Average Net Worth by Age: How Do You Compare?

We’re naturally wired to wonder how we stack up — and when it comes to money, net worth is the number that tends to settle the question. It rolls everything you own and everything you owe into a single figure, which makes it one of the clearest snapshots of your overall financial health.

Use the calculator above to find your exact percentile for your age, then read on for the full breakdown of what’s typical — and what counts as genuinely above average.

The data: net worth by age (2022 Federal Reserve SCF)

The numbers below come from the Federal Reserve’s Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF) — the most authoritative source on U.S. household wealth, conducted every three years. The 2022 survey, released in late 2023, is the most recent available.

There are two ways to read “average,” and the gap between them matters a lot.

Median net worth by age

The median is the midpoint — half of households have more, half have less. It’s the most realistic benchmark for a typical person, because it isn’t distorted by billionaires.

Age group	Median net worth
Under 35	$39,000
35–44	$135,600
45–54	$247,200
55–64	$364,500
65–74	$409,900
75+	$335,600

The overall U.S. median sits at $192,700.

Average (mean) net worth by age

The mean adds everyone up and divides by the count — so a handful of ultra-wealthy households drag it far above what’s typical. It’s useful, but it overstates the “average” experience.

Age group	Average net worth
Under 35	$183,500
35–44	$549,600
45–54	$975,800
55–64	$1,566,900
65–74	$1,794,600
75+	$1,624,100

Notice the spread: for 45–54 year-olds, the average ($975,800) is nearly four times the median ($247,200). That single gap tells the real story of how concentrated wealth is — and it’s why the median is the fairer yardstick for measuring yourself.

What counts as a “good” net worth for your age?

There’s no universal number, but percentiles make it concrete. Clearing the median for your bracket puts you ahead of half of your peers. Reaching the 75th–90th percentile is what most people mean by “above average.” The calculator at the top of this page shows exactly where your number lands for your age group.

A few honest caveats:

• Net worth climbs with age. Comparing a 28-year-old to a 60-year-old isn’t fair — that’s why these are broken out by bracket.
• Debt early on is normal. Student loans and a new mortgage push many younger households to a low or even negative net worth. That’s a stage, not a verdict.
• It’s one metric, not your whole financial life. Cash flow, income stability, and retirement readiness all matter too.

How to calculate your net worth

It’s simple: everything you own minus everything you owe.

Assets (what you own):

• Cash in checking and savings
• Investments — stocks, bonds, mutual funds, brokerage accounts
• Retirement accounts — 401(k), IRA, Roth IRA
• The current market value of your home and any rental property
• The value of your vehicles
• Other valuables — meaningful artwork, jewelry, collectibles

Liabilities (what you owe):

• Mortgage balances on your home and rentals
• Car loans and student loans
• Personal loans and credit-card balances
• Back taxes, medical debt, and any liens or judgments

Add up the first list, subtract the second, and that’s your number — positive or negative.

Knowing your net worth is a strong indicator of your overall financial health — and what gets measured gets improved.

How to grow your net worth

Once you know where you stand, the goal is to move up the curve. Three levers do most of the work:

1. Track it

You can’t improve what you don’t watch. Our free Net Worth tracker lets you list your assets and debts, see your bottom line, and watch it climb over time — no bank linking, and it shows how you compare to people your age.

2. Widen the gap between earning and spending

Net worth grows fastest when income rises and spending stays in check. On the income side: double your income in a year, build passive income, or invest in real estate. On the spending side, a written budget is the single highest-leverage habit — it turns a vague intention to save into an automatic one.

3. Let compounding and equity do the heavy lifting

Money invested in retirement accounts and a home you’re paying down both build wealth quietly in the background. Time in the market and years of mortgage paydown are how most above-average households actually got there — not a windfall.

Final thoughts

Use these numbers as a benchmark, not a scorecard. The above-average households in the data are, for the most part, ordinary people who tracked their money, lived below their means, and stayed consistent for years. Find your percentile with the calculator above, pick one lever from the list, and check back in a year — that’s how the number moves.