How Much Net Worth Should You Have at Each Age?

People ask this as if there is one correct number. There is not. Cost of living, homeownership, student loans, and whether you support kids or parents all move the target. What you can do is compare two things: what a typical household at your age actually has, and a simple savings guideline if you want to be on track for retirement.

This guide uses the latest comprehensive U.S. numbers from the Federal Reserve’s 2022 Survey of Consumer Finances (released 2023; the next full survey publishes later in 2026). Treat them as a snapshot, not a grade.

Not personalized financial advice. Use the tables to orient yourself, then build a budget you can follow.

How to calculate net worth

Net worth is what you own minus what you owe.

• Assets: cash, checking and savings, retirement accounts, taxable investments, home equity, cars (resale value), and other property.
• Liabilities: mortgage, student loans, auto loans, credit cards, medical debt, and anything else you still owe.

If you own a home, equity often dominates the number. Two households with the same “net worth” can have very different cash flexibility. That is why a monthly budget still matters even when the net-worth chart looks fine.

Median vs average: use the median

The median is the middle household: half have less, half have more. The average (mean) is pulled up by very wealthy households. For “how am I doing?”, the median is the fairer benchmark.

Across all U.S. households in the 2022 SCF, median net worth was about $193,000. The average was over $1 million. If you compare yourself to the average, you will almost always feel behind.

Median net worth by age (U.S.)

Figures are household net worth by age of the reference person, in 2022 dollars, from the Federal Reserve SCF.

Median wealth peaks in the 65 to 74 range, then eases as retirees spend down assets. The jump from under 35 to 35 to 44 is the steepest: home purchases and rising incomes show up here.

A common “should” target: savings as a multiple of salary

Net worth includes your house. Retirement-readiness guidelines usually talk about invested savings as a multiple of your income. Fidelity’s widely cited checkpoints (for retirement savings, not total net worth) look like this:

Example: if you earn $80,000 at 40, 3× is $240,000 in retirement accounts, not $240,000 of home equity. Another popular retirement rule is saving about 25× your annual spending (the 4% rule) by the time you stop working. Pick one framework and stick to it. Mixing them will only confuse you.

Under 35: build the base

Typical median: about $39,000. Negative net worth is common here because of student loans. A useful “should” at this age is less a big number and more a set of habits:

• An emergency fund you can actually use (often 1 to 3 months of expenses while income is lumpy, then 3 to 6).
• High-interest debt going down, not up.
• Retirement contributions starting, even if the balance is small. Time does more work than a perfect rate.

If you are at $0 invested but your budget is stable, you are not “failing.” You are early. The people who pull away in their 30s are usually the ones who stopped leaking money every month.

Ages 35 to 44: the gap opens

Typical median: about $136,000. Home equity and 401(k) balances start to matter. Fidelity’s 2× by 35 and 3× by 40 are aggressive if you live in a high-cost city and rent, and easier if you bought a home that appreciated.

This is the decade where a budget either compounds or quietly fails. Childcare, a mortgage, and lifestyle creep can freeze savings even on a higher salary. Remaining-to-spend by category is more useful here than a once-a-year net-worth check.

Ages 45 to 54: peak earning, peak leakage

Typical median: about $247,000. Targets often move to 4× salary by 45 and 6× by 50 for retirement savings. Incomes are often highest in this window, which is exactly when spending rises to match.

If the median feels far away, look at cash flow before you look at investment products. A household that finally sees where money goes can close more of the gap in five years than one that only tweaks asset allocation.

Ages 55 to 64: the last big save

Typical median: about $365,000. Guidelines cluster around 7× to 8× salary. Catch-up contributions (if you have access to them) exist for a reason: this is when many people get serious.

Run a simple version of retirement math: annual spending × 25. Compare that to invested assets, not to home equity you do not plan to sell. Then use your budget to fund the difference on purpose.

Ages 65 to 74: peak median wealth

Typical median: about $410,000. This is the highest median in the Fed data. Fidelity’s 10× salary by 67 is a retirement-savings goal, not a net-worth guarantee. Social Security, pensions, and whether the mortgage is gone change the picture more than a single headline number.

75 and older: spending the pile is the point

Typical median: about $336,000. A lower number than 65 to 74 is normal. Drawing down savings in retirement is the plan working, not a failure. The “should” here is closer to: can this last, and is the monthly plan still honest?

What if you are behind?

1. Get a real leftover number. If you do not know what is left after bills, needs, and wants, you cannot save on purpose.
2. Kill high-interest debt first if the rate is eating new savings.
3. Automate a savings category the way you automate rent. Treat it as a bill.
4. Raise the savings line when income rises, before lifestyle does.
5. Ignore the average. Chase the median, then your own 25× spending number.

BudgetReady is built for that first step: a budget you can set up in minutes, remaining-to-spend by category, and savings goals you can see. Net worth is the scoreboard. The budget is the game.

FAQ

Is net worth the same as retirement savings?

No. Net worth includes home equity, cars, and cash, minus all debts. Retirement multiples (1× salary by 30, 10× by 67) usually mean invested savings. A paid-off house can make net worth look strong while retirement accounts are thin.

Should I include my home?

Include it in net worth. Do not count it as spendable retirement income unless you plan to downsize or borrow against it. Track both: total net worth, and invested assets.

Why is the average so much higher than the median?

A small share of households holds a large share of wealth. The average gets pulled up. The median is the typical household.

Do these numbers apply outside the U.S.?

The dollar figures are U.S. household data. The method still works anywhere: calculate net worth, compare to a local typical if you have one, and use a spending multiple for retirement. Currency and housing markets will change the levels.

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