Datastream
Visualizing Net Worth by Age in America
The Briefing
- The age group with the highest average net worth in the U.S. is the 65-74 group, with $1.22 million in 2019 dollars.
- There is a significant gap between median and mean (average) net worth in nearly every age category, suggesting that mean values are skewed upwards by outliers.
Visualizing Net Worth by Age in America
Calculating the net worth of individuals often seems like the kind of math reserved only for the richest people in the world like Elon Musk or Jack Ma. But as the proverbial pie gets bigger, the net worth of the average American household gets bigger as well.
This chart uses data from the U.S. Federal Reserve Bulletin to reveal median and average household net worth across different age categories in 2019.
Average vs. Median Net Worth
A person’s net worth is a sum of their assets and liabilities. Here’s a closer look at net worth by age in the U.S.
| Age | Median Net Worth 2019 | Average Net Worth 2019 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Younger than 35 | $13,900 | $76,300 | >5x |
| 35-44 | $91,300 | $436,200 | >4.5x |
| 45-54 | $168,600 | $833,200 | >4.5x |
| 55-64 | $212,500 | $1,175,900 | >5.5x |
| 65-74 | $266,400 | $1,217,700 | >4.5x |
| 75 or Older | $254,800 | $977,600 | >3.5x |
The age group with the highest net worth is those aged 65-74, sitting at around $1.22 million. Coming in at a close second, are 55-64 year olds, at $1.18 million. However, these are the numbers using the average, while median net worth is quite different.
Median net worth at 65-74, for example, is $266,000, a difference of over $950,000 compared to the average. This reveals that there are likely high net worth individuals skewing the average towards over a million dollars in the same age category.
Both average and median net worth appear to increase throughout one’s life, trailing off slightly around the 75+ age range.
Trends in Net Worth
With the economic impacts of COVID-19, it’s possible that median net worth growth could taper off across nearly every age category, as people lose jobs, income, and assets such as houses.
Average net worth, on the other hand, may not drop as significantly, as a handful of American billionaires have actually increased their net worth during the pandemic.
Overall, wealth has been generally increasing in America with a consistent rise in average and median net worth occurring over the three years leading up to the pandemic. And while this steady increase has likely been slightly derailed, the general trends in asset ownership and income increases over time, bode well for Americans.
Where does this data come from?
Source: U.S. Federal Reserve Bulletin.
Details: Data is in 2019 U.S. dollars.
Economy
Charted: Public Trust in the Federal Reserve
Public trust in the Federal Reserve chair has hit its lowest point in 20 years. Get the details in this infographic.
The Briefing
- Gallup conducts an annual poll to gauge the U.S. public’s trust in the Federal Reserve
- After rising during the COVID-19 pandemic, public trust has fallen to a 20-year low
Charted: Public Trust in the Federal Reserve
Each year, Gallup conducts a survey of American adults on various economic topics, including the country’s central bank, the Federal Reserve.
More specifically, respondents are asked how much confidence they have in the current Fed chairman to do or recommend the right thing for the U.S. economy. We’ve visualized these results from 2001 to 2023 to see how confidence levels have changed over time.
Methodology and Results
The data used in this infographic is also listed in the table below. Percentages reflect the share of respondents that have either a “great deal” or “fair amount” of confidence.
| Year | Fed chair | % Great deal or Fair amount |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Jerome Powell | 36% |
| 2022 | Jerome Powell | 43% |
| 2021 | Jerome Powell | 55% |
| 2020 | Jerome Powell | 58% |
| 2019 | Jerome Powell | 50% |
| 2018 | Jerome Powell | 45% |
| 2017 | Janet Yellen | 45% |
| 2016 | Janet Yellen | 38% |
| 2015 | Janet Yellen | 42% |
| 2014 | Janet Yellen | 37% |
| 2013 | Ben Bernanke | 42% |
| 2012 | Ben Bernanke | 39% |
| 2011 | Ben Bernanke | 41% |
| 2010 | Ben Bernanke | 44% |
| 2009 | Ben Bernanke | 49% |
| 2008 | Ben Bernanke | 47% |
| 2007 | Ben Bernanke | 50% |
| 2006 | Ben Bernanke | 41% |
| 2005 | Alan Greenspan | 56% |
| 2004 | Alan Greenspan | 61% |
| 2003 | Alan Greenspan | 65% |
| 2002 | Alan Greenspan | 69% |
| 2001 | Alan Greenspan | 74% |
Data for 2023 collected April 3-25, with this statement put to respondents: “Please tell me how much confidence you have [in the Fed chair] to recommend the right thing for the economy.”
We can see that trust in the Federal Reserve has fluctuated significantly in recent years.
For example, under Alan Greenspan, trust was initially high due to the relative stability of the economy. The burst of the dotcom bubble—which some attribute to Greenspan’s easy credit policies—resulted in a sharp decline.
On the flip side, public confidence spiked during the COVID-19 pandemic. This was likely due to Jerome Powell’s decisive actions to provide support to the U.S. economy throughout the crisis.
Measures implemented by the Fed include bringing interest rates to near zero, quantitative easing (buying government bonds with newly-printed money), and emergency lending programs to businesses.
Confidence Now on the Decline
After peaking at 58%, those with a “great deal” or “fair amount” of trust in the Fed chair have tumbled to 36%, the lowest number in 20 years.
This is likely due to Powell’s hard stance on fighting post-pandemic inflation, which has involved raising interest rates at an incredible speed. While these rate hikes may be necessary, they also have many adverse effects:
- Negative impact on the stock market
- Increases the burden for those with variable-rate debts
- Makes mortgages and home buying less affordable
Higher rates have also prompted many U.S. tech companies to shrink their workforces, and have been a factor in the regional banking crisis, including the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank.
Where does this data come from?
Source: Gallup (2023)
Data Notes: Results are based on telephone interviews conducted April 3-25, 2023, with a random sample of –1,013—adults, ages 18+, living in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. For results based on this sample of national adults, the margin of sampling error is ±4 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. See source for details.
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