US Average Net Worth by Age in 2026
By Axis Intelligence Research
Co-author: Sarah Davis | Last updated: October 2, 2026 | License: CC BY 4.0
The typical U.S. household headed by someone under 35 holds about $44,600 in net worth in August 2026 dollars, while the typical household aged 65–74 holds about $469,200, according to Axis Intelligence Research’s inflation restatement of the Federal Reserve’s 2022 Survey of Consumer Finances — a 10.5-to-1 gap between entry and peak.
Quick Answer
The average (mean) net worth of U.S. families was $1,063,700 and the median was $192,900 in the Federal Reserve’s 2022 Survey of Consumer Finances, still the most recent edition the Fed has published. Restated to August 2026 prices with CPI-U, Axis Intelligence Research puts those figures at about $1,217,500 (mean) and $220,800 (median). Median net worth peaks at ages 65–74.
Key Findings
- Axis Intelligence Research estimates median U.S. household net worth at $220,800 in August 2026 dollars, restating the Federal Reserve’s 2022 SCF median of $192,900 with a CPI-U factor of 1.1446.
- Axis Intelligence Research finds the typical family aged 65–74 holds 10.5 times the median net worth of a family under 35 ($409,900 vs. $39,000, SCF 2022).
- Axis Intelligence Research’s Net Worth-to-Income Multiple (NWIM™) rises from 0.64 for families under 35 to 6.73 for families aged 65–74, based on SCF 2022 medians.
- The Federal Reserve reports real median net worth for families under 35 jumped 143% between 2019 and 2022, the largest gain of any age group.
- Axis Intelligence Research finds median homeowner net worth ($396,200) was 38.1 times median renter net worth ($10,400) in the Federal Reserve’s 2022 SCF.
What Is the Average Net Worth by Age in the U.S.?
Net worth is the value of everything a household owns — home, retirement accounts, brokerage holdings, cash, business equity, vehicles — minus everything it owes: mortgage, student loans, auto loans, card balances.
The table below shows both the Federal Reserve’s published figures (2022 dollars) and Axis Intelligence Research’s restatement to August 2026 prices. The 2026-dollar columns adjust for inflation only; they do not add market gains since 2022.
Average and Median Net Worth by Age Table (2022 SCF, with 2026-Dollar Restatement)
| Age of family head | Median (2022 $) | Mean (2022 $) | Median (Aug 2026 $) | Mean (Aug 2026 $) | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 35 | $39,000 | $183,500 | $44,600 | $210,000 | Federal Reserve SCF; Axis restatement |
| 35–44 | $135,600 | $549,600 | $155,200 | $629,100 | Federal Reserve SCF; Axis restatement |
| 45–54 | $247,200 | $975,800 | $283,000 | $1,116,900 | Federal Reserve SCF; Axis restatement |
| 55–64 | $364,500 | $1,566,900 | $417,200 | $1,793,500 | Federal Reserve SCF; Axis restatement |
| 65–74 | $409,900 | $1,794,600 | $469,200 | $2,054,100 | Federal Reserve SCF; Axis restatement |
| 75 and older | $335,600 | $1,624,100 | $384,100 | $1,859,000 | Federal Reserve SCF; Axis restatement |
| All families | $192,900 | $1,063,700 | $220,800 | $1,217,500 | Federal Reserve SCF; Axis restatement |
Every competing table on the first page of results publishes the 2022 numbers as if prices froze in 2022. They didn’t. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports CPI-U at 334.980 in August 2026, up 3.4% over twelve months; the 2022 annual average was 292.655. Anyone comparing a 2026 brokerage statement against a 2022 benchmark is measuring in two different currencies — and flattering themselves by about 14.5%.
What Is the Median Net Worth by Age — and Why Does It Matter More Than the Average?
The median is the household in the middle: half hold more, half hold less. The mean adds up all wealth and divides by households, so a few very wealthy families drag it upward.
Mean-to-Median Ratio by Age
| Age | Mean ÷ median | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Under 35 | 4.71× | Axis calculation, Federal Reserve SCF 2022 |
| 35–44 | 4.05× | Axis calculation, Federal Reserve SCF 2022 |
| 45–54 | 3.95× | Axis calculation, Federal Reserve SCF 2022 |
| 55–64 | 4.30× | Axis calculation, Federal Reserve SCF 2022 |
| 65–74 | 4.38× | Axis calculation, Federal Reserve SCF 2022 |
| 75 and older | 4.84× | Axis calculation, Federal Reserve SCF 2022 |
| All families | 5.51× | Axis calculation, Federal Reserve SCF 2022 |
The all-families ratio (5.51×) is higher than any single age band. That’s not a typo — it’s what happens when you pool young households with near-zero balances and retirees with paid-off homes into one denominator. The spread between ages adds its own skew on top of the skew within each age.
