Net Worth by Age (Informal Instagram Survey) & Breakdown with Details
Net Worth Survey
I did a short little informal survey, inspired by Alyssa @mixedupmoney to NORMALIZE that net worths span a wide range, even within an age range, nay, an AGE, you can have super debt to super wealth.
Remember!
This is a TINY survey.
It is also on a TINY subset of people actually interested in money (we are a small part of the overall population, believe it or not).
All of this factors into the numbers being “off” as well.
For a general overall population view (old numbers), you can read: What should my net worth be by age group?
Some of the responses gave some information into what happened, and they are a mixed bag:
- Inherited some of the money
- Coming out of a divorce, starting over again
- …or started over again after a divorce a few years ago with $0
- Had a LOT of help to get to their net worth
- Some pointed out that they DID NOT make 6-figure salaries but managed to save hundreds of thousands
- Others noted they are very frugal
- A small number of single mothers building wealth alone
- A few noted student debt being the cause of their low or very negative net worth
- Some said: This is better than it was even 2 months ago!
- Some pointed out that their own individual net worth was a small fraction of that (they gave the family as well)
All of this is why it is not so easy to say who is rich and who isn’t, we all start with different privileges, and the point of this post is NOT TO SHAME ANYONE FOR NOT HAVING AS MUCH MONEY as someone else.
It is to NORMALIZE the wide range of what can be seen at each age, and what we may see on Instagram, with 20-year olds with $1M net worths, is not “normal”.
You may also want to read this post: The real difference between the rich and the poor – where I go into way more detail about the privileges given to each.
BELOW: They are all Individual Net Worths
I have tried to baseline the answers by halving any net worths that were combined or family because it is inaccurate to list individual with family net worths (particularly for singletons), as it doesn’t show everyone on the same playing field.
For instance it is discouraging for individuals to see $300K for someone aged 27 until you realize it’s a combined net worth and it’s more $150K for their half, which is more in line with what you may have saved as well.
All the responses for ages 20 – 60
The averages for each age in a chart is listed at the end of this post along with the actual data used, sorted by age ranges.
Age range 20-24
- Lowest net worth: -$49,000 (Age 24)
- Highest net worth: $378,000 (Age 22)
Personal note:
At 23, I started with $60K in debt, so if I saw that in my age range, people had $200K or more already saved, I’d be envious and highly discouraged (I didn’t dream I would ever clear my $60K student debt before age 28 to be honest).. but fast forward to age 36 and I hit $1M in net worth.
So do not despair. Things CAN change. I’m not saying you’ll hit $1M in a decade like me, but anything is possible. Just keep focusing on your focus and trying – it is YOUR money after all, not mine, and not theirs.
You’re the only one who should care the most about your money.
I have had a LOT of privileges which I am not shy to list, most importantly that I got a good start in my career & I make a significant amount of money when I work (50% of the time) as a freelancer (over $250K), but I also try not to spend it all, which is another key to wealth.
You can read about how I hit $1M at 36 here.
Age range 25-29
- Highest net worth: $1.48M (Age: 27)
- Lowest net worth: -$280,000 (Age 26)
It was too hard to read, so I removed the outlier at the top:
Without the outlier:
- Highest net worth: $493,000 (Age: 29)
- Lowest net worth: -$280,000 (Age 26)
Age range 30-34
- Highest net worth: $972,000 (Age 32)
- Lowest net worth: -$156,000 (Age 32)
Age range 35-39
- Highest net worth: $1.56M (Age 35)
- Lowest net worth: – $30,000 (Age 38)
Age range 40-44
- Highest net worth: $1.25M (Age 44)
- Lowest net worth: $15,000 (Age 43)
Some responses noted they were getting out of a divorce/just divorcing and starting over again.
Age range 45-49
- Highest net worth: $1.06M (Age 45)
- Lowest net worth: -$3550 (Age 45)
Some responses noted they were getting out of a divorce/just divorcing and starting over again.
Age range 50-54
- Highest net worth: $1.75M (Age 50)
- Lowest net worth: $500,000 (Age 52)
Age range 55-59
- Highest net worth: $1.75M (Age 58)
- Lowest net worth: $500,000 (Age 56)
Someone actually posted their family net worth as double for $1.75M but I halved it to make it all individual.
