What is the median and average net worth by age?
Key takeaways
- In the Federal Reserve's 2025 Survey of Consumer Finances, released October 9, 2026, median family net worth ran from $33,000 for families under 35 to $504,900 for families 75 and older.1
- Net worth is everything a family owns minus everything it owes, and the median for your age group is the fairer comparison, because the average runs 3.9 to 4.9 times the median at every age.
- Net worth by age shows where you stand today, and how much you need to retire sets the target, so use this page to compare and the Tweed Retirement Calculator to plan.
In this article
- What is net worth by age?
- Median net worth by age
- Average net worth by age
- How did net worth by age change from 2022 to 2025?
- 3 differences between median and average net worth
- How to compare your net worth with your age group in 3 steps
- Check your retirement savings with the Tweed Retirement Calculator
- Frequently asked questions about net worth by age
Key takeaways
- In the Federal Reserve's 2025 Survey of Consumer Finances, released October 9, 2026, median family net worth ran from $33,000 for families under 35 to $504,900 for families 75 and older.1
- Net worth is everything a family owns minus everything it owes, and the median for your age group is the fairer comparison, because the average runs 3.9 to 4.9 times the median at every age.
- Net worth by age shows where you stand today, and how much you need to retire sets the target, so use this page to compare and the Tweed Retirement Calculator to plan.
Net worth by age is the typical net worth of US families grouped by the age of the head of household. In the Fed's newest survey, the median family under 35 had $33,000 and the median family 75 and older had $504,900. This guide covers the 2025 median and average for each age group, what changed since 2022, and how to compare your own number.
What is net worth by age?
Net worth by age is the median or average net worth of families, grouped by the age of the person the survey treats as head of the family. Net worth itself is assets minus debts, counted as one figure per family, not per person.
The Federal Reserve's Survey of Consumer Finances is the standard source for these tables, and every figure on this page comes from its 2025 wave.
What counts in net worth
Net worth counts your home, retirement accounts, savings, investments, vehicles, and business stakes, minus your mortgage, student loans, car loans, and credit card balances. The survey leaves out the value of future Social Security benefits and of employer defined-benefit pensions, so a retiree with a pension and a modest balance can show a low net worth and still have secure income.2
How the Federal Reserve measures net worth by age
The Federal Reserve measures net worth by age through the Survey of Consumer Finances, which interviewed 4,367 families for the 2025 wave and normally runs every three years.3 Families are grouped by the age of the reference person, in six brackets: under 35, 35 to 44, 45 to 54, 55 to 64, 65 to 74, and 75 and older.
Every figure here is in 2025 dollars, including the 2022 figures restated for inflation, so you can compare your current total with the tables directly.
Median net worth by age
Median net worth by age in 2025 rose from $33,000 for families under 35 to a peak of $504,900 for families 75 and older.
| Age of head of family | 2025 median net worth | 2022 median, in 2025 dollars | Change after inflation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 35 | $33,000 | $42,700 | −22.7% |
| 35 to 44 | $155,600 | $148,400 | +4.9% |
| 45 to 54 | $253,700 | $270,600 | −6.2% |
| 55 to 64 | $411,900 | $398,900 | +3.3% |
| 65 to 74 | $431,300 | $448,600 | −3.9% |
| 75 and older | $504,900 | $367,200 | +37.5% |
| All families | $215,900 | $211,100 | +2.3% |
Half the families in each group had more than the median and half had less, which is why it is the benchmark to use. You may still see $39,000 quoted as the under-35 median, which is the 2022 figure in 2022 dollars; in 2025 dollars it is $42,700, and the 2025 median is $33,000.4
- Under 35
- $33,000
- 35 to 44
- $155,600
- 45 to 54
- $253,700
- 55 to 64
- $411,900
- 65 to 74
- $431,300
- 75 and older
- $504,900
Source: Federal Reserve, 2025 Survey of Consumer Finances, Table 4, in 2025 dollars.
Average net worth by age
Average net worth by age in 2025 ranged from $135,400 for families under 35 to $1,962,200 for families 75 and older, and the average for all families was $1,241,500.
| Age of head of family | 2025 average net worth | 2022 average, in 2025 dollars | Change after inflation | Average ÷ median, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 35 | $135,400 | $200,800 | −32.6% | 4.1x |
| 35 to 44 | $681,900 | $601,500 | +13.4% | 4.4x |
| 45 to 54 | $1,244,500 | $1,067,900 | +16.5% | 4.9x |
| 55 to 64 | $1,878,000 | $1,714,700 | +9.5% | 4.6x |
| 65 to 74 | $1,897,500 | $1,963,900 | −3.4% | 4.4x |
| 75 and older | $1,962,200 | $1,777,400 | +10.4% | 3.9x |
| All families | $1,241,500 | $1,164,100 | +6.6% | 5.8x |
The average is the total wealth of the group divided by the number of families, so a small number of very wealthy families raises it well above what a typical family holds. If your number is below the average for your age, check it against the median table above before drawing any conclusion.
How did net worth by age change from 2022 to 2025?
From 2022 to 2025, median net worth for all families rose 2.3% after inflation, but the change by age ran from a 22.7% drop for families under 35 to a 37.5% gain for families 75 and older.
- Under 35
- $42,700 (2022 median)$33,000 (2025 median)
- 35 to 44
- $148,400 (2022 median)$155,600 (2025 median)
- 45 to 54
- $270,600 (2022 median)$253,700 (2025 median)
- 55 to 64
- $398,900 (2022 median)$411,900 (2025 median)
- 65 to 74
- $448,600 (2022 median)$431,300 (2025 median)
- 75 and older
- $367,200 (2022 median)$504,900 (2025 median)
Source: Federal Reserve, 2025 Survey of Consumer Finances, Table 4, in 2025 dollars.
