U.S. average (mean)
$1.06M
Heavily skewed by the top 1%.
U.S. median
$192,700
The household exactly in the middle.
Source: Federal Reserve Board, 2022 Survey of Consumer Finances (released October 2023).
The average is 5.5× the median.
That gap exists because a small number of extremely wealthy households pull the average upward. The "average American" earns more than 70% of Americans — which is why it's a misleading benchmark for any individual household.
How wealth is distributed
The distribution of net worth is not bell-shaped. It's heavily right-skewed: the bottom half holds a tiny share, and the top 1% holds more than the bottom 90% combined. Here is the percentile breakdown across all U.S. households:
| Percentile | Net worth |
|---|---|
| 10th | -$700 |
| 25th | $27,700 |
| 50th (median) | $192,700 |
| 75th | $658,900 |
| 90th | $1.94M |
| 99th | $16.71M |
Source: Federal Reserve Board, 2022 Survey of Consumer Finances (released October 2023). Figures approximate.
By age bracket
Within each age bracket, the same skew shows up — the mean exceeds the median by 4–5×. See the median column for the more meaningful comparison.
| Age | Median | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Under 35 | $39,000 | $183,500 |
| 35–44 | $135,300 | $549,600 |
| 45–54 | $246,700 | $975,800 |
| 55–64 | $364,500 | $1.57M |
| 65–74 | $410,000 | $1.79M |
| 75 or more | $334,700 | $1.62M |
Want a deeper breakdown by age? See net worth by age in detail →
What to do with this number
- Compare yourself to the median, not the average.The median represents a typical household; the average represents a fictional household propped up by billionaires.
- Compare within your age bracket.A 30-year-old at $150k is on a very different trajectory than a 60-year-old at $150k. Age-bracketed medians are the right reference.
- Treat it as a checkpoint, not a target.Beating the median doesn't mean you can retire. The right target is your own FI number — what you'll need to cover your spending without working.
Skip the percentile chase. Build a real plan.
PeakWorth replaces "how do I compare" with a personal projection: when can you retire, and what move today gets you there sooner.
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