Quick Summary
Net worth percentile data broken down by age group using Federal Reserve Survey of Consumer Finances data. Includes benchmarks for the 25th, 50th, 75th, and 90th percentiles at every age bracket.
Knowing your net worth is one thing. Knowing where it falls relative to others your age adds context - even if that context comes with caveats.
The Federal Reserve’s Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF) is the most comprehensive source of household wealth data in the United States. The most recent survey, from 2022, breaks down net worth by age group and percentile. Below is a full breakdown of what the data shows, how to interpret it, and why your own trajectory matters more than any single number.
Check your percentile instantly: The Net Worth Percentile Calculator lets you enter your age and net worth to see exactly where you fall - based on Federal Reserve data.
Why People Look Up Net Worth Percentiles
Curiosity about where you stand financially is natural. It does not mean you are obsessive or materialistic. Most people who search for net worth percentiles fall into a few categories:
- Checking a gut feeling. You have a vague sense of whether you are doing well or falling behind, and you want data to confirm or challenge that sense.
- Planning for a goal. Retirement, a home purchase, or financial independence all benefit from context about what is typical.
- Processing a life change. A new job, inheritance, divorce, or other shift can leave people wondering where they now stand.
- Simple curiosity. There is nothing wrong with wanting to understand your position relative to a broader population.
None of these motivations require judgment. The data is just data. What you do with it depends on your circumstances and goals.
Net Worth Percentile by Age Group (2022 Federal Reserve SCF)
The table below shows net worth at the 25th, 50th (median), 75th, and 90th percentiles for each age bracket. All figures are in 2022 dollars.
| Age Group | 25th Percentile | 50th (Median) | 75th Percentile | 90th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 35 | $1,900 | $39,000 | $158,000 | $457,200 |
| 35-44 | $22,200 | $135,600 | $373,500 | $956,400 |
| 45-54 | $43,400 | $247,200 | $647,200 | $1,631,700 |
| 55-64 | $54,100 | $364,500 | $1,048,800 | $2,686,200 |
| 65-74 | $79,600 | $409,900 | $1,170,200 | $2,880,100 |
| 75+ | $56,700 | $335,600 | $958,800 | $2,326,200 |
A few patterns stand out. Net worth grows significantly between age groups through the mid-60s before declining slightly among those 75 and older - partly because of spending in retirement. The gap between the 25th and 90th percentiles is enormous at every age, which reflects how unevenly wealth is distributed.
Note: The Federal Reserve conducts the SCF every three years. The 2022 survey is the most recent available; 2025 data will not be published until late 2026.
How to Calculate Your Net Worth
Net worth is a straightforward calculation:
Net Worth = Total Assets - Total Liabilities
That’s it. Add up everything you own, subtract everything you owe, and the result is your net worth. Here is what falls into each category.
What Counts as Assets
- Cash and savings accounts
- Checking accounts
- Investment accounts (brokerage, retirement, HSA)
- 401(k), IRA, and other retirement accounts
- Real estate (estimated market value)
- Vehicles (current market value, not what you paid)
- Business ownership interests
- Cryptocurrency and other alternative investments
- Cash value of life insurance policies
- Personal property of significant value (jewelry, art, collectibles)
What Counts as Liabilities
- Mortgage balance
- Student loans
- Auto loans
- Credit card balances
- Personal loans
- Medical debt
- Home equity lines of credit
- Any other money you owe
What Does Not Count
Your income is not part of net worth. Neither is your credit score. Net worth is purely a snapshot of what you own minus what you owe at a specific point in time. A high income with high spending and debt can result in a low net worth - and vice versa.
Once you have your number, the Net Worth Percentile Calculator can show you exactly where that figure falls within your age group.
Why Median Matters More Than Average
You may have seen average net worth figures that seem surprisingly high. The average net worth across all American households is over $1 million - but that number is deeply misleading.
Averages get pulled up by outliers. If nine people each have $50,000 and one person has $10 million, the average is $1.045 million. The median - the value where half of people are above and half are below - is $50,000. In this example, the median reflects typical experience far more accurately.
For every age group, the average net worth is significantly higher than the median:
| Age Group | Average Net Worth | Median Net Worth | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 35 | $183,500 | $39,000 | 4.7x |
| 35-44 | $549,600 | $135,600 | 4.1x |
| 45-54 | $975,800 | $247,200 | 3.9x |
| 55-64 | $1,566,900 | $364,500 | 4.3x |
| 65-74 | $1,794,600 | $409,900 | 4.4x |
| 75+ | $1,624,100 | $335,600 | 4.8x |
When comparing your net worth to others, percentiles and median give a far more useful picture than averages. The 4-5x gap between average and median tells you that a small number of very wealthy households are pulling the average up dramatically.
