Net Worth by Age (2026): Median, Average and Percentiles, Plus Every State and 29 Countries

Let's start with the honest part. If you landed here, you probably just typed your age into Google and braced yourself. You want to know if you're ahead, behind, or somewhere in the forgettable middle. I've done the exact same thing, more than once, usually late at night.

So before any tables: these numbers are a map, not a verdict. They tell you where the crowd is standing. They say nothing about where you're headed, how fast you're moving, or what you started with. The person who looks "ahead" at 35 may be carrying a family down payment you never got. The person who looks "behind" at 45 may be two years from a paid-off house and the best savings decade of their life.

And here's what the data actually shows, once you read past the averages: most wealth in America is built late. The typical household's net worth more than triples between the early 30s and the late 50s. Four out of five millionaires never received an inheritance. More than 1,200 Americans became millionaires every single day in 2025. You can start growing at any age, and that's the whole reason this page exists. We're here to help you grow, not to make you feel small.

With that settled, here is the most complete and precise picture of net worth by age I could build: the Federal Reserve's household survey for the US, Census data for every state where it exists, and the UBS Global Wealth Report 2026 for 29 countries. Median, average and percentiles, side by side.

Key takeaways

• Use the median, not the average. In every age group the average runs 3.9x to 4.8x the median. The typical household at 55 to 64 holds $364,500, not the $1.57 million you see in headlines.
• Late bloomers are the norm. Median net worth goes from about $88,600 at 30 to 34 to about $321,100 at 55 to 59. The biggest gains come after 45.
• Top 10% overall starts at about $1.92 million. Top 5% at about $3.78 million. Top 1% at about $13.7 million.
• Owning a home is the great divider. US homeowners have a median net worth of $396,200. Renters: $10,400.
• Where you live shifts the median more than a decade of age. Hawaii's median household holds $692,700; Arkansas's holds $62,500.
• America is rich on average and ordinary in the middle. The US ranks 2nd in the world on average wealth per adult and 28th on median wealth (UBS 2026).

Net worth by age: median vs average

This is the core table. Watch the last column. It shows how many times bigger the average is than the median. When that ratio sits above 4, the "average American" figure is really describing the rich.

Age of household head	Median net worth	Average net worth	Average ÷ median
Under 35	$39,000	$183,500	4.7x
35-44	$135,600	$549,600	4.1x
45-54	$247,200	$975,800	3.9x
55-64	$364,500	$1,566,900	4.3x
65-74	$409,900	$1,794,600	4.4x
75+	$335,600	$1,624,100	4.8x

Two patterns jump out. The median peaks at 65 to 74, then eases as retirees spend down savings or downsize. And the gap between average and median is widest at both ends of life: early founders and heirs inflate the young average, while decades of compounding at the very top inflate the old one.

The Census Bureau measures wealth with a separate survey (SIPP) and lands in the same place: an overall median household of $191,100 in 2023, $30,500 for householders under 35, $399,800 for 70 to 74, and $347,300 for 75 and older. Two independent surveys, one shape. Slow build, late peak, gentle drawdown.

Net worth percentiles by age

The median shows what's typical. Percentiles show what's strong. The table below uses 5-year age brackets from the same Fed survey, tabulated from the SCF microdata by DQYDJ.

Age	25th pct	Median	75th pct	Top 10%	Top 1%	Average
18-24	$88	$10,222	$33,898	$184,516	$653,224	$112,104
25-29	$3,784	$31,470	$130,606	$296,830	$2,121,910	$120,183
30-34	$11,016	$88,631	$186,140	$538,750	$2,636,882	$258,075
35-39	$16,548	$138,588	$389,432	$864,340	$4,741,320	$501,295
40-44	$23,812	$134,382	$436,892	$1,182,580	$7,835,420	$590,710
45-49	$47,668	$213,586	$680,298	$1,428,714	$8,701,500	$781,936
50-54	$54,414	$266,140	$913,012	$2,576,540	$13,231,940	$1,132,497
55-59	$84,977	$321,074	$1,137,318	$2,672,160	$15,371,684	$1,441,987
60-64	$80,372	$392,860	$1,131,122	$3,042,280	$17,869,960	$1,675,294
65-69	$68,972	$393,480	$1,154,552	$2,961,060	$22,102,660	$1,836,884
70-74	$124,757	$438,700	$1,234,946	$2,999,396	$18,761,580	$1,714,085
75-79	$89,504	$338,180	$991,520	$2,914,188	$19,868,894	$1,629,275
80+	$95,230	$327,200	$944,334	$2,540,500	$16,229,800	$1,611,984

