Median and average household net worth for every age group, based on the Federal Reserve's most recent Survey of Consumer Finances (2022).
Every three years the Federal Reserve runs the Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF), one of the most detailed pictures of U.S. household wealth. The 2022 survey, released in October 2023, is the most recent data available. Below is net worth — everything a household owns minus everything it owes — broken down by the age of the household's reference person.
Median is the better benchmark for most people: it's the household sitting in the exact middle of each age group, so half have more and half have less.
| Age group | Median net worth | Average (mean) |
|---|---|---|
| Under 35 | $39,000 | $183,500 |
| 35–44 | $135,600 | $549,600 |
| 45–54 | $247,200 | $975,800 |
| 55–64 | $364,500 | $1,566,900 |
| 65–74 | $409,900 | $1,794,600 |
| 75 + | $335,600 | $1,624,100 |
| All households | $192,900 | $1,063,700 |
The gap between the two columns above isn't a mistake. Wealth in the U.S. is heavily concentrated at the top, so a relatively small number of very high-net-worth households drag the average upward. At most ages the average is three to four times the median. If you compare yourself to "the average American," a normal financial position can look like you're falling behind — which is why the median is the more honest yardstick.
Net worth also tends to peak in the 65–74 bracket and then decline. That drop at 75+ reflects retirees spending down their savings, not financial trouble — retirement is, by design, a drawdown phase.
Net worth is total assets minus total liabilities. Assets include cash and bank accounts, retirement and brokerage accounts, your home and other property, and vehicles. Liabilities include your mortgage, student loans, auto loans, and credit-card balances. For many middle-wealth households, home equity makes up the majority of net worth — excluding it drops the overall U.S. median from about $192,900 to roughly $57,900.
By the Federal Reserve's 2022 Survey of Consumer Finances, average (mean) net worth was about $183,500 under age 35, $549,600 for 35–44, $975,800 for 45–54, $1.57M for 55–64, and $1.79M for 65–74. Averages are pulled far above the typical household by a small number of very wealthy families, so the median is usually the better benchmark.
Median net worth rises from $39,000 under 35 to a peak of $409,900 at ages 65–74, then dips to $335,600 at 75+. The median is the household in the exact middle of each age group, so half have more and half have less.
Wealth is highly concentrated. A small share of ultra-wealthy households pulls the average up — at most ages the mean is three to four times the median. For judging where a typical household stands, the median is more representative.
It is a reference point, not a target. Your income, location, family situation, debt, and age all matter more than hitting an exact figure. Use the benchmark for orientation, then track your own trend over time.
Add up everything you own (cash, investments, retirement accounts, home, vehicles) and subtract everything you owe (mortgage, loans, credit-card balances). Our free net worth calculator does the math for you.
Every figure this calculator uses comes from a published guideline or peer-reviewed study. Each formula is named and linked to the source that defines it, so you can check where the number comes from.
Last reviewed by Ellis Hartley. Population-average formulas cannot account for individual medical or financial circumstances — see our editorial policy and limitations.
