Average Net Worth by Age: The 2026 Data
How to Read These Tables
The figures below come from the Federal Reserve Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF), the most comprehensive source of household wealth data in the United States. A few things to keep in mind before reading:
- Data lag is real. The SCF is published every three years. The most recent wave has been adjusted for inflation to reflect current dollars, but the underlying survey data reflects a prior period. Treat these as directional benchmarks, not exact snapshots.
- These are household figures, not individual. A married couple with two incomes counts as one household. If you are single, your comparison point is every household in that age bracket — including dual-income ones.
- Both average and median are shown side by side. This is intentional. The average is pulled upward by extremely wealthy households. The median — the middle value when all households are ranked — tells you what a typical household actually looks like. The gap between the two is a direct measure of wealth inequality within each bracket.
When you see a large gap between average and median, that is not a data error. That is wealth concentration at work.
Average and Median Net Worth — Under 35
Note: Figures are SCF-based estimates adjusted to current dollars. Individual circumstances vary widely.
Early-career households carry the weight of student loan debt, entry-level salaries, and limited time for compounding to work. The median net worth of roughly $39,000 reflects that reality. The average, at nearly five times higher, is pulled up by inheritances, equity compensation at high-growth employers, and a small number of households that started with significant family wealth.
For most people under 35, the average figure is not a useful target. It is a statistical artifact.
FI context: At this age, your current net worth matters far less than your savings rate. A 28-year-old with $20,000 in net worth saving 40% of their income is in a stronger FI position than someone with $150,000 in net worth saving 5%. Savings rate is the variable you can control. Net worth at this stage is just the starting line.
Average and Median Net Worth — Ages 35–44
This is the accumulation phase. Career earnings rise, but so does spending — on housing, childcare, and lifestyle. Home equity starts to represent a meaningful share of net worth for the median household. That matters, because home equity does not fund early retirement. A paid-off house provides shelter, not cash flow.
The gap between average and median widens significantly in this bracket, reflecting that wealth divergence accelerates during the prime earning years.
FI context: This is where FI-minded households separate from the pack. Households in the 35–44 bracket who spent their 20s maintaining a high savings rate are often sitting at 3–5x the median net worth — not because they earned more, but because they kept more and invested it consistently. The discipline of earlier years compounds here.
Average and Median Net Worth — Ages 45–54
Peak earning years for many households. But look at the gap: the average is nearly four times the median. Wealth concentration accelerates in this bracket as investment portfolios compound for those who started early, while the median household continues to hold most of its net worth in home equity — an illiquid asset.
For the median household at 45–54, less than $250,000 in total net worth is a precarious position with retirement roughly a decade away.
FI context: For households on an aggressive FI path, the 45–54 decade is often when financial independence becomes achievable — even for late starters. A household that began seriously pursuing FI at 38 with a 35–40% savings rate can realistically close the gap during these years. The math works; it just requires intentionality.
Average and Median Net Worth — Ages 55–64
The decade immediately before traditional retirement age tells a sobering story. The median household approaching 65 has roughly $364,000 in total net worth — and a significant portion of that is home equity. If investable assets represent half of that figure, a 4% withdrawal rate generates around $7,000 per year from the portfolio. Social Security supplements this, but the margin for unexpected expenses is thin.
Most financial planners recommend significantly higher retirement savings for a comfortable retirement at 65. The median household in this bracket falls well short of that benchmark.
FI context: For readers who began pursuing financial independence in their 30s or 40s, this bracket is a reference point — not a target. If you have been maintaining a strong savings rate for 15–20 years, you are likely well past your FI number by the time you enter this age range. The gap between FI households and the median is most visible here.
Average and Median Net Worth — Ages 65–74
The retirement decade. Net worth begins to decline for many households as assets are drawn down to cover living expenses. The average remains elevated because wealthy retirees continue to hold substantial investment portfolios and real estate — often passing wealth to heirs rather than spending it down.
For the median household, $410,000 in total net worth at this stage means carefully managed withdrawals, heavy reliance on Social Security, and limited financial flexibility.
FI context: This bracket reinforces why the FI framework — building to 25x annual expenses in investable assets, prioritizing savings rate over income, separating home equity from retirement assets — produces materially better outcomes than traditional retirement planning. The median 65-year-old did not fail at personal finance. The conventional “save whatever is left” approach simply does not build enough.
Average and Median Net Worth — Ages 75 and Older
The drawdown phase. Net worth declines for the median household as healthcare costs rise, fixed incomes stay flat, and longevity risk becomes a practical concern. The average dips slightly from the 65–74 bracket as even wealthy retirees begin spending down assets, though estate planning and continued investment gains can maintain wealth for higher-net-worth households.
For most readers of this post, reaching financial independence decades before age 75 is the goal. But this bracket offers two important planning reminders: healthcare costs in later life are substantial and hard to predict, and a portfolio built to last 30+ years looks very different from one built to last 10.
The data here is not a warning — it is context for building a plan that accounts for the full picture.