Sarah Davis, analyst note: The “average net worth at 40 is $550,000” headline you’ll see recycled is technically correct and practically useless. The mean for 35–44 sits 4.05 times above the median. If you benchmark against it, you’re benchmarking against a household that probably owns a business or inherited a portfolio. The median is the number that tells you where the middle of the road actually runs.
How Much Net Worth Do People Gain Each Decade?
Axis Intelligence Research measured the step between each age band’s median. Read this as a cross-section of different households in 2022, not as one family’s path over time.
Median Net Worth Step Between Age Bands (SCF 2022, 2022 dollars)
| From → To | Change in median | Multiple | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 35 → 35–44 | +$96,600 | 3.48× | Axis calculation, Federal Reserve SCF 2022 |
| 35–44 → 45–54 | +$111,600 | 1.82× | Axis calculation, Federal Reserve SCF 2022 |
| 45–54 → 55–64 | +$117,300 | 1.47× | Axis calculation, Federal Reserve SCF 2022 |
| 55–64 → 65–74 | +$45,400 | 1.12× | Axis calculation, Federal Reserve SCF 2022 |
| 65–74 → 75+ | −$74,300 | 0.82× | Axis calculation, Federal Reserve SCF 2022 |
The biggest dollar step, +$117,300, comes between 45–54 and 55–64 — the decade when the mortgage balance is shrinking, the 401(k) has had twenty years of contributions, and peak earnings meet the catch-up contribution window. The biggest multiple comes earlier: the median more than triples from under-35 to 35–44, mostly because the starting base is so small.
After 74, the median falls by $74,300. Retirement drawdown is the obvious reading, but the cross-section also captures a different generation with different homeownership histories, so the drop is not purely spending.
The Net Worth-to-Income Multiple (NWIM™): Are You Behind for Your Age?
The most-searched version of this topic isn’t “what is the average” — it’s “am I behind.” A raw dollar benchmark can’t answer that, because a $90,000 net worth means something different to a household earning $45,000 than to one earning $180,000.
So Axis Intelligence Research built a scaled benchmark.
The Net Worth-to-Income Multiple (NWIM™) is an original Axis Intelligence Research metric: the median net worth of an age band divided by the median before-tax family income of the same age band, both from the same survey.
Formula: NWIM™ = median net worth (age band) ÷ median before-tax family income (age band)
Inputs: Federal Reserve Survey of Consumer Finances 2022, Table 1 (income) and Table 2 (net worth), both in 2022 dollars. Because numerator and denominator come from the same survey, same households and same price basis, the ratio is unaffected by inflation restatement.
NWIM™ by Age (Baseline Reading, SCF 2022)
| Age | Median net worth | Median income | NWIM™ | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 35 | $39,000 | $60,500 | 0.64× | Axis Intelligence Research, from Federal Reserve SCF 2022 |
| 35–44 | $135,600 | $85,900 | 1.58× | Axis Intelligence Research, from Federal Reserve SCF 2022 |
| 45–54 | $247,200 | $91,900 | 2.69× | Axis Intelligence Research, from Federal Reserve SCF 2022 |
| 55–64 | $364,500 | $81,900 | 4.45× | Axis Intelligence Research, from Federal Reserve SCF 2022 |
| 65–74 | $409,900 | $60,900 | 6.73× | Axis Intelligence Research, from Federal Reserve SCF 2022 |
| 75 and older | $335,600 | $49,100 | 6.84× | Axis Intelligence Research, from Federal Reserve SCF 2022 |
| All families | $192,900 | $70,300 | 2.74× | Axis Intelligence Research, from Federal Reserve SCF 2022 |
How to use it: multiply your household’s before-tax income by the NWIM™ for your age band. A household aged 45–54 earning $120,000 would sit at the age-band median with roughly $322,800 in net worth ($120,000 × 2.69). Above that, you’re ahead of the typical household your age relative to income; below it, behind.
Sarah Davis, analyst note: Notice where the multiple crosses 1.0 — somewhere in the 35–44 band. Before that, the typical household owes a meaningful fraction of what it owns. The NWIM™ also exposes something the dollar tables hide: the 75+ multiple is the highest on the chart even though the dollar median is falling. Income drops faster than wealth after 75. The balance sheet shrinks; the paycheck shrinks more.
Rule-of-thumb formulas that circulate online (“your age × income ÷ 10”) are targets someone invented. The NWIM™ is an observed median from the Fed’s own survey. It tells you where the middle actually sits, not where someone thinks it should.
Why Is the Under-35 Net Worth So Low?
The median family under 35 held $39,000 in 2022 — and that was a record improvement. The Federal Reserve reports real median net worth for this group rose 143% between 2019 and 2022, from $16,100 (2022 dollars), the largest percentage gain of any age band. Real mean net worth for under-35 families rose 107% over the same period.