THE INDEBTED
Those who are in debt, their debt ranges and their ages.
- Most debt: -$280,000 (Age 26)
- Least debt:-$899 (Age 25)
The note for some of these were: “student debt”, which makes sense, as I myself started out with $60K of student debt at 23.
THE MILLIONAIRES
- Most money: $1.75M (Ages: 50 and 58)
- Least money: $1M (Age: 38)
Someone noted in their response that some of it was inherited and they had “a lot of help”.
Read:
- How much do you need to save per month to have $1M by 65? (all the ages starting with $0)
- Money mindset & traits of self-made millionaires
- Where do millionaires hold their wealth?
HOW IT WAS CONDUCTED
Just via an Instagram Story Sticker. I took the answers from Alyssa of @mixedupmoney and my own and coded them into a chart.
A more general population survey is here: What should my net worth be by age group?
NOTES
- Assumed if you didn’t put family/married/combined, it was individual net worth.
- Halved all combined net worths to be accurately individual because nothing irks me more than seeing the two mixed.
- Didn’t bother with conversions.
- There were 9 responses thrown out because they gave no age, or no net worth.
STATS
| Average Age | 32.8 |
| Total Average Net Worth | $226,301.65 |
| Median Net Worth | $110,000.00 |
AVERAGE BREAKDOWN BY AGE
| Age | Average | # of responses |
| 20 | $100,000.00 | 1 |
| 21 | $42,433.33 | 3 |
| 22 | $127,833.33 | 3 |
| 23 | $13,436.83 | 6 |
| 24 | $49,500.00 | 4 |
| 25 | $33,066.78 | 9 |
| 26 | $43,471.89 | 9 |
| 27 | $181,073.44 | 16 |
| 28 | $63,702.76 | 21 |
| 29 | $103,548.97 | 12 |
| 30 | $148,316.27 | 22 |
| 31 | $116,680.18 | 11 |
| 32 | $279,680.00 | 25 |
| 33 | $134,736.50 | 17 |
| 34 | $249,241.61 | 18 |
| 35 | $374,423.08 | 13 |
| 36 | $182,071.43 | 14 |
| 37 | $253,000.00 | 11 |
| 38 | $515,489.50 | 10 |
| 39 | $99,000.00 | 2 |
| 40 | $272,375.00 | 12 |
| 41 | $383,000.00 | 5 |
| 42 | $207,375.00 | 4 |
| 43 | $15,000.00 | 1 |
| 44 | $750,000.00 | 2 |
| 45 | $595,887.50 | 4 |
| 46 | 0 | |
| 47 | 0 | |
| 48 | $511,196.50 | 2 |
| 49 | $650,000.00 | 2 |
| 50 | $1,500,000.00 | 2 |
| 51 | $1,062,500.00 | 1 |
| 52 | $500,000.00 | 1 |
| 53 | 0 | |
| 54 | 0 | |
| 55 | 0 | |
| 56 | $500,000.00 | 1 |
| 57 | 0 | |
| 58 | $1,750,000.00 | 1 |
TOTAL OF ALL THE RESPONSES
(DATA ENTERED)
Age 20-24 Responses
| Age | Net Worth | Average | Median |
| 20 | $100,000.00 | $52,318.88 | $29,000.00 |
| 21 | -$13,700.00 | ||
| 21 | $70,000.00 | ||
| 21 | $71,000.00 | ||
| 22 | -$16,500.00 | ||
| 22 | $22,000.00 | ||
| 22 | $378,000.00 | ||
| 23 | $42,000.00 | ||
| 23 | $53,000.00 | ||
| 23 | -$15,000.00 | ||
| 23 | $31,000.00 | ||
| 23 | -$47,520.00 | ||
| 23 | $17,141.00 | ||
| 24 | -$49,000.00 | ||
| 24 | $200,000.00 | ||
| 24 | $18,000.00 | ||
| 24 | $29,000.00 |
Age 25-29 Responses
| Age | Net Worth | Average | Median |
