How does your networth compare with everyone else’s? The most reliable public answer comes from the Federal Reserve’s Survey of Consumer Finances. In the 2022 edition, the median US household had a net worth of roughly $192,900, while the average was about $1.06 million. That gap is the first thing to understand, because the average gets dragged up by a small number of very wealthy households.
Median versus average: pick the right yardstick
Say ten people sit in a room, nine with $100,000 and one with $10 million. The average is over $1 million, yet nine of the ten are far below it. The median, which is the middle person, is $100,000. For a fair self-check, the median is almost always the better comparison. If you are above the median for your age, you are ahead of half of households.
Rough medians by age
The 2022 Survey of Consumer Finances reported medians that rise steadily with age. As widely cited, they look like this:
- Under 35: about $39,000
- 35 to 44: about $135,600
- 45 to 54: about $247,200
- 55 to 64: about $364,500
- 65 to 74: about $410,000
These are household figures, not individual ones, and they include home equity, retirement accounts, cars, savings, and business interests, minus debts. Check the Federal Reserve’s own tables if you want exact values, since they are revised and sometimes rounded differently across articles.
How to calculate your own number
Before you ask how does your networth compare, you need a clean figure for yourself. Use the same method the survey does.
- List assets: cash, investments, retirement balances, home value, vehicles, and the value of any business you own.
- List liabilities: mortgage, student loans, car loans, credit card balances, and any personal loans.
- Subtract liabilities from assets.
Be honest about home value. Use a recent sale price of similar homes, not what you hope it would fetch. And decide whether to count a car or furniture; the survey includes vehicles but most planners ignore depreciating items for a cleaner picture.
Why a negative number is not a failure
Many young adults have a net worth near zero or below it, usually because of student loans or a new mortgage. That is common and tells you little about your path. A nurse with $60,000 in student debt and a steady job may be in better shape than someone with $10,000 in savings and an unstable income. Net worth is a snapshot, not a grade.
Things that make comparisons unfair
- Home ownership. Owners typically hold far more net worth than renters, simply because equity counts.
- Family inheritance. Some households start with a gift or a paid-off house.
- Region. A modest house in an expensive city can look like a large asset on paper.
- Household size. A couple pooling finances is compared against single people in many tables.
- Pension coverage. A guaranteed pension does not show up as a balance, so people with one may look poorer than they are.
How does your networth compare: using the answer well
When you work out how does your networth compare, treat the result as a prompt for a question, not a verdict. If you sit below the median for your age, ask whether it is debt, low savings, or simply a late start. If you sit above, ask whether your money is concentrated in one house or one stock.
Some practical steps tend to move the number reliably: building an emergency fund, capturing any employer retirement match, paying down high-interest debt first, and keeping investment fees low. None of these is exciting, but over years they matter more than a single clever move.
A note on tracking
The most useful comparison is you against you. Record your net worth every quarter or every year, on the same day, with the same method. A rising line, even a slow one, beats any benchmark. Rough external numbers are helpful context, but your own trend shows whether your plan is working.
This article is general information, not financial advice.
Related reading: Best Credit Cards for High Networth Individuals Compared.
For official definitions and data, see Investopedia.
