The most recent Federal Reserve data puts the median American household net worth at roughly $192,900, but it varies sharply with age. Median net worth runs about $39,000 under 35, $135,300 at 35-44, $247,000 at 45-54, $364,000 at 55-64, and peaks near $410,000 at 65-74 (Federal Reserve, 2022 SCF).
Median net worth by age band
Use the median, not the average. The median is the household exactly in the middle of its age group, so it shows a typical person. Averages get pulled far upward by a handful of very wealthy households, which is why average net worth often looks two to four times higher than median. The figures below come from the Federal Reserve’s 2022 Survey of Consumer Finances, the gold-standard US wealth dataset, published in 2023 and the latest available in 2026 (Federal Reserve).
| Age band | Median net worth | Average (mean) net worth |
|---|---|---|
| Under 35 | $39,000 | $183,400 |
| 35-44 | $135,300 | $548,100 |
| 45-54 | $246,700 | $971,300 |
| 55-64 | $364,300 | $1,564,100 |
| 65-74 | $410,000 | $1,780,700 |
| 75+ | $334,700 | $1,620,100 |
Figures via the 2022 Survey of Consumer Finances, rounded, in 2022 dollars.
Why the numbers climb then dip
Net worth tends to rise across your working life and ease in retirement. Younger households carry student loans and early-career incomes, so balances start low or negative. Through your 40s and 50s, home equity builds, retirement accounts compound, and debt falls, which is why the median nearly triples between the under-35 and 55-64 bands.
The peak lands in the 65-74 group, then the 75+ median dips to about $334,700. That is not a mistake. Retirees draw down savings to cover living costs, and many downsize. The dip reflects spending earned wealth, which is exactly what those accounts were built for.
Median vs. average: which to trust
Treat the median as your benchmark and the average as a curiosity. For the 55-64 band, the gap is stark: a $364,300 median against a $1.56 million average. That roughly $1.2 million spread tells you the average is distorted by a small number of ultra-wealthy households, not that the typical 60-year-old is a millionaire.
If you measure yourself against the average, you will almost always feel behind, because more than half of households fall below it. The median answers a fairer question: where does the middle household actually sit? Compare your own number to the median for your age and you get an honest read.
How to read your own number against these
These benchmarks are a reference point, not a scoreboard. Your figures shift with where you live, whether you own a home, your career stage, and how much debt you carry. A renter in an expensive city and a homeowner in a low-cost one can have identical incomes and very different net worths, and neither is doing anything wrong.
What matters more than any single comparison is your own trend. If your net worth is climbing year over year, you are moving in the right direction regardless of the band you fall in. Start with the calculation itself in our guide on how to calculate your net worth, then set up a habit for tracking your net worth over time so you can watch the trend rather than fixate on one snapshot.
Frequently asked questions
What is the average net worth by age in the US?
Average (mean) net worth by age, per the 2022 Federal Reserve Survey of Consumer Finances, runs from about $183,400 under 35 to $1.78 million at 65-74. But averages are skewed high by wealthy households; the median is a more honest benchmark for a typical person.
What is a good net worth by age 30?
There is no single correct number, but the median for households under 35 is about $39,000 (Federal Reserve). Reaching positive net worth, clearing high-interest debt, and saving steadily matter far more at 30 than hitting any specific figure.
Why is median net worth so much lower than average?
A small number of very wealthy households pull the average sharply upward, while the median reflects the household exactly in the middle. For ages 55-64, the median is $364,300 versus a $1.56 million average, a gap that shows how skewed the mean can be.
How current is this Federal Reserve data in 2026?
The figures come from the 2022 Survey of Consumer Finances, released in 2023. The Fed runs the survey every three years, so 2022 remains the most recent complete dataset available in 2026. The next release is expected to cover 2025.
See where you stand
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