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"Am I rich?" depends entirely on your age. $100,000 net worth at 25 is excellent. $100,000 at 55 means you are behind on retirement. The number means nothing without context. Here are the benchmarks.
Before comparing, calculate yours with the Net Worth Calculator. Add up all assets (bank accounts, investments, property, vehicles) and subtract all debts (mortgage, loans, credit cards). That number is what you compare below.
Calculate your net worth to compare.
Calculate Now →Data from the Federal Reserve Survey of Consumer Finances:
| Age Group | Median Net Worth | Average Net Worth | Why the Gap? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 35 | ~$39,000 | ~$183,000 | A few young founders and inheritors pull average up |
| 35-44 | ~$135,000 | ~$549,000 | Stock options, early business success, inheritance |
| 45-54 | ~$247,000 | ~$975,000 | Peak earning years for high earners |
| 55-64 | ~$364,000 | ~$1,566,000 | Decades of compounding for top earners |
| 65-74 | ~$409,000 | ~$1,794,000 | Retirement accounts at peak, home equity high |
| 75+ | ~$335,000 | ~$1,624,000 | Spending down savings in retirement |
Source: Federal Reserve Survey of Consumer Finances. Numbers are approximate and vary by survey year.
If your net worth is above the median for your age, you are doing better than half the country. That does not mean you are "rich" — it means you are ahead of the middle.
The gap between median and average tells an important story: wealth is concentrated. The average is 3-5x the median in every age group. This means a small number of very wealthy people pull the average up dramatically. Do not use the average as your benchmark — it will make nearly everyone feel poor.
| Percentile | Net Worth | What It Means |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | ~$-1,000 | Bottom 10% — more debt than assets |
| 25th | ~$20,000 | Below average |
| 50th (median) | ~$192,000 | Middle of the pack |
| 75th | ~$600,000 | Top quarter |
| 90th | ~$1,900,000 | Top 10% |
| 95th | ~$3,800,000 | Top 5% |
| 99th | ~$16,700,000 | Top 1% |
Two people earning $80,000 can have vastly different net worths. One saves 20% ($16,000/year), the other saves 2% ($1,600/year). After 20 years of investing at 7% returns, the saver has ~$700,000. The other has ~$70,000. Same income, 10x difference.
Credit card debt at 20%+ interest destroys wealth. Every dollar of high-interest debt you carry is a dollar that could be invested at 7-10% instead. Paying off high-interest debt is the highest-return "investment" most people can make.
Starting to invest at 25 instead of 35 makes an enormous difference. Ten extra years of compound growth at 7% nearly doubles the outcome. This is why net worth tends to grow rapidly in your 50s and 60s — decades of compounding are finally showing their full effect.
Home equity is the largest asset for most American households. Paying down a mortgage builds equity automatically. Renting is not "throwing money away" — but it does mean you are not building this particular asset.
Net worth comparisons are useful for rough benchmarking. They are dangerous as a source of self-worth. Some people inherit millions. Some people are born into debt. Your starting point, opportunities, health, family obligations, and geographic cost of living all affect where you land. Focus on your trajectory — are you improving quarter over quarter? — rather than how you compare to a national statistic.
Know your number. Calculate your net worth.
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