Rising to higher net worth, by age
Results from the Survey of Consumer Finances for 2025 were recently released, which means it is time for another rendition of seeing who has a higher net worth. Use the chart below to see the percentiles by age group, based on the age of the householder who answered the survey.
If you are between 20 and 29 years old with zero net worth (that’s assets minus debt), you are doing better than about 19% of households in the same age group. The percentiles go down with the older age groups, as people tend to earn more and save more.
A $1 million net worth puts your household in the 78th percentile overall. So about 22% of households have more than that. I guess being a single-digit millionaire isn’t what it used to be. In fact, to rise into the 99th percentile, you would need at least $16 million.
Net worth at different levels
Here is what it takes at each age group, in 2025 dollars, to be in the top.
| Age Group | Median | 90th %tile | 99th |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 to 29 | $21.3k | $243.8k | $653.3k |
| 30 to 39 | $84.0k | $846.4k | $4.2m |
| 40 to 49 | $203.9k | $1.7m | $11.0m |
| 50 to 59 | $271.2k | $3.3m | $18.2m |
| 60 to 69 | $461.1k | $3.5m | $22.2m |
| 70+ | $461.9k | $4.1m | $20.3m |
| Overall | $216.1k | $2.5m | $16.3m |
The gaps between the median and top percentiles are several multiples of the former. I guess it’s back to the grindstone. I don’t think those gaps are getting any smaller.
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