$500,000 against households headed by someone aged 38 to 42
$500,000 sits around the 74th percentile at 40. The median is $182,200, the top 25% starts at $532,800 and the top 10% at $1,152,000.
| Point in the line | Net worth | $500,000 is |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | -$400 | $500,400 above |
| 25th percentile | $24,700 | $475,300 above |
| Median | $182,200 | $317,800 above |
| 75th percentile | $532,800 | $32,800 below |
| 90th percentile (top 10%) | $1,152,000 | $652,000 below |
| 95th percentile (top 5%) | $2,168,000 | $1,668,000 below |
| 99th percentile (top 1%) | $9,180,000 | $8,680,000 below |
| Average | $708,400 | $208,400 below |
$500,000 at other ages
The same amount ranks lower as households get older, because net worth usually builds into the 60s.
| Age | Median at that age | $500,000 is |
|---|---|---|
| 25 | $21,300 | 96th percentile |
| 30 | $52,100 | 92nd percentile |
| 35 | $106,100 | 83rd percentile |
| 40 | $182,200 | 74th percentile |
| 45 | $203,900 | 66th percentile |
| 50 | $232,200 | 66th percentile |
| 55 | $253,300 | 58th percentile |
| 60 | $368,000 | 56th percentile |
| 65 | $552,200 | 47th percentile |
| 70 | $412,400 | 55th percentile |
What keeps the same rank later
Households at the same point in the line, around the 74th percentile, hold these amounts at later ages. It is a 2025 snapshot of different households, not a forecast for one household.
| Age | Net worth at the same rank |
|---|---|
| 45 | $771,000 |
| 50 | $782,000 |
| 60 | $1,245,000 |
| 67 | $1,254,000 |
Other amounts and ages
At 40: $100,000, $200,000, $300,000, $400,000, $500,000, $600,000, $700,000, $1 million, $2 million. $500,000 at: 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 40, 42, 43, 45, 50. Every point in the line at 40 is on net worth at 40. How $500,000 ranks among all households is on is $500,000 a good net worth.
Figures are from the Federal Reserve’s 2025 Survey of Consumer Finances, released October 2026, in 2025 dollars. Each age uses households whose head is within about two years of it, so the line moves smoothly from one age to the next. Net worth is everything owned, including home equity and retirement accounts, minus everything owed. Future Social Security and pension payments are not counted.
Figures checked on against Federal Reserve, Changes in U.S. Family Finances from 2022 to 2025 (October 2026) (PDF) and Federal Reserve, 2025 Survey of Consumer Finances, public data.