Read across any row and you'll see how wide the spread really is. At 50 to 54, the 25th percentile household has about $54,000, the median about $266,000, and the top 10% starts near $2.58 million. People the same age, living radically different financial lives. That's exactly why comparing yourself to one number rarely helps.

One quirk: the 40 to 44 median ($134,382) dips slightly below 35 to 39 ($138,588). That's not a real decline. It reflects sampling noise and the years when households carry the biggest mortgages, childcare costs and car loans at the same time. If you're 42 and feel stuck, you're living the statistically hardest stretch. It gets better: medians climb about 60% between the early 40s and the late 40s.

Where do you stand? Net worth by age calculator

Pick your age bracket, enter your household net worth, and see your estimated percentile. It interpolates between the published cutoffs above, so treat it as a quick benchmark, not a precise rank.

Top 1%, 5% and 10% net worth thresholds

Across all ages, from the 2022 SCF:

• Top 20%: about $891,750
• Top 10%: about $1.92 million
• Top 5%: about $3.78 million
• Top 2%: about $8.46 million
• Top 1%: about $13.7 million

A $1 million net worth puts a household inside the top 20% overall. Under 35 it's elite (top 5% or better at 30 to 34); at 55 to 64 it sits just short of the top quarter. The US had 23.6 million millionaires at the end of 2025, per UBS. I mapped where they live in millionaires by state, and the extreme end in billionaires by state.

What's typical, decade by decade

Net worth in your 20s

Median: about $10,200 at 18 to 24 and $31,500 at 25 to 29. The 25th percentile at 18 to 24 is $88. Student loans and car debt put many people at zero or below, so simply being positive already puts you ahead of a big share of your peers. Top 10% at 25 to 29 starts near $297,000.

Your move: income is the biggest lever this decade. Skills, raises and job changes outrun investment returns. If you're in tech, check what the frontier labs pay in our AI salary database. The outliers who bend the young average upward, like former OpenAI researcher Leopold Aschenbrenner, usually got there through equity in something that grew, not through a paycheck alone.

Net worth in your 30s

Median: about $88,600 at 30 to 34 and $138,600 at 35 to 39. This is usually when the first home is bought and home equity becomes the biggest line on the balance sheet. The 75th percentile at 35 to 39 is about $389,000; top 10% starts near $864,000.

Your move: automate. Capture the full employer 401(k) match, which is free money most people leave on the table, and raise your contribution by 1% every time you get a raise.

Net worth in your 40s

Median: about $134,400 at 40 to 44 and $213,600 at 45 to 49. The spread widens sharply here: the top 10% at 45 to 49 starts at about $1.43 million, more than six times the median.

Your move: this is the decade of catch-up. Incomes usually peak now, and every extra dollar still has 20+ years to compound. Starting from zero at 45, $1,920 a month at a 7% average return reaches $1 million by 65.

Net worth in your 50s

Median: about $266,100 at 50 to 54 and $321,100 at 55 to 59. Compounding finally becomes visible; for steady savers, market growth starts to outpace contributions.

Your move: use catch-up contributions (extra 401(k) and IRA room from age 50), kill high-interest debt, and aim to enter retirement with the mortgage close to paid.

Net worth in your 60s

Median: about $392,900 at 60 to 64 and $393,500 at 65 to 69. Many households hit their lifetime peak here.

Your move: shift from growing to protecting and planning withdrawals. For perspective on how fast wealth gets spent, see how much the average person spends in a lifetime.

Net worth at 70 and beyond

Median: about $438,700 at 70 to 74, then $338,200 at 75 to 79 and $327,200 at 80+. Drawdown is slow, largely because paid-off homes hold their value.

Your move: net worth now matters less than sustainable income and what you pass on. Estate planning is part of the balance sheet.

