The journey to building wealth is a highly personal one, but it may be helpful to know how you compare with others along the way.
To find out the median net worth of Americans at every age, Harness Wealth, a firm that matches financial advisors with clients, used household wealth data from the Federal Reserve's 2022 Survey of Consumer Finances and developed a proprietary classification of ages and ranges of net worth.
According to the most recent data, American households had a median net worth of $193,000 in 2022. In other words, 50% of the population has a net worth below that threshold, and 50% has a net worth above it.
People in the richest 10% are worth at least $3.795 million, according to Harness Wealth's data.
It's important to understand the difference between income and net worth. Net worth is what you're left with after subtracting your liabilities (what you owe) from your assets (what you own), whereas income is what you earn each year and what's reported on an income tax return. A high income doesn't necessarily translate to a high net worth, which is why financial advisors say your net worth is often a better benchmark for measuring your wealth.
Keep reading to find out what it takes to be in the richest 50% of US households, according to Harness Wealth's calculations, as well as what it takes to be in the top 20% and the top 10%.
How much money it takes to be in the top 50% of Americans
In the following chart, net worth is broken down by age and paired with the median wealth number for that age group. For instance, if you fall in the 45-54 age group and your net worth is $246,400, you're wealthier than half of people your age.
| Age | Top 50% |
| 18-34 | $39,040 |
| 35-44 | $135,100 |
| 45-54 | $246,400 |
| 55-64 | $364,260 |
| 65-74 | $410,000 |
| 75-99 | $333,200 |
How much money it takes to be in the top 20% of Americans
In the next chart, age ranges are paired with the number determining the top 20% of net worth amounts (also known as the 80th percentile) for each age group. If you fall in the 35-44 age group and your net worth is $546,300, you're wealthier than 80% of people your age.
| Age Range | Top 20% |
| 18-34 | $184,460 |
| 35-44 | $546,300 |
| 45-54 | $1,031,020 |
| 55-64 | $1,472,000 |
| 65-74 | $1,524,000 |
| 75-99 | $1,174,000 |
How much money it takes to be in the top 10% of Americans
In the last chart, the numbers get even higher. According to the data laid out below, if you're in the 55-64 age range and your net worth is $2.96 million, you're wealthier than 90% of people your age.
| Age Range | Top 10% |
| 18-34 | $372,120 |
| 35-44 | $1,042,300 |
| 45-54 | $1,956,000 |
| 55-64 | $2,960,900 |
| 65-74 | $2,997,300 |
| 75-99 | $2,681,400 |
This article was originally published in 2019 and has been updated with new data.