Under-35 Net Worth, 2019 vs. 2022 (2022 dollars)
| Measure | 2019 | 2022 | Change | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Median | $16,100 | $39,000 | +143% | Federal Reserve SCF |
| Mean | $88,500 | $183,500 | +107% | Federal Reserve SCF |
The 2022 survey caught young households after pandemic-era savings, student loan payment pauses, and a run-up in home prices that lifted every under-35 owner. Several of those supports have since ended. The 2025 SCF will show how much of the 143% was durable.
The Fed’s more recent household survey points to strain at the young end. The Federal Reserve’s Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households in 2025 report (May 2026) found 73% of adults doing at least okay financially, steady overall, while flagging meaningful declines among young adults.
How Does Homeownership Change Net Worth by Age?
No single variable in the SCF separates households as sharply as owning a home.
Net Worth by Housing Status (SCF, 2022 dollars)
| Housing status | Median 2019 | Median 2022 | Mean 2022 | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Homeowners | $295,500 | $396,200 | $1,530,900 | Federal Reserve SCF |
| Renters or other | $7,300 | $10,400 | $154,900 | Federal Reserve SCF |
Axis Intelligence Research calculates the owner-to-renter median ratio at 38.1× ($396,200 ÷ $10,400). Part of that gap is the house itself; part is selection — households that can buy usually already have higher income and savings. Either way, a renter at 40 comparing against the 35–44 median is comparing against a blended number heavily lifted by owners.
Net Worth by Education (SCF, 2022 dollars)
| Education of family head | Median 2022 | Mean 2022 | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| College degree | $464,600 | $2,003,400 | Federal Reserve SCF |
| High school diploma | $106,800 | $413,300 | Federal Reserve SCF |
Axis Intelligence Research calculates the college-to-high-school median ratio at 4.35×.
How Much Has U.S. Household Wealth Grown Since the Last Fed Survey?
The SCF is a snapshot; the Federal Reserve’s Financial Accounts (Z.1) update aggregate household balance sheets every quarter.
Aggregate U.S. Household Net Worth (Z.1)
| Quarter end | Household net worth | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Q3 2022 | $133.17 trillion | Federal Reserve Z.1, via FRED |
| Q2 2025 | $165.85 trillion | Federal Reserve Z.1 |
| Q1 2026 | $173.12 trillion | Federal Reserve Z.1 |
| Q2 2026 | $185.65 trillion | Federal Reserve Z.1 |
Axis Intelligence Research calculates that aggregate household net worth rose 39.4% in nominal terms between Q3 2022 and Q2 2026, or about 23.5% after adjusting with CPI-U (September 2022 = 296.808; August 2026 = 334.980).
Why we don’t apply that growth to the age medians: aggregate wealth growth is driven by whoever owns the most assets — mostly equities and real estate concentrated at the top. Pushing a 23.5% aggregate gain onto a median household under 35 would overstate its gain. The two methodologies don’t combine cleanly, so we publish them side by side instead. When the 2025 SCF lands, it will show how the median actually moved.
For the concentration story — who owns that $185 trillion — see our US high-net-worth statistics, which tracks wealth by percentile group.
What Do Americans’ Finances Look Like in 2026 Beyond Net Worth?
Net worth is a stock; liquidity is a flow. The Federal Reserve’s 2025 SHED survey (published May 2026) adds three readings the SCF can’t:
| Measure (2025) | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Adults who’d cover a $400 emergency with cash or equivalent | 63% | Federal Reserve SHED 2025 |
| Non-retirees who think retirement savings are on track | 35% | Federal Reserve SHED 2025 |
| Adults doing at least okay financially | 73% | Federal Reserve SHED 2025 |
Sarah Davis, analyst note: Two households with the same net worth can be in very different places. One has $300,000 in home equity and $800 in checking; the other has $300,000 spread across a 401(k) and a cash buffer. The SCF median counts them the same. The SHED number — barely six in ten adults able to absorb $400 in cash — is the reminder that a balance sheet can be wealthy and illiquid at once.
For retirement-account specifics, see our breakdowns of Vanguard 401(k) balances and the 2026 401(k) contribution limits.
When Will New Net Worth by Age Data Be Released?
The Federal Reserve’s SCF page still lists 2022 as the most recent survey conducted, with results published October 18, 2023. The SCF runs every three years; the 2025 cycle’s results have not yet been published as of October 2, 2026. This page will be updated when they are.
The U.S. Census Bureau publishes a separate wealth series from its Survey of Income and Program Participation; its Wealth of Households: 2024 report was released in July 2026. SIPP and SCF measure wealth differently (the SCF oversamples wealthy families), so their figures should not be mixed in one table.
