One of the most common questions in personal finance is: "Am I on track for my age?" Comparing your net worth to national figures gives useful context — as long as you read the numbers correctly.
Average vs. median: read the median
Averages are misleading for net worth. A small number of extremely wealthy households pulls the average far above what a typical person has. The median — the midpoint, where half of households have more and half have less — is a much better benchmark.
Net worth by age bracket
These figures come from the Federal Reserve's 2022 Survey of Consumer Finances, the most recent edition at the time of writing. They are rough benchmarks, not targets.
| Age bracket | Median net worth | Average net worth |
|---|---|---|
| Under 35 | ~$39,000 | ~$183,000 |
| 35–44 | ~$135,000 | ~$549,000 |
| 45–54 | ~$247,000 | ~$975,000 |
| 55–64 | ~$364,000 | ~$1,566,000 |
| 65–74 | ~$410,000 | ~$1,795,000 |
| 75+ | ~$335,000 | ~$1,625,000 |
Notice how far the average sits above the median in every bracket — that gap is the effect of high-wealth households.
Why net worth climbs with age
The pattern is predictable and encouraging:
- Under 35 — Often low or negative. Student loans, entry-level income, and little time for compounding.
- 35–54 — The building years. Peak earning, growing home equity, and retirement accounts compounding.
- 55–74 — The peak. Debts are mostly paid down and decades of investing have compounded.
- 75+ — A modest decline as people draw down savings in retirement.
Don't over-index on the comparison
These benchmarks come with big caveats:
- Location matters enormously. A $250,000 net worth stretches much further in a low cost-of-living area than in an expensive city.
- Income timing varies. People who spent years in school start building later — and often catch up quickly.
- Your own trend is the real benchmark. Beating last year's number is more meaningful than matching a national median.
How to use these numbers
Treat them as a sanity check, not a scoreboard. If you're well below the median for your age, it's a nudge to look at savings rate and debt. If you're above it, keep going. Either way, the most useful comparison is you versus your past self.
Calculate your current net worth and check back in a few months to see which direction you're heading.