Net worth fell for families under 35
Median net worth for families under 35 fell from $42,700 to $33,000 in 2025 dollars, and the average fell from $200,800 to $135,400. The Fed says the decline comes mainly from the unwinding of business equity gains that young families made between 2019 and 2022.2
Families 75 and older now have the highest median net worth
Families 75 and older now have the highest median net worth of any age group, $504,900, up from $367,200 in 2025 dollars. In the 2022 survey the median peaked at 65 to 74 and fell after 75. The Fed says the rise came mainly from an increase in the value of retirement accounts, and not from the larger share of families over 75 that the 2025 survey counted.2
3 differences between median and average net worth
The 3 differences between median and average net worth are how both are calculated, how much the wealthiest families skew the average, and which one fits a comparison with your net worth.
| Difference | Median net worth | Average net worth |
|---|---|---|
| How it is calculated | The middle family when all families are ranked by net worth | Total net worth of the group divided by the number of families |
| How much the wealthiest families move it | Barely, since a billionaire joining the group moves the middle by one family | A lot, since the 2025 all-families average is 5.8x the median |
| Which one to compare with | Your own net worth, to see where a typical family your age stands | Total wealth trends, such as how much the group holds overall |
Compare your own number with the median, and use the average only to see how concentrated wealth is in your age group.
- Under 35
- $33,000 (Median)$135,400 (Average)
- 35 to 44
- $155,600 (Median)$681,900 (Average)
- 45 to 54
- $253,700 (Median)$1,244,500 (Average)
- 55 to 64
- $411,900 (Median)$1,878,000 (Average)
- 65 to 74
- $431,300 (Median)$1,897,500 (Average)
- 75 and older
- $504,900 (Median)$1,962,200 (Average)
Source: Federal Reserve, 2025 Survey of Consumer Finances, Table 4, in 2025 dollars.
How to compare your net worth with your age group in 3 steps
You can compare your net worth with your age group in 3 steps: add up what you own, subtract what you owe, and set the result against the median for your bracket.
Step 1: Add up what you own
Add up what you own at today's value: cash, retirement and brokerage accounts, your home's market value, vehicles, and any business stake. Use the household, not one person, since the survey measures families, and the Tweed 401(k) Calculator projects the retirement-account line forward if you want a future figure.
Step 2: Subtract what you owe
Subtract what you owe: mortgage balance, home equity loans, student loans, car loans, and credit card balances. What is left is your net worth.
Step 3: Compare your total with the median for your age group
Compare your total with the median for the age group of the head of your household in the table above. A pension or a long work record means Social Security and pension income will carry more of your retirement than your net worth suggests. If you rent, your net worth has no home equity in it. Keep that in mind when you compare it with the median for your age.
A comparison tells you where you stand, and how much you need to retire tells you where you need to be.
Check your retirement savings with the Tweed Retirement Calculator
Check your retirement savings with the Tweed Retirement Calculator to see whether what you have now will cover the retirement you're planning. For an early-retirement target, the Tweed Coast FIRE Calculator shows whether your current balance can grow to it without new contributions, and the FIRE movement guide explains the term.
See whether your savings are on track
Frequently asked questions about net worth by age
What is a good net worth for a 65 year old?
A good net worth for a 65 year old starts with the median for families 65 to 74, which was $431,300 in the Fed's 2025 survey. Half of those families had more and half had less. The average was $1,897,500, pulled up by the wealthiest families, so the median is the fairer benchmark.
Is a net worth of $2.5 million considered a lot?
Yes, a net worth of $2,500,000 is a lot by the Fed's 2025 survey numbers. It is more than 11 times the median family's $215,900 and about twice the all-families average of $1,241,500. Even for families 75 and older, the highest age group, the median was $504,900.
Sources
- https://www.federalreserve.gov/econres/files/scf2025_tables_internal_real_historical.xlsx
- https://www.federalreserve.gov/publications/files/scf26.pdf
- https://www.federalreserve.gov/econres/scfindex.htm
- https://www.federalreserve.gov/econres/files/scf2025_tables_internal_nominal_historical.xlsx
This page reports Federal Reserve survey data for US families. Figures are medians and averages for each age group in 2025 dollars, not a measure of any one household's financial health.
Tweed provides educational estimates, not financial advice. Nicolas Straut is not a financial advisor. Confirm your situation with a qualified professional.
Personal finance writer, former Forbes contributor and This Week in Fintech writer. He isn't a financial advisor or a CPA.
Related posts
IRAs
8 best Roth IRA accounts for 2026
Fidelity, Charles Schwab, Robinhood, and five more Roth IRA providers compared on fees, matches, and the cost to transfer out.
Nicolas Straut · Updated Oct 13, 2026
Retirement planning
What is the inherited IRA 10-year rule?
Who has to empty an inherited IRA within 10 years, who is exempt, when annual RMDs apply in years 1 to 9, and how the rules treat spouses and Roth IRAs.
Nicolas Straut · Published Oct 11, 2026
Retirement planning
Roth IRA vs 401(k) for retirement savers in 2026
A 401(k) takes $24,500 of your pay in 2026 and a Roth IRA $7,500. Compare income limits, taxes, the match, and withdrawals, and see which to fund first.
Nicolas Straut · Published Oct 10, 2026