Behind every number is a story you can't see

Tables flatten people. Two 38-year-olds can both show $140,000 and have nothing in common. Here's what the surveys can't tell you about the household next to you:

• Where the money came from. A parental down payment or an inheritance can add six figures overnight.
• What life cost them. A divorce, a medical bill, a layoff in a bad year, or caring for a parent can reset a balance sheet regardless of discipline.
• Where they live. $400,000 is upper-middle in Arkansas and ordinary in Hawaii. Home prices, not habits, explain much of the state gap below.
• When they started. A doctor finishing residency at 32, a founder reinvesting everything, a teacher with a pension that isn't counted the same way. Late starts are common and often end well.
• How much is on paper. Startup equity and home values swing. A "rich" balance sheet can be illiquid or fragile.

So when you compare, compare with kindness, and use it to plan, not to punish yourself.

You can become a millionaire at any age

This isn't a motivational poster line. It's what the data says:

• 79% of millionaires received no inheritance at all, and a third never earned a six-figure salary in any single year, according to Ramsey Solutions' study of more than 10,000 US millionaires. Eight in ten built it through their employer's 401(k).
• More than 440,000 Americans became millionaires in 2025, over 1,200 a day, per the UBS Global Wealth Report 2026.
• Fidelity counted a record 769,000 401(k) millionaires in Q2 2026, mostly regular employees who saved consistently for decades.
• Wealth moves. Cornell and Washington University researchers found that about 53% of Americans spend at least one year in the top 10% of income between ages 25 and 60, and about 11% reach the top 1%. Positions in these tables change more than most people think.

And here's the math on time. This is how much you'd need to invest each month, at a 7% average annual return, to reach $1 million by 65 starting from zero:

Start age	Monthly to hit $1M by 65	What $500/month grows to by 65
25	$381	$1,312,407
30	$555	$900,527
35	$820	$609,985
40	$1,234	$405,036
45	$1,920	$260,463
50	$3,155	$158,481
55	$5,778	$86,542

Starting at 25 takes $381 a month. Starting at 45 takes $1,920, which for a two-earner household is about $960 each, often before counting an employer match. Later is harder, not impossible. And you're rarely starting from zero: home equity, a pension or an existing 401(k) all shorten the road.

Net worth by state

The Census Bureau publishes state-level household wealth from its SIPP survey. The latest state tables cover 2023 (published July 2025), and SmartAsset ranked the 43 states with reliable samples. Alaska, Delaware, North Dakota, South Dakota, Rhode Island, Vermont and Wyoming are missing because their samples were too small.