Factors That Affect Where You Fall
Percentile data provides a snapshot, but it cannot account for the enormous variation in individual circumstances. Several factors influence net worth in ways that make direct comparisons less meaningful than they appear.
Age and Career Stage
This one is obvious - net worth typically grows with age. But within age groups, a 34-year-old medical resident with $300,000 in student debt and a 34-year-old who has been working since 18 are in completely different positions despite being in the same bracket.
Income and Savings Rate
Higher income creates more opportunity to build wealth, but income alone does not determine net worth. Savings rate - what percentage of income you keep - often matters more over time. Some people earning $250,000 have less net worth than people earning $80,000 who save consistently.
Location
Housing costs drive most of the geographic variation. A homeowner in a high-cost market may show a large net worth on paper due to home equity, but their actual financial flexibility could be limited. Someone in a lower-cost area with the same net worth might have more liquid assets and lower ongoing expenses.
Inheritance and Family Support
The SCF data does not separate inherited wealth from earned wealth. Some people in the 90th percentile got there partly through inheritance. Others built it entirely from income. These are very different trajectories that a single number cannot capture.
Market Timing
People who bought homes or invested heavily before periods of appreciation look very different from those who entered the market during peaks. Much of this comes down to luck and timing rather than individual decisions.
Debt Decisions
Student loans, mortgages, and other debt directly reduce net worth. Someone who avoided college debt by not attending has a head start on net worth - but may have lower lifetime earnings. The net worth calculation does not capture these trade-offs.
For a generational perspective on how these factors have played out differently over time, the US Net Worth by Generation analysis compares wealth-building across Boomers, Gen X, and Millennials at the same ages.
Using the Data Without Obsessing Over It
Percentile data is most useful as context - not as a scorecard. Here are a few ways to use it constructively.
As a reality check. If you are significantly below the median for your age group, that is useful information for planning purposes. It does not mean anything is wrong - it means there may be room to adjust course.
As motivation. Some people find it encouraging to know they are ahead of a particular percentile. If that motivates consistent saving and investing habits, the comparison serves a purpose.
As a planning input. Knowing that the typical 65-year-old has around $410,000 in net worth can help calibrate whether that amount would support your retirement goals - or whether you would want more.
As a conversation starter. Couples and families sometimes find it easier to discuss finances when there is external data to reference rather than opinions to debate.
Where it becomes less useful is when comparison becomes compulsive, when it creates shame about things outside your control, or when it leads to risky decisions to “catch up” quickly. Your financial life has context that no percentile table can reflect.
How to Track Your Own Net Worth Over Time
A single net worth number is a snapshot. A series of snapshots over months and years becomes a trend - and that trend tells you far more than any comparison to strangers.
Tracking net worth regularly helps identify whether your wealth is growing, stagnating, or declining. It reveals the impact of decisions like paying off debt, increasing savings, or changing investments. And it provides early warning if things are moving in the wrong direction.
A few approaches work well:
- Monthly updates give the clearest picture of trends, though short-term fluctuations can be noisy
- Quarterly updates balance detail with perspective - enough data points to see trends without reacting to every market move
- Annual updates are the minimum frequency worth considering for anyone tracking net worth at all
The process is simple: list your accounts, record current balances, subtract debts. Five to ten minutes per update if you have a system in place.
The Financial Planning Template includes net worth tracking alongside retirement projections and other planning tools - useful if you want a broader view of where you stand. For anyone focused on early retirement, the FIRE Calculator ties net worth tracking to a specific financial independence target.
Track your progress over time: The Net Worth Tracker calculates your net worth automatically, tracks changes month by month, and shows your progress with visual charts. Works in Google Sheets. Your data stays private.
Related
- Net Worth Percentile Calculator - Check your exact percentile by age
- US Net Worth by Generation - How Boomers, Gen X, and Millennials compare
- Net Worth by Age: Benchmarks - Average and median net worth data
- Net Worth Tracker - Track your progress over time
- Financial Planning Template - Retirement and wealth projections
- FIRE Calculator - Financial independence planning
- Net Worth Tracking for Beginners - Getting started guide
- How Often to Calculate Net Worth - Finding the right frequency
Net worth percentiles provide useful context for understanding where you stand financially. But the most valuable number is not where you rank today - it is whether your net worth is higher than it was last year. Focus on your own trajectory, and let the percentile data be a reference point rather than a judgment.