The Fed Says the Typical U.S. Family Has $215,900 in Net Worth. See How You Compare

Quick Read

• The median American family's net worth is $215,900, but homeowners hold $458,900 compared with only $10,600 for renters.

• Families under 35 saw median net worth drop 23%, while families 75 and older gained 37% to $504,900.

• Black families' median net worth declined 25%, widening the White-to-Black wealth ratio to its largest level since 2016.

The Federal Reserve's latest Survey of Consumer Finances puts the median American family's net worth at $215,900. That is a real increase of 2% from the prior survey. Net worth includes everything a family owns, such as homes, retirement accounts, vehicles, cash and businesses, minus all debts. The Fed reports the numbers in inflation-adjusted 2025 dollars, so the gain reflects more buying power after inflation is removed.

The average, or mean, is much higher. Mean family net worth came in at $1,241,500, up 7%. The difference comes down to how the figures are calculated. The median marks the middle of the distribution, with half of families above it and half below it. The mean adds up total wealth and divides it across every family.

Imagine a room of ordinary families, then a billionaire enters. The median barely changes, but the mean rises sharply even if no one else gets richer. The Fed says medians are less affected by extreme values than means, which makes the median a better benchmark for where most families stand.

When the mean climbs faster than the median, it usually signals that the wealthiest households are pulling ahead. Even so, the Fed found that overall wealth inequality was little changed between the two surveys. Beneath that steady headline, however, some of the least wealthy groups fell even further behind.

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Where You Rank by Age

Wealth tends to follow the life cycle. It usually builds during working years as people save for retirement, then levels off or declines as they spend down assets later in life. These are the median net worth figures by age of the family's reference person in the survey:

• Under 35: $33,000

• 35 to 44: $155,600

• 45 to 54: $253,700

• 55 to 64: $411,900

• 65 to 74: $431,300

• 75 and older: $504,900

The youngest and oldest families moved in opposite directions. Median net worth for families under 35 fell 23%, while it rose 37% for families 75 and older. The Fed said the increase among older households was driven mainly by gains in retirement account values. If you are under 35, the most useful comparison is with your own age group. Matching that group’s median places you in the middle of your peers, even if the national figure seems far away.

Homeownership Divides the Picture

Housing status creates one of the biggest gaps in the report. Homeowners had a median net worth of $458,900. Renters had $10,600, and their median fell 7% between surveys.

Home equity is the main reason for the difference. Among owners, the median net housing value, meaning a home's value minus mortgage and home equity debt, rose to $230,000. Owners build wealth with each mortgage payment and each rise in home prices. Renters must rely entirely on savings and investments to build wealth. At the same time, the median home cost more than 4.5 times the median family income, keeping affordability near historic lows and making homebuying more difficult.

Income and Education Widen the Gap

Families in the bottom 20% of usual income had a median net worth of $14,400. Families in the middle of the income range, from the 40th to the 60th percentile, held $188,200.

For the top 10% of earners, the median climbed 31% to $3,669,900. Higher earners can save more, and the assets they build can then generate even more income.

Education shows a similar pattern. For families whose reference person did not finish high school, median net worth fell 55% to $18,600. Families with a college degree had a median of $505,400.

Wealth Percentiles Show Your Exact Spot

To compare yourself with all families, look at the report's net worth percentile groups. Families in the bottom quarter had a median of $1,700, while those between the 50th and 75th percentiles had $405,700.

The top 10% held a median of $4,935,200, underscoring how concentrated wealth is at the top.

Who Lost Ground in the Fed's Data

The Fed found that groups that typically hold less wealth, including younger families, renters and families without a high school diploma, saw declines. Older families and those at the top of the income and wealth ladder posted some of the largest gains. Black families' median net worth fell 25%. That left the median for White families at nine times that amount, the widest ratio since 2016.

To rank yourself, start with one number: your total assets minus your total debts. Compare it first with your age group and then with your housing status, since those two factors explain far more than the national median alone. If you are below your peers, the data points to what helped other families: assets that rise in value, such as a home or a retirement account, and holding them over the long term. Older families gained the most largely because their retirement balances grew. The survey shows where families stood, and the biggest gains went to families that already owned appreciating assets.

Help Avoid These 13 Retirement Mistakes Before They Derail Your Future

One investment mistake could create major risks for your retirement. Many investors make the same critical errors: becoming too conservative, making large bets on supposed sure things, or paying high fees. Any of those missteps can put hard-earned savings at risk.

Now you can learn the mistakes even experienced investors make, along with ways to avoid them before it is too late, in this new guide from Fisher Investments: 13 Retirement Mistakes and How to Avoid Them. (sponsor)