What is a wealth percentile?
A wealth percentile tells you what percentage of people have less wealth than you. If you're at the 70th percentile, you have more net worth than 70% of Americans in your age group.
This calculator uses **2022 Federal Reserve Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF)** data — the gold standard for U.S. household wealth statistics, conducted every three years by the Federal Reserve.
How it calculates your percentile
**Net Worth Percentile:** Your net worth is compared against the distribution for your age bracket using SCF percentile breakpoints: 10th, 25th, 50th (median), 75th, 90th, 95th, and 99th. Your exact percentile is interpolated between these breakpoints.
**Income Percentile:** Your household income is compared against U.S. Census Current Population Survey (CPS) data: - Top 1%: over \$600,000 - Top 5%: over \$260,000 - Top 10%: over \$175,000 - Top 25%: over \$115,000 - Median: \$75,000 - Bottom 25%: under \$38,000
**Combined Ranking:** The average of your income and net worth percentiles, giving a balanced view of overall financial standing.
Net worth by age — what's normal?
According to the 2022 SCF, here are median and mean net worth values by age:
| Age Group | Median Net Worth | Mean Net Worth | |-----------|-----------------|----------------| | 18–24 | \$10,000 | \$76,000 | | 25–29 | \$30,000 | \$120,000 | | 30–34 | \$80,000 | \$260,000 | | 35–44 | \$135,000 | \$550,000 | | 45–54 | \$247,000 | \$975,000 | | 55–64 | \$364,000 | \$1,200,000 | | 65+ | \$409,000 | \$1,600,000 |
Note that mean values are much higher than medians because a small number of very wealthy households skew the average upward.
Why compare to your age group?
Wealth accumulates over time, so comparing a 25-year-old to a 60-year-old isn't meaningful. A \$100,000 net worth is excellent for someone in their mid-20s but below average for someone approaching retirement.
Comparing within your age cohort gives a true picture of how you're doing relative to your peers — people who have had similar time to save, invest, and build wealth.
How to use this calculator
1. Select your age range from the dropdown 2. Enter your annual household income (before taxes) 3. Enter your net worth (total assets minus total debts — can be negative) 4. Your percentile rankings appear instantly 5. Use the "Copy Share Link" button to share your result
FAQs
Q: What counts as net worth? A: Net worth = total assets minus total liabilities. Assets include savings, investments, retirement accounts, home equity, vehicles, and other property. Liabilities include mortgage balance, student loans, credit card debt, car loans, and other debts.
Q: Is it okay to have a negative net worth? A: Yes, especially when young. Many Americans in their 20s have negative net worth due to student loans or mortgages exceeding home equity. It's a starting point, not a judgment.
Q: Why is the mean so much higher than the median? A: The top 1% of households hold a disproportionate share of U.S. wealth, which pulls the mean (average) far above the median. The median is a better indicator of the "typical" American's net worth.
Q: Is this data current? A: This calculator uses 2022 Federal Reserve SCF data, which is the most recent triennial survey available. Wealth distributions can shift with market conditions.
Q: Does household size matter for net worth? A: This calculator compares household-level net worth, which is standard for SCF data. Income percentiles also use household-level data from the Census CPS.
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