| 25 | $88,000.00 | $92,035.35 | $55,000.00 |
| 25 | $46,000.00 | ||
| 25 | $35,000.00 | ||
| 25 | $55,000.00 | ||
| 25 | -$15,000.00 | ||
| 25 | $107,500.00 | ||
| 25 | $20,000.00 | ||
| 25 | -$38,000.00 | ||
| 25 | -$899.00 | ||
| 26 | $76,747.00 | ||
| 26 | $16,000.00 | ||
| 26 | -$280,000.00 | ||
| 26 | $52,000.00 | ||
| 26 | $88,000.00 | ||
| 26 | $28,500.00 | ||
| 26 | $60,000.00 | ||
| 26 | $175,000.00 | ||
| 26 | $175,000.00 | ||
| 27 | $130,000.00 | ||
| 27 | $288,500.00 | ||
| 27 | $1,480,000.00 | ||
| 27 | $18,000.00 | ||
| 27 | $437,500.00 | ||
| 27 | -$20,000.00 | ||
| 27 | $50,000.00 | ||
| 27 | $275,000.00 | ||
| 27 | $15,000.00 | ||
| 27 | $88,175.00 | ||
| 27 | $161,000.00 | ||
| 27 | -$39,000.00 | ||
| 27 | -$39,000.00 | ||
| 27 | $102,000.00 | ||
| 27 | -$100,000.00 | ||
| 27 | $50,000.00 | ||
| 28 | $30,000.00 | ||
| 28 | $17,000.00 | ||
| 28 | -$50,800.00 | ||
| 28 | -$140,000.00 | ||
| 28 | $39,000.00 | ||
| 28 | -$40,000.00 | ||
| 28 | $128,000.00 | ||
| 28 | $260,000.00 | ||
| 28 | $87,500.00 | ||
| 28 | $290,000.00 | ||
| 28 | $65,000.00 | ||
| 28 | $71,500.00 | ||
| 28 | $43,000.00 | ||
| 28 | $234,000.00 | ||
| 28 | $18,337.00 | ||
| 28 | -$16,279.00 | ||
| 28 | $100,000.00 | ||
| 28 | $62,500.00 | ||
| 28 | $36,000.00 | ||
| 28 | $13,000.00 | ||
| 28 | $90,000.00 | ||
| 29 | -$3,966.00 | ||
| 29 | -$60,500.00 | ||
| 29 | $200,000.00 | ||
| 29 | -$196,946.40 | ||
| 29 | $266,000.00 | ||
| 29 | $493,000.00 | ||
| 29 | $83,000.00 | ||
| 29 | $100,000.00 | ||
| 29 | $185,000.00 | ||
| 29 | $105,000.00 | ||
| 29 | $160,000.00 | ||
| 29 | -$88,000.00 |
Age 30-34 Responses
| Age | Net Worth | Average | Median |
| 30 | $345,000.00 | $196,938.81 | $130,000.00 |
| 30 | $173,500.00 | ||
| 30 | $- | ||
| 30 | $120,000.00 | ||
| 30 | $110,000.00 | ||
| 30 | $41,500.00 | ||
| 30 | $90,000.00 | ||
| 30 | $128,000.00 | ||
| 30 | -$6,200.00 | ||
| 30 | $40,000.00 | ||
| 30 | $100,000.00 | ||
| 30 | $600,000.00 | ||
| 30 | $700,000.00 | ||
| 30 | $107,500.00 | ||
| 30 | $106,000.00 | ||
| 30 | $100,000.00 | ||
| 30 | $252,000.00 | ||
| 30 | $67,938.00 | ||
| 30 | $82,720.00 | ||
| 30 | $65,000.00 | ||
| 30 | $140,000.00 | ||
| 30 | -$100,000.00 | ||
| 31 | $20,000.00 | ||
| 31 | -$7,000.00 | ||
| 31 | -$41,442.00 | ||
| 31 | $120,000.00 | ||
| 31 | $280,000.00 | ||
| 31 | $305,624.00 | ||
| 31 | $150,000.00 | ||
| 31 | $203,000.00 | ||
| 31 | $60,300.00 | ||
| 31 | $43,000.00 | ||
| 31 | $150,000.00 | ||
| 32 | $875,000.00 | ||
| 32 | $700,000.00 | ||
| 32 | -$15,000.00 | ||
| 32 | $200,000.00 | ||
| 32 | $- | ||
| 32 | -$55,000.00 | ||
| 32 | $450,000.00 | ||
| 32 | $85,000.00 | ||
| 32 | $400,000.00 | ||
| 32 | $972,000.00 | ||
| 32 | $384,000.00 | ||
| 32 | -$156,000.00 | ||
| 32 | $150,000.00 | ||
| 32 | $147,000.00 | ||
| 32 | $100,000.00 | ||
| 32 | $190,000.00 | ||
| 32 | $130,000.00 | ||