Rank	State	Median net worth	Median retirement savings	Median home equity	Households $100K+	Households $500K+
1	Hawaii	$692,700	$149,000	$600,000	78.9%	61.9%
2	Washington	$456,500	$143,400	$392,000	75.4%	47.3%
3	New Hampshire	$412,600	-	-	70.5%	36.5%
4	Massachusetts	$394,900	$150,000	$400,000	68.7%	44.7%
5	Colorado	$370,000	$100,000	$350,000	67.1%	46.0%
6	Maryland	$330,500	$120,000	$280,000	68.8%	41.7%
7	Idaho	$313,400	$89,000	$303,100	63.2%	34.1%
8	New Jersey	$312,400	$134,000	$300,000	63.5%	42.6%
9	Maine	$303,700	-	$200,000	-	-
10	Nebraska	$285,800	-	$187,000	77.7%	32.7%
11	Utah	$282,800	$62,800	$300,000	65.9%	33.4%
12	California	$273,800	$100,000	$550,000	60.6%	40.3%
13	Minnesota	$271,300	$111,000	$167,000	68.8%	33.6%
14	Montana	$258,100	$76,000	-	58.2%	39.3%
15	Florida	$255,100	$78,000	$265,000	63.0%	33.5%
16	Connecticut	$253,100	$118,400	$232,000	61.7%	33.0%
17	Oregon	$248,900	$92,400	$270,000	62.9%	37.1%
18	Virginia	$219,100	$85,200	$209,000	65.7%	36.5%
19	Illinois	$209,500	$111,000	$165,000	64.2%	30.1%
20	Pennsylvania	$207,700	$101,800	$175,000	65.4%	29.3%
21	Arizona	$204,300	$69,500	$263,000	60.5%	31.0%
22	Wisconsin	$188,000	$58,000	$175,000	60.6%	28.8%
23	Iowa	$177,100	$70,000	$125,000	60.7%	25.2%
24	Nevada	$173,700	$70,000	$233,000	57.2%	29.1%
25	Tennessee	$172,000	$74,500	$179,000	56.3%	24.0%
26	North Carolina	$170,400	$56,000	$180,000	59.0%	25.9%
27	Michigan	$167,000	$85,000	$145,000	58.2%	25.9%
28	Georgia	$167,000	$72,000	$181,000	59.3%	26.6%
29	Ohio	$154,400	$100,000	$158,000	57.0%	27.2%
30	Texas	$149,500	$55,000	$162,000	57.7%	24.5%
31	Kansas	$144,200	$56,000	$130,000	61.6%	30.5%
32	Indiana	$141,300	$71,700	$150,000	58.3%	25.3%
33	New York	$132,800	$80,000	$200,000	53.5%	29.7%
34	South Carolina	$129,900	$50,300	$150,000	55.5%	21.6%
35	Missouri	$118,700	$57,000	$144,500	55.2%	19.9%
36	West Virginia	$115,000	$54,400	$150,000	51.5%	20.3%
37	Alabama	$103,500	$46,000	$137,000	50.9%	17.4%
38	Mississippi	$87,280	$35,000	$108,000	45.8%	10.3%
39	Louisiana	$85,230	$50,000	$100,000	45.9%	13.3%
40	Kentucky	$81,900	$50,000	$94,000	46.0%	19.0%
41	Oklahoma	$78,510	$39,450	$125,000	45.9%	17.2%
42	New Mexico	$77,500	$50,000	$132,000	49.0%	23.8%
43	Arkansas	$62,500	$54,490	$95,000	44.4%	15.9%

What the state data really says

• Housing is the whole game. Hawaii's $692,700 median rests on $600,000 of median home equity. California homeowners hold a median $550,000 in equity, yet the state's median net worth is only $273,800 because so many Californians rent.
• Massachusetts leads on retirement savings with a $150,000 median balance; 74.8% of households hold retirement accounts.
• New York is the paradox. It ranks 33rd on median net worth ($132,800) while hosting some of the biggest concentrations of millionaires and billionaires in the country. That's the average-vs-median problem at state scale. Compare with our millionaires by state ranking.
• Six states sit below $100,000: Arkansas ($62,500), New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kentucky, Louisiana and Mississippi. In Mississippi only 10.3% of households have $500,000 or more, vs 61.9% in Hawaii.
• Lower medians often mean lower costs, too. A smaller number in a cheaper state can buy the same life. Compare against your own state, not the national line.

Net worth by country

For countries, the best consistent source is the UBS Global Wealth Report 2026, published June 30, 2026 and covering the end of 2025. UBS measures wealth per adult, not per household, so these figures compare with each other, not with the US household tables above.

#	Country	Average wealth per adult	Median wealth per adult	Average ÷ median
1	Switzerland	$910,382	$145,555	6.3x
2	United States	$696,277	$68,998	10.1x
3	Luxembourg	$654,732	$394,005	1.7x
4	Hong Kong	$648,267	$187,968	3.4x
5	Australia	$616,306	$210,783	2.9x
6	Singapore	$527,217	$96,434	5.5x
7	Denmark	$523,344	$203,771	2.6x
8	New Zealand	$449,852	$206,617	2.2x
9	Norway	$425,391	$140,003	3.0x
10	Netherlands	$415,287	$127,407	3.3x
11	Belgium	$407,920	$277,166	1.5x
12	Sweden	$406,406	$84,039	4.8x
13	Canada	$399,886	$147,811	2.7x
14	Germany	$346,613	$53,485	6.5x
15	France	$341,359	$121,898	2.8x
16	Taiwan	$332,533	$113,137	2.9x
17	Ireland	$314,167	$98,413	3.2x
18	Israel	$312,108	$83,843	3.7x
19	South Korea	$311,260	$101,739	3.1x
20	Spain	$306,412	$111,575	2.7x
21	United Kingdom	$292,808	$125,335	2.3x
22	Austria	$279,989	$71,378	3.9x
23	Italy	$279,439	$131,001	2.1x
24	Japan	$211,846	$135,745	1.6x
25	Finland	$209,135	$89,695	2.3x
26	Portugal	$195,761	$76,978	2.5x
27	Qatar	$188,505	$95,499	2.0x
28	Malta	$163,655	$114,033	1.4x
29	Greece	$143,343	$59,162	2.4x

