Average Net Worth by Age in 2026: Where Do You Stand?

The six groups above are how the Fed headlines its results. They're handy, but a 35-year-old and a 44-year-old land in the same row, and they are rarely in the same spot financially. So here is the same survey cut into five-year bands. Find your age, then compare your number with the median.

Notice how far the average sits above the median in every row. In your early 40s, for example, the average is $590,710 and the median is $134,382. That's about 4.4 times as much. A small number of very rich households drag the average up, so if you're asking "am I roughly normal for my age?", the median is the number to use.

Two things stand out in the table. The first is the jump in your early thirties. The median goes from $31,470 at 25 to 29 to $88,631 at 30 to 34, nearly three times as much. Most of that is probably people finishing school, earning more and buying a first home, though the survey doesn't say why.

The second is a small dip. The median for 40 to 44 ($134,382) is a bit lower than for 35 to 39 ($138,588). That's what the survey recorded. These are estimates from a sample, and the gap is small, so I wouldn't build a theory around it.

Want to see where a specific number lands? Pick a round figure and check it against every age band: $500,000, $1 million or $2 million. The full list is on the net worth percentile page. If you're wondering how high the very top starts, we cover that in what net worth puts you in the top 1%, 5%, 10% and 25%.

Every figure on this page is for households, not individuals. That's how the Federal Reserve collects the data. The survey treats one person, or a couple, plus anyone who shares their finances, as a single unit. There is no separate individual table to point you to.

In practice, that works out like this:

• Single: compare yourself with the table directly, using your own age band.
• Married or partnered, shared money: add your net worth together and use the older partner's age.
• Married or partnered, separate money: the comparison is looser. Treat the result as a rough guide, not a precise ranking.

One more thing to settle before you compare: what you count. The survey includes home equity (the home's value minus what you still owe) and retirement accounts at their full balance. If you leave those out of your own number, you'll look further behind than you are. Our guide to home equity and net worth and the one on whether a 401(k) counts walk through the edge cases.

Averages hide the full picture. Here's where each percentile falls by age group, so you can see exactly where your net worth ranks among people your age:

Notice two important patterns: First, the gap between the 50th and 90th percentiles widens dramatically with age — the wealth gap compounds over time, not just wealth itself. Second, net worth for the 25th percentile barely grows at all, suggesting that roughly a quarter of Americans accumulate little to no financial wealth across their entire working lives.

Net worth has a simple formula: Total Assets − Total Liabilities = Net Worth. But knowing what to include matters:

Assets to include:

• Liquid assets: checking accounts, savings, money market funds, CDs
• Investments: brokerage accounts, 401(k)s, IRAs, HSAs, pensions, stock options
• Real estate: current market value of your home and any investment properties
• Other assets: vehicles (current resale value, not purchase price), business equity, valuable personal property

Liabilities to subtract:

• Mortgage balance (remaining principal, not original loan amount)
• Student loans, car loans, personal loans
• Credit card debt (current balance)
• Any other debts: medical debt, tax liens, HELOC balance

While the Federal Reserve data shows what Americans actually have, financial planners suggest different targets for what you should have. Here are three widely-cited frameworks:

1. The Fidelity Guideline (retirement-focused):

• By 30: 1× annual salary saved for retirement
• By 40: 3× annual salary
• By 50: 6× annual salary
• By 60: 8× annual salary
• By 67: 10× annual salary

Note that Fidelity's multiples assume Social Security covers a meaningful share of your retirement income. Before judging yourself against them, get your projected benefit from our Social Security calculator — a $2,500/month benefit is the income equivalent of roughly $750,000 in extra savings at a 4% withdrawal rate.

2. The 20× Spending Rule (FIRE-aligned):

Instead of salary multiples, target 25× your annual spending. This is based on the 4% safe withdrawal rate and works regardless of income level. Someone spending $40,000/year needs $1 million; someone spending $80,000 needs $2 million.

3. The "Half Your Age" Savings Rate:

Start saving half your age as a percentage of income. At 20, save 10%; at 30, save 15%; at 40, save 20%. This automatically accelerates your savings as your earnings peak.

Whether you're starting at zero in your 20s or playing catch-up in your 50s, the principles are the same — only the intensity differs:

In your 20s and 30s: Build the foundation

• Eliminate high-interest debt (credit cards, personal loans) before aggressive investing
• Max your employer 401(k) match — it's a guaranteed 50–100% return
• Target a 15–20% savings rate and invest in low-cost index funds (total U.S. stock market or S&P 500)
• Build a 3–6 month emergency fund so market downturns don't force you to sell investments

In your 40s and 50s: Maximize and optimize

• Take advantage of catch-up contributions: extra $7,500/year in 401(k)s after age 50
• Reassess your asset allocation — shift gradually toward bonds as you approach retirement
• Consider real estate if you haven't already — home equity is the median American's largest asset
• Aggressively pay down your mortgage if retirement is within 10 years

In your 60s and beyond: Protect and transition

• Determine your optimal Social Security claiming age — delaying from 62 to 70 increases benefits by ~77%
• Convert Traditional IRA funds to Roth strategically during low-income years
• Set up a sustainable withdrawal strategy (the 4% rule or a variable approach)
• Review estate planning: beneficiary designations, trusts, and tax-efficient inheritance strategies

All figures in this guide are derived from the Federal Reserve's Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF), the most comprehensive U.S. household wealth survey. The SCF is conducted every three years; the most recent available data is from 2022.

Dollar basis: All figures are reported in nominal 2022 survey dollars exactly as the Federal Reserve publishes them, with no inflation adjustment applied. This is deliberate: the Fed, and every major source reporting SCF figures, quotes the survey values directly, so CPI-adjusting them here would make these benchmarks disagree with every other published reference. Bear in mind that because the data is a 2022 snapshot, house prices and equity markets have moved since — if your own wealth is concentrated in stocks or property, your true position today may differ from this baseline.

What "net worth" includes: The SCF defines net worth as total assets (financial + nonfinancial, including primary residence, vehicles, retirement accounts, and business interests) minus total liabilities (mortgages, consumer debt, student loans, and other outstanding balances).