| 32 | $600,000.00 | ||
| 32 | $132,000.00 | ||
| 32 | $291,000.00 | ||
| 32 | $230,000.00 | ||
| 32 | $220,000.00 | ||
| 32 | $125,000.00 | ||
| 32 | $600,000.00 | ||
| 32 | $237,000.00 | ||
| 33 | $40,000.00 | ||
| 33 | $160,000.00 | ||
| 33 | -$39,000.00 | ||
| 33 | -$55,000.00 | ||
| 33 | $81,520.46 | ||
| 33 | $85,000.00 | ||
| 33 | $80,000.00 | ||
| 33 | $65,000.00 | ||
| 33 | $437,500.00 | ||
| 33 | $7,500.00 | ||
| 33 | $212,500.00 | ||
| 33 | $250,000.00 | ||
| 33 | $47,000.00 | ||
| 33 | $150,000.00 | ||
| 33 | $238,500.00 | ||
| 33 | $300,000.00 | ||
| 33 | $230,000.00 | ||
| 34 | $700,000.00 | ||
| 34 | $400,000.00 | ||
| 34 | $250,000.00 | ||
| 34 | $220,000.00 | ||
| 34 | $73,349.00 | ||
| 34 | $215,000.00 | ||
| 34 | $40,000.00 | ||
| 34 | $36,000.00 | ||
| 34 | $800,000.00 | ||
| 34 | $325,000.00 | ||
| 34 | $99,000.00 | ||
| 34 | $291,000.00 | ||
| 34 | $100,000.00 | ||
| 34 | $84,000.00 | ||
| 34 | $99,000.00 | ||
| 34 | $229,000.00 | ||
| 34 | $100,000.00 | ||
| 34 | $425,000.00 |
Age 35-39 Responses
| Age | Net Worth | Average | Median |
| 35 | $650,000.00 | $311,047.90 | $217,500.00 |
| 35 | $338,000.00 | ||
| 35 | $65,000.00 | ||
| 35 | $115,000.00 | ||
| 35 | $160,000.00 | ||
| 35 | $1,560,000.00 | ||
| 35 | $697,000.00 | ||
| 35 | $225,000.00 | ||
| 35 | $187,500.00 | ||
| 35 | $127,500.00 | ||
| 35 | $360,000.00 | ||
| 35 | $287,000.00 | ||
| 35 | $95,500.00 | ||
| 36 | -$20,000.00 | ||
| 36 | $120,000.00 | ||
| 36 | $101,000.00 | ||
| 36 | $254,000.00 | ||
| 36 | $500,000.00 | ||
| 36 | $157,500.00 | ||
| 36 | $4,000.00 | ||
| 36 | $33,000.00 | ||
| 36 | $70,000.00 | ||
| 36 | $94,000.00 | ||
| 36 | $397,000.00 | ||
| 36 | $210,000.00 | ||
| 36 | $238,500.00 | ||
| 36 | $390,000.00 | ||
| 37 | $300,000.00 | ||
| 37 | $500,000.00 | ||
| 37 | $80,000.00 | ||
| 37 | $650,000.00 | ||
| 37 | $280,000.00 | ||
| 37 | $100,000.00 | ||
| 37 | $650,000.00 | ||
| 37 | $38,000.00 | ||
| 37 | $70,000.00 | ||
| 37 | $18,000.00 | ||
| 37 | $97,000.00 | ||
| 38 | $277,000.00 | ||
| 38 | -$30,000.00 | ||
| 38 | $252,000.00 | ||
| 38 | $1,000,000.00 | ||
| 38 | $1,115,307.00 | ||
| 38 | $270,000.00 | ||
| 38 | $550,000.00 | ||
| 38 | $1,105,588.00 | ||
| 38 | $550,000.00 | ||
| 38 | $65,000.00 | ||
| 39 | $97,000.00 | ||
| 39 | $101,000.00 |
Age 40-44 Responses
| Age | Net Worth | Average | Median |
| 40 | $95,000.00 | $313,666.67 | $200,000.00 |
| 40 | $175,000.00 | ||
| 40 | $200,000.00 | ||
| 40 | $20,000.00 | ||
| 40 | $380,000.00 | ||
| 40 | $75,000.00 | ||
| 40 | $725,000.00 | ||
| 40 | $600,000.00 | ||
| 40 | $550,000.00 | ||
| 40 | $211,000.00 | ||
| 40 | $157,500.00 | ||
| 40 | $80,000.00 | ||
| 41 | $65,000.00 | ||
| 41 | $200,000.00 | ||
| 41 | $200,000.00 | ||
| 41 | $1,150,000.00 | ||
| 41 | $300,000.00 | ||
| 42 | $250,000.00 | ||
| 42 | $130,000.00 | ||