Global personal wealth grew 10.8% in 2025 and the world's millionaire count reached about 58 million. Yet median wealth fell in most markets: the average rose because the top rose. The US is the extreme case: $696,277 average per adult (2nd in the world) but $68,998 median (28th), with a wealth Gini of 0.77, the highest of any major developed economy. Belgium runs the other way, 11th on average but 2nd on median. Germany falls to last among the top 30 on median, largely because only about half of German households own their home. For the bigger picture, see how much money there is in the world.

Canada: net worth by age

Age of major income earner	Median net worth (CAD)
Under 35	$159,100
35 to 44	$409,300
45 to 54	$675,800
55 to 64	$873,400
65 and older	$738,900
All families	$519,700

Canadian medians sit well above US medians at every age, mainly because of higher homeownership and home values, and because Canada counts employer pension value. The starkest Canadian stat: families aged 55 to 64 who owned their home and had an employer pension had a median net worth of $1.4 million. Those who rented with no employer pension: $11,900.

United Kingdom: net worth by age

Age of household head	Median household wealth (GBP)
16 to 24	£15,200
25 to 34	£109,800
35 to 44	£209,600
45 to 54	£301,900
55 to 64	£496,500
65 to 74	£502,500
75 and older	£373,100
All households	£293,700

The top 10% of British households start at £1.2 million and the top 1% at about £3.1 million. Households that own outright have a median £647,400; renters have £40,800. ONS has suspended the survey's accredited status while it fixes response-rate problems, so treat UK figures as indicative.

What actually drives net worth

Age is the easiest variable to chart, but it isn't doing the work. Across every country's data, the same three forces separate households of the same age:

1. Owning a home. In the US, homeowners' median net worth is $396,200 vs $10,400 for renters. A mortgage is a forced savings plan that most people actually stick to.
2. Saving on autopilot. Employer retirement plans and auto-enrollment are the quiet engine of middle-class wealth. That's how most 401(k) millionaires got there.
3. Owning equity in something that grows. Stocks, a business or startup equity separate the 90th percentile from the 99th. It's the story behind the founders in who owns Cursor and who owns Lovable. It cuts both ways, too: see how a hedge fund lost $35 billion in three weeks.

Income matters as well, but less than people think. Among US households in the middle income fifth, median net worth is $159,300; in the next fifth up, it's $307,200. What you keep and invest matters more than what you earn.

How to calculate your net worth (and grow it)

• Add your assets: cash, savings, brokerage and retirement accounts, the market value of your home and other property, business equity, vehicles.
• Subtract your debts: mortgage, home equity loans, student loans, car loans, credit cards, any other borrowing.
• Compare household to household. The Fed and Census measure households or families, so couples should compare their combined number.
• Write it down every quarter. The trend line is the only chart that's really about you.

Two rules of thumb are useful sanity checks, not laws: the Millionaire Next Door formula (age × pre-tax income ÷ 10) and Fidelity's guideline of saving 1x your salary by 30, 3x by 40, 6x by 50, 8x by 60 and 10x by 67.

Methodology and data notes

• US by age: Federal Reserve Survey of Consumer Finances 2022 (published October 2023), Table 2, in 2022 dollars. The SCF oversamples wealthy households, which makes it the most accurate US wealth survey. The 2025 edition is expected in late 2026.
• Since 2022: total US household net worth has kept rising, reaching a record $195.9 trillion in Q2 2026 per the Fed's Financial Accounts, so today's nominal medians are very likely higher than shown.
• 5-year bands and percentiles: DQYDJ tabulations of the 2022 SCF public microdata.
• States: Census Bureau SIPP 2023 state tables via SmartAsset. The Census published 2024 national figures in July 2026; state tables for 2023 remain the latest ranked set.
• Countries: UBS Global Wealth Report 2026 (per adult). Canada: Statistics Canada SFS 2023. UK: ONS Wealth and Assets Survey Round 8.
• Household and per-adult figures are not interchangeable. Currencies are local unless marked.

