = $85,000 + $15,000 + $250,000 + $12,000 = $362,000
Liabilities:
Total Liabilities = $200,000 + $25,000 = $225,000
Net Worth = $362,000 − $225,000 = $137,000
For the 35–44 age bracket, the median net worth is $135,000. A net worth of $137,000 puts this person almost exactly at the 50th percentile — right in the middle of their age group. That means they have a higher net worth than roughly half of Americans their age.
Is this "good"? It depends on the goal. This person is on par with the typical American their age, which is encouraging. However, if they earn $80,000 per year, financial planners would recommend having about $240,000 saved by 40 (3x salary). With five years to go and $85,000 already in retirement accounts, aggressive saving and market growth could close the gap. The key takeaway: being at the 50th percentile is a reasonable foundation, but it does not guarantee a comfortable retirement without continued effort. The next sections outline specific strategies to move up.
Growing your net worth comes down to a simple formula: earn more, spend less, and invest the difference. Here are six proven strategies, each with specific numbers to guide your planning.
Most financial planners recommend saving at least 20% of gross income. If you earn $70,000 and currently save 10% ($7,000/year), boosting to 20% ($14,000/year) adds an extra $7,000 annually. Over 20 years at an 8% average return, that extra $7,000 per year grows to roughly $320,000. Automate your savings so the money moves before you have a chance to spend it.
Credit card interest rates average 22–28% in 2026. Every dollar of credit card debt costs you roughly a quarter each year in interest alone. Paying off $10,000 in credit card debt is the mathematical equivalent of earning a guaranteed 25% return on your money — something no investment can reliably match. Prioritize cards with the highest rates first (the "avalanche" method) or start with the smallest balance for psychological momentum (the "snowball" method).
Dollar-cost averaging into low-cost index funds is one of the most reliable wealth-building strategies available. A total stock market index fund with a 0.03% expense ratio gives you broad diversification at almost zero cost. Investing $500 per month starting at age 30, with an 8% average annual return, produces roughly $1.05 million by age 60. The key is consistency: stay invested through downturns, increase contributions when income rises, and max out tax-advantaged accounts before using taxable brokerage accounts.
For homeowners, every mortgage payment builds equity. Making one extra mortgage payment per year on a $300,000 30-year mortgage at 6.5% interest saves approximately $78,000 in total interest and pays off the loan nearly 5 years early. If homeownership is accessible in your market, it remains one of the most powerful forced savings mechanisms available, because each payment simultaneously reduces liabilities and maintains (or grows) asset value.
When you get a $10,000 raise, the temptation is to upgrade your apartment, your car, or your dining habits. Instead, commit to saving at least half of every raise. If you invest $5,000 of a $10,000 raise each year for 25 years at 8% returns, that one habit alone produces about $365,000 in additional wealth. The lifestyle you can afford today is probably comfortable enough — let compounding do the heavy lifting.
Earning an extra $500–$1,500 per month from a side business, freelancing, rental income, or dividends can dramatically accelerate net worth growth. If you invest all of a $1,000/month side income at 8% returns, you add roughly $590,000 over 20 years. Common options include consulting in your professional field, renting a spare room, building a small online business, or investing in dividend-paying ETFs that produce passive income over time.
Financial planners commonly recommend the following net worth milestones, expressed as multiples of your pre-tax annual salary:
For someone earning $75,000, these milestones translate to $75,000 by 30, $225,000 by 40, $450,000 by 50, $600,000 by 60, and $750,000 by 67. These targets assume you want to maintain roughly the same standard of living in retirement and rely primarily on personal savings plus Social Security.
How do these benchmarks compare to what Americans actually have? The reality is sobering. The median net worth for households under 35 is approximately $39,000, while a 30-year-old earning the median income of $56,000 would need $56,000 saved to hit the 1x target. Many fall short. By the 35–44 bracket, the median net worth of $135,000 is well below the 3x target for someone earning $75,000. The gap widens further in later decades.
If you are behind these milestones, you are not alone — most Americans are. The important thing is to close the gap as quickly as possible. Even catching up partially makes a meaningful difference. Increasing your 401k contribution by just 1–2% of salary each year, taking full advantage of employer matches, and avoiding early withdrawals from retirement accounts are the highest-impact steps. Someone who starts aggressively saving at 40 can still retire comfortably by 65 if they save 25–30% of income and invest wisely. Starting late is far better than not starting at all.
There is no single threshold, but common benchmarks help frame the answer. A net worth of $1 million puts you in roughly the 88th percentile overall — the top 12% of American households. Many financial advisors consider $2–$5 million the range for being "wealthy," as this level of assets can comfortably sustain a household without employment income. The top 1% starts at roughly $10–$12 million in net worth. Of course, "rich" is also relative to your cost of living: $1 million goes much further in rural Tennessee than in San Francisco.
Yes. The standard definition of net worth includes home equity (your home's market value minus the outstanding mortgage balance). The Federal Reserve SCF data used on this page includes home equity. That said, some financial planners recommend also tracking your "investable net worth" — net worth excluding your primary residence — because home equity is not easily accessible for retirement spending. Both numbers are useful: total net worth shows your complete financial picture, while investable net worth tells you how much liquid wealth you could actually draw from.
The United States has one of the highest median household net worth figures in the world, though several smaller nations rank higher per capita. According to Credit Suisse Global Wealth Report data, Australia, Switzerland, and Belgium all have higher median wealth per adult than the U.S. However, Americans at the upper end of the distribution (top 10–1%) tend to have significantly more wealth than their counterparts in other countries, reflecting higher income potential and equity market participation. Direct comparisons are complicated by differences in social safety nets, healthcare costs, and pension systems.
Across all age groups combined, a $1 million net worth places you at approximately the 88th percentile, meaning you have more wealth than about 88% of American households. However, the percentile varies significantly by age. For someone under 35, $1 million is roughly the 95th–97th percentile (top 3–5%). For ages 65–74, it falls closer to the 76th percentile, since many older households have accumulated substantial home equity and retirement savings. See our Millionaire Percentile page for a full age-by-age breakdown.
Debt directly reduces your net worth and therefore lowers your percentile ranking. If you have $100,000 in assets but $80,000 in debt, your net worth is only $20,000. Mortgage debt is the most common liability and is generally considered "good debt" because the underlying asset (your home) typically appreciates. High-interest consumer debt (credit cards, personal loans) is the most damaging to your percentile because it carries heavy interest costs without a corresponding asset that grows in value. Paying off $10,000 in credit card debt improves your net worth by exactly $10,000 — the same effect as saving an additional $10,000, but faster because you also eliminate ongoing interest charges.
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