Methodology
Primary data. All age-band medians and means come from the Federal Reserve Board’s Changes in U.S. Family Finances from 2019 to 2022: Evidence from the Survey of Consumer Finances (October 2023), Tables 1 and 2, in 2022 dollars. Age bands follow the age of the family’s reference person as defined by the Fed.
2026-dollar restatement. Axis Intelligence Research multiplied each 2022-dollar figure by 1.1446 = CPI-U August 2026 (334.980) ÷ CPI-U 2022 annual average (292.655, the mean of the twelve monthly 2022 values in BLS series CPIAUCNS). Results are rounded to the nearest $100. This adjusts purchasing power only; it does not estimate asset-price changes since 2022.
NWIM™. Median net worth ÷ median before-tax family income, same age band, same survey (SCF 2022). SCF income refers to the calendar year before the interview, which slightly favors older bands whose income is falling.
Derived ratios. Mean-to-median ratios, decade steps, owner-to-renter and college-to-high-school ratios are computed directly from the published SCF figures. Steps between age bands compare different households at one point in time, not the same households over time.
Aggregate context. Household net worth from Federal Reserve Z.1 series BOGZ1FL192090005Q (households only), deflated with CPI-U for the real change.
All formulas and inputs are in the dataset’s method_note column.
About This Dataset
File: average-net-worth-by-age.csv — 111 observations covering U.S. median and mean family net worth and income by age (2019 and 2022), the August 2026 inflation restatement, the NWIM™ baseline, housing and education splits, aggregate Z.1 household net worth (Q3 2022–Q2 2026), CPI-U inputs, and three SHED 2025 indicators. Every row carries source organization, document, URL, retrieval date, and whether the value is an Axis calculation.
License: CC BY 4.0. Free to reuse with attribution: “Axis Intelligence Research, Average Net Worth by Age 2026, 2026.”
Cite This Data
APA: Axis Intelligence Research & Davis, S. (2026, October 2). Average net worth by age in 2026: Median, mean and what each age band really holds [Data set]. Axis Intelligence. https://axis-intelligence.com/average-net-worth-by-age/
MLA: Axis Intelligence Research and Sarah Davis. “Average Net Worth by Age in 2026: Median, Mean and What Each Age Band Really Holds.” Axis Intelligence, 2 Oct. 2026, axis-intelligence.com/average-net-worth-by-age/.
Chicago: Axis Intelligence Research and Sarah Davis. “Average Net Worth by Age in 2026: Median, Mean and What Each Age Band Really Holds.” Axis Intelligence, October 2, 2026. https://axis-intelligence.com/average-net-worth-by-age/.
Frequently Asked Questions
What net worth should I have at 30 to be on track?
The Fed doesn’t publish a single-year figure for 30; the SCF’s under-35 band had a median of $39,000 in 2022 (about $44,600 in August 2026 dollars). Using Axis Intelligence Research’s NWIM™, the typical under-35 household holds 0.64 times its annual before-tax income in net worth.
What is a good net worth at 40?
The median for families aged 35–44 was $135,600 in the 2022 SCF, about $155,200 in August 2026 dollars. Relative to income, the NWIM™ for this band is 1.58: a household earning $100,000 at the band median would hold about $158,000.
Does home equity count toward net worth by age?
Yes. The Federal Reserve’s SCF net worth includes the market value of a primary residence minus its mortgage. That’s why homeowners’ median net worth ($396,200) ran 38.1 times renters’ ($10,400) in 2022, per Axis Intelligence Research’s calculation.
At what age does net worth peak in the U.S.?
Median net worth peaks in the 65–74 band at $409,900 (2022 SCF), about $469,200 in August 2026 dollars, then falls to $335,600 for families 75 and older. Mean net worth follows the same peak.
Are 2022 Fed net worth numbers still valid in 2026?
They remain the latest official SCF figures, but they’re priced in 2022 dollars. Axis Intelligence Research restates them with a CPI-U factor of 1.1446 (August 2026 vs. 2022 average). Aggregate household net worth also rose 39.4% nominally from Q3 2022 to Q2 2026 (Fed Z.1), mostly concentrated at the top.
Why is average net worth so much higher than median net worth?
A small number of very wealthy households pull the mean upward. In the 2022 SCF, the all-families mean ($1,063,700) was 5.51 times the median ($192,900), per Axis Intelligence Research’s calculation. For personal benchmarking, the median is the better comparison.
How does net worth compare to income by age?
Axis Intelligence Research’s NWIM™ divides median net worth by median income within each age band: 0.64 (under 35), 1.58 (35–44), 2.69 (45–54), 4.45 (55–64), 6.73 (65–74) and 6.84 (75+), all from the Fed’s 2022 SCF.
How did young Americans’ net worth change after the pandemic?
The Federal Reserve reports that real median net worth for families under 35 rose 143% between 2019 and 2022, from $16,100 to $39,000 in 2022 dollars — the largest increase of any age group.