FAQ

What is the median net worth by age in the US?

According to the Federal Reserve's 2022 Survey of Consumer Finances, the latest release, median household net worth is $39,000 under 35, $135,600 at 35-44, $247,200 at 45-54, $364,500 at 55-64, $409,900 at 65-74 and $335,600 at 75 and older. The all-ages median is $192,900.

What is a good net worth at 30?

The median household aged 30-34 holds about $88,600 and the 75th percentile about $186,100. Anything above roughly $190,000 puts you in the top quarter for your age; about $540,000 gets you into the top 10%.

What is a good net worth at 40?

At 40-44, the median is about $134,400, the 75th percentile about $436,900 and the 90th percentile about $1.18 million. If you are 40 and worth $450,000 or more, you are ahead of three out of four households your age.

What is a good net worth at 50?

At 50-54, the median is about $266,100, the 75th percentile about $913,000 and the top 10% starts near $2.58 million.

Is it too late to become a millionaire at 40 or 50?

No. Starting from zero at 40, investing about $1,234 a month at a 7% average return reaches $1 million by 65; at 45 it takes about $1,920 a month. Home equity, an existing retirement account or an employer match can cut that sharply. And 79% of US millionaires in Ramsey's 10,000-person study received no inheritance.

What net worth puts you in the top 10% by age?

The 90th percentile ranges from about $184,500 for 18-24 year olds to about $3.04 million for 60-64 year olds (SCF 2022, analyzed by DQYDJ). Across all ages, the top 10% starts at about $1.92 million.

What net worth is top 1% in the US?

Across all ages, the top 1% of US households starts at about $13.7 million in net worth. By age, the entry point runs from about $653,000 at 18-24 to more than $22 million at 65-69.

What percentile is a $3 million net worth?

About the top 6% to 7% of US households overall. $3 million sits between the 90th percentile ($1.92 million) and the 95th percentile ($3.78 million).

Which state has the highest median net worth?

Hawaii, at a median household net worth of $692,700, followed by Washington ($456,500), New Hampshire ($412,600), Massachusetts ($394,900) and Colorado ($370,000), based on 2023 Census Bureau data compiled by SmartAsset.

Which country has the highest median wealth per adult?

Luxembourg, at $394,005 per adult at the end of 2025, followed by Belgium ($277,166), according to the UBS Global Wealth Report 2026. The US ranks 2nd by average wealth but only 28th by median.

Should I compare my net worth to the average or the median?

The median. The average is pulled up by a small number of very rich households, so it runs roughly four to five times higher than the median in every US age group. The median tells you what the typical household actually has.

Keep growing: related reading

• Millionaires by state
• How many billionaires live in each state
• How much money is there in the world
• How much the average person spends in a lifetime
• AI salary database: what OpenAI, Anthropic and xAI pay
• Leopold Aschenbrenner net worth

Sources

• Federal Reserve: Changes in U.S. Family Finances from 2019 to 2022 (SCF)
• Federal Reserve: Financial Accounts of the United States (Z.1), Q2 2026
• DQYDJ: Net worth percentiles by age (2022 SCF)
• DQYDJ: US net worth percentiles
• US Census Bureau: Wealth of Households, 2023
• SmartAsset: Net worth by state, 2026 study
• UBS Global Wealth Report 2026
• Mappr: Average vs median wealth by country (UBS 2026 data)
• Statistics Canada: Survey of Financial Security, 2023
• ONS: Household total wealth in Great Britain, April 2020 to March 2022
• Ramsey Solutions: The National Study of Millionaires
• CBS News: Record number of Fidelity 401(k) millionaires, Q2 2026
• Cornell Chronicle: Hirschl and Rank on the life-course dynamics of affluence