What Is the Average Personal Net Worth in the USA?
Average personal net worth in the United States is calculated by dividing the total net worth of all households by the number of households. Net worth equals assets minus liabilities. The Federal Reserve’s Survey of Consumer Finances is the primary source for these figures.
How Do Medians and Averages Differ?
The median net worth is often much lower than the mean because a small share of households hold a large share of wealth. For example, the mean can be pulled up by high-net-worth households, while the median shows the midpoint where half of households have more and half have less.
What Factors Influence Net Worth?
Key factors include age, homeownership, education, income, and race or ethnicity. Older households typically have higher net worth due to longer saving periods and home equity. Homeownership, retirement accounts, and lower debt also increase net worth, while student loans and credit card debt reduce it.
For the latest detailed tables, see the Federal Reserve Survey of Consumer Finances.
