Home / Net worth by age in 2025: what the Fed's new survey shows
FIRE by ageNet worth by age in 2025: what the Fed's new survey shows
The median US family had a net worth of $216,100 in 2025, up 2.5% from 2022 after inflation, according to the Federal Reserve's Survey of Consumer Finances released on October 9, 2026. Families headed by someone under 35 lost the most ground.
Key findings
- The median net worth of families headed by someone under 35 fell 23.2%, from $42,720 to $32,820, between the 2022 and 2025 surveys.
- Families headed by someone 75 or older had the largest gain: their median rose 37.8%, to $504,600.
- The median for all families was $216,100, up 2.5% from $210,890 in 2022.
- The average (mean) for all families was $1,232,000, 5.7 times the median.
- Reaching the top 10% of all families took a net worth of at least $2,538,547, and the top 1% started at $16,270,884 (our calculation from the survey's public data).
Source: Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, Survey of Consumer Finances 2025, released October 9, 2026. All figures are in 2025 dollars, so the changes are after inflation.
Median net worth by age: 2022 vs 2025
| Age of family head | Median 2022 | Median 2025 | Change | Average 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 35 | $42,720 | $32,820 | −23.2% | $135,720 |
| 35 to 44 | $148,070 | $156,000 | +5.4% | $669,310 |
| 45 to 54 | $269,980 | $254,670 | −5.7% | $1,243,610 |
| 55 to 64 | $398,650 | $411,340 | +3.2% | $1,871,020 |
| 65 to 74 | $448,700 | $431,900 | −3.7% | $1,870,920 |
| 75 or older | $366,290 | $504,600 | +37.8% | $1,949,710 |
| All families | $210,890 | $216,100 | +2.5% | $1,232,000 |
Three of the six age groups gained and three lost. Under 35 lost $9,900 at the median; 75 or older gained $138,310.
Average vs median net worth
The median is the family in the middle; the average is pulled up by the wealthiest families. In 2025 the average was several times the median in every age group, from 4.1 times for families under 35 to 4.5 times for 55 to 64. For most readers the median is the more useful comparison.
Net worth percentiles by age in 2025
| Age of family head | 25th | 50th | 75th | 90th | 95th | 99th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 35 | $3,100 | $32,820 | $145,151 | $351,237 | $476,638 | $1,591,285 |
| 35 to 44 | $17,992 | $156,046 | $466,962 | $1,235,251 | $2,386,159 | $8,354,033 |
| 45 to 54 | $54,736 | $254,671 | $941,980 | $2,558,022 | $5,219,000 | $14,050,372 |
| 55 to 64 | $71,790 | $411,354 | $1,413,814 | $3,457,640 | $7,544,981 | $20,072,862 |
| 65 to 74 | $117,996 | $431,319 | $1,312,100 | $3,653,567 | $7,221,527 | $20,511,490 |
| 75 or older | $144,122 | $504,600 | $1,416,396 | $4,202,845 | $6,850,686 | $20,342,729 |
| All families | $27,900 | $216,100 | $813,000 | $2,538,547 | $4,936,622 | $16,270,884 |
These percentiles are our calculation from the survey's public data, using its weights and all five imputations; our medians match the Federal Reserve's official ones within 0.2%. The net worth by age calculator places any amount between them.
What it means for a FIRE number
A FIRE number of $1,000,000 is above the median net worth at every age, and among all families $1,000,000 is at about the 78th percentile. The survey counts everything a family owns, including the home it lives in; a FIRE portfolio counts only what you can invest and draw from. The FIRE calculator works out the number for your own 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 top 10% net worth by age?
In 2025 the top 10% of families started at $351,237 for heads under 35, $1,235,251 for heads 35 to 44, $2,558,022 for heads 45 to 54, $3,457,640 for heads 55 to 64, $3,653,567 for heads 65 to 74, $4,202,845 for heads 75 or older. For all families it was $2,538,547.
What is the top 5% net worth?
Among all US families, the top 5% had a net worth of at least $4,936,622 in 2025, by our calculation from the Federal Reserve's Survey of Consumer Finances.
What percentage of Americans have a net worth of $1,000,000 or more?
About 22% of US families had a net worth of $1,000,000 or more in 2025: $1,000,000 sits at about the 78th percentile of all families in the Federal Reserve's survey.
What percentile is $3 million net worth?
Among all US families, $3,000,000 is at about the 92nd percentile. For families headed by someone 55 to 64 it is about the 88th.
About the survey
The Survey of Consumer Finances is the Federal Reserve's survey of US family balance sheets, carried out every three years. Net worth is the value of what a family owns (homes, vehicles, businesses, retirement and other accounts) minus what it owes (mortgages, student and car loans, credit cards). Age refers to the head of the family, and every amount here is in 2025 dollars. The Federal Reserve's own analysis is in the Federal Reserve Bulletin article listed below.
Sources
- Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, Survey of Consumer Finances 2025, released October 9, 2026 (public data; figures in 2025 dollars).
- Federal Reserve, Survey of Consumer Finances, 1989–2025, interactive table (net worth by age, 2022 and 2025).
- Federal Reserve Bulletin, "Changes in U.S. Family Finances from 2022 to 2025", October 2026.
Last reviewed by Asier Fernández, editor, on . Educational information only, not financial advice. How we calculate