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FIRE by ageAverage retirement savings by age in 2025
Among US families with a retirement account, the median balance was $239,000 for those headed by someone 55 to 64 in 2025, and the average $670,248, by our calculation from the Federal Reserve's Survey of Consumer Finances. Only 54.9% of all families had an account.
Retirement savings by age
Retirement accounts here are 401(k)s and other account-type workplace plans, IRAs and Keoghs, added up for the family. Medians and averages are for families that have at least one account:
| Age of family head | Families with an account | Median balance | Average balance | Top 10% start at |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 35 | 48.8% | $21,000 | $48,446 | $147,000 |
| 35 to 44 | 59.6% | $61,000 | $182,426 | $482,526 |
| 45 to 54 | 63.0% | $133,000 | $415,781 | $1,054,392 |
| 55 to 64 | 63.1% | $239,000 | $670,248 | $1,850,000 |
| 65 to 74 | 48.9% | $257,000 | $767,505 | $1,950,000 |
| 75 or older | 44.6% | $257,000 | $798,707 | $2,200,000 |
| All families | 54.9% | $106,000 | $451,118 | $1,242,990 |
All figures are in 2025 dollars. The average is far above the median in every group because a minority of families have very large balances.
Counting families with no account
The figures above leave out families with no retirement account. Counting them as zero, the median for families headed by someone 55 to 64 falls to $45,000 and for all families to $5,000. Pensions that pay a fixed benefit, and Social Security, are not in these numbers.
Balances by percentile
| Age of family head | 25th | 50th | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 35 | $5,400 | $21,000 | $55,000 | $147,000 |
| 35 to 44 | $17,000 | $61,000 | $219,000 | $482,526 |
| 45 to 54 | $47,784 | $133,000 | $414,000 | $1,054,392 |
| 55 to 64 | $60,000 | $239,000 | $708,953 | $1,850,000 |
| 65 to 74 | $94,718 | $257,000 | $837,000 | $1,950,000 |
| 75 or older | $68,000 | $257,000 | $978,000 | $2,200,000 |
| All families | $27,000 | $106,000 | $412,861 | $1,242,990 |
Among families with an account. A family at the 75th percentile has more than three quarters of the families its age that save in these accounts.
How it compares with a retirement target
At Morningstar's 30-year rate of 3.9%, the median balance at 55 to 64 of $239,000 supports about $9,321 a year, raised with inflation. Most retirees add Social Security on top. How much do I need to retire? works out a target from spending.
These figures are illustrations worked out from stated assumptions, not forecasts. Real returns vary from year to year, and taxes, fees and the order of good and bad years change the outcome. See the disclaimer.
Questions people ask
What is the median retirement savings by age in the US?
For families with a retirement account in 2025: $21,000 for heads Under 35, $61,000 for heads 35 to 44, $133,000 for heads 45 to 54, $239,000 for heads 55 to 64, $257,000 for heads 65 to 74, $257,000 for heads 75 or older.
How many people have $1,000,000 in retirement savings?
Among families headed by someone 55 to 64 that have an account, more than one in ten have $1,000,000 or more: the top 10% start at $1,850,000, while the 75th percentile is $708,953. Among families 45 to 54 with an account, the top 10% start at $1,054,392.
What is a good 401k balance at age 65?
The survey shows what is typical, not what is good. Families headed by someone 65 to 74 with an account had a median of $257,000 and an average of $767,505. A good balance is the one that covers your own spending; the FIRE calculator works it out.
About the data
These are our calculations from the public data of the Federal Reserve's 2025 Survey of Consumer Finances, released on October 9, 2026, using the survey's weights and all five imputations, the same method that matches the Fed's official net worth medians within 0.2%. Age is the age of the head of the family.
Sources
- Our calculation from the Federal Reserve's Survey of Consumer Finances 2025, released October 9, 2026 (public data; figures in 2025 dollars). Retirement accounts are the survey's IRAs, Keoghs and account-type workplace plans such as 401(k)s.
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Last reviewed by Asier Fernández, editor, on . Educational information only, not financial advice. How we calculate