| 42 | $32,000.00 | ||
| 42 | $417,500.00 | ||
| 43 | $15,000.00 | ||
| 44 | $250,000.00 | ||
| 44 | $1,250,000.00 |
Age 45-49 Responses
| Age | Net Worth | Average | Median |
| 45 | $1,060,000.00 | $588,242.88 | $511,196.50 |
| 45 | $3,550.00 | ||
| 45 | $1,150,000.00 | ||
| 45 | $170,000.00 | ||
| 48 | $572,393.00 | ||
| 48 | $450,000.00 | ||
| 49 | $400,000.00 | ||
| 49 | $900,000.00 |
Age 50-54 Responses
| Age | Net Worth | Average | Median |
| 50 | $1,250,000.00 | $1,140,625.00 | $1,156,250.00 |
| 50 | $1,750,000.00 | ||
| 51 | $1,062,500.00 | ||
| 52 | $500,000.00 |
Age 55-59 Responses
| Age | Net Worth | Average | Median |
| 56 | $500,000.00 | $1,125,000.00 | $1,125,000.00 |
| 58 | $1,750,000.00 |
3 Comments
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Sherry of Save. Spend. Splurge.
Yes, it’s interesting to see the wide range of responses. My real goal was not to shame anyone but to reveal that at ANY age you can have people with a lot in net worth, and if you only look at those folks without seeing what got them there (inheritance, divorce, etc).. you can feel terrible about your own choices in life, when in fact it had nothing to do with you or your worth, and everything to do with luck or privilege.
For instance, I see that outlier who had $1M+ at 27, and at 27 I JUST hit $100K in net worth which I thought was pretty good. Had I seen that $1M at that time, I may have felt discouraged, to say the least, and may have used that jealousy to motivate myself to save more and catch up, OR I could have used that jealousy to give up. The difference is stark, and the reason why we say “benchmark yourself, but focus on YOUR journey”
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Sherry of Save. Spend. Splurge.
Oh, and the divorce responses were heartbreaking. I am sure it is the best solution for everyone all around (have yet to meet an unhappy divorcée), but it is still sad nonetheless to feel like you’re starting over again from zero. However, there were a few responses that mentioned they started with $0 a few years ago and now have $100K+ net worth, so that was heartening.
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Mica
This was a really interesting read and show s you just how different people’s stories can be! I myself thing we are in a pretty good position – but that’s a “we” and as some of your responses called out divorce could make a lot of things tricky – while we were very diligent at saving before kids, I’m now only working part time myself and that doesn’t cover a lot of costs – although it takes care of almost everything for the kids and myself, and most for the household it doesn’t cover health insurance (hubby does that) or full mortgage/utilities. Divorce would certainly make things a lot more complicated!
Hope that you are having a great weekend 🙂