Net Worth Calculator
Calculate your net worth and compare it to national age percentiles.
Your assets and debts
Cash, investments, retirement accounts, home value, etc.
Mortgage, student loans, credit cards, auto loans, etc.
Your net worth
$100,000
~46th percentile for ages 35-39
Median net worth for your age group
$138,588
Estimate calculated from the numbers you entered. This is not financial, tax, or legal advice — always consult a qualified professional before making significant financial decisions.
How the Net Worth Calculator works
This tool calculates your net worth and estimates where it falls relative to other Americans your age, using percentile data from the Federal Reserve's Survey of Consumer Finances.
Net worth is the single number that summarizes your financial position, because it's the only one that accounts for both sides of the ledger at once. Income tells you what flows in; net worth tells you what you've actually kept.
The formula
Net worth = total assets − total liabilitiesAssets are everything you own that has value you could realize: cash and checking balances, brokerage and retirement accounts, your home at market value, vehicles, and any business equity. Liabilities are everything you owe: mortgage balance, student loans, auto loans, credit card balances, and any personal debt. The percentile comparison then places that figure within your five-year age bracket.
Worked example
A 38-year-old owns a home worth $380,000, has $95,000 across retirement accounts, and $25,000 in cash — $500,000 in assets. Against that sits a $310,000 mortgage, $45,000 in student loans, and $15,000 on an auto loan — $370,000 in liabilities. Net worth is $130,000, which lands just under the $138,588 median for the 35-39 bracket in the 2022 SCF data.
Notice how little the home equity contributes here: $70,000 of the $130,000. Someone with an identical salary who rents and invests the difference could easily show a similar number with a very different asset mix. The percentile tells you where you stand; it doesn't tell you whether the composition is right for your goals.
Common mistakes
- Counting the home's value as an asset but forgetting the mortgage as a liability, which inflates net worth dramatically.
- Valuing a home at an optimistic price rather than what comparable properties actually sold for.
- Including expected future income — a salary or an inheritance isn't an asset until you have it.
- Treating pre-tax retirement balances as fully spendable, when withdrawals will be taxed as income.
- Comparing yourself against the average rather than the median, and concluding you're far behind when you aren't.
- Checking it monthly. Net worth moves slowly; an annual snapshot on the same date each year is far more informative than watching noise.
Frequently asked questions
How is net worth calculated?
Net worth = total assets − total liabilities. Assets include cash, investments, retirement accounts, and property (like your home, at its market value). Liabilities include everything you owe: mortgage balance, student loans, credit card debt, and auto loans.
Where does the percentile comparison come from?
This tool compares your net worth against the Federal Reserve's Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF), the primary source researchers and financial institutions use for US household wealth data. The most recent published wave is from 2022 (released 2023) — the next survey wave is in the field now and isn't expected to publish until October 2026.
Why does net worth vary so much by age?
Wealth compounds over a career: people in their 20s often have low or negative net worth (student debt, early careers), while wealth typically peaks in the 65-74 age bracket after decades of saving and investing, then declines somewhat as retirees draw down savings.
Should I include my home and my mortgage?
Yes — include the home at its current market value as an asset, and the outstanding mortgage balance as a liability. That's the standard Survey of Consumer Finances definition, and it's what the percentile data you're being compared against uses, so leaving either out would make the comparison meaningless. Be honest about the market value: use a recent comparable sale rather than what you hope the house is worth.
Why is the median so much lower than the average?
Because wealth is extremely concentrated at the top. A small number of very high net worth households pull the average far above what a typical household actually has, which is why this tool compares you against the median and percentiles rather than the mean. For most people the median is the far more useful reference point.
Is a negative net worth a problem?
Not necessarily, and it's common — a recent graduate with student loans and few assets is often negative on paper while having strong earning prospects. What matters is direction over time. Negative and improving each year is a healthy trajectory; positive but shrinking is the one worth investigating.
How old is the data behind the percentiles?
It comes from the Federal Reserve's 2022 Survey of Consumer Finances, released in late 2023 — the most recent published wave. The Fed runs the survey every three years, and the next wave isn't expected to publish until October 2026. Treat the percentiles as a solid reference point rather than a live figure, since asset prices have moved since the data was collected.
Should I count my 401(k) and pension?
Count retirement accounts you own with a balance you could state — 401(k), IRA, and similar — at their current value. Traditional pensions that pay a monthly benefit rather than holding a balance are generally not included, since there's no account value to add. Note that pre-tax retirement balances will be reduced by income tax when withdrawn, so they're worth somewhat less than the raw number suggests.
What actually moves this number
Specific levers, and roughly what each one is worth. Not “save more” — the things that change the figure above by an amount you can measure.
Discount traditional retirement balances
A $500,000 traditional 401(k) is not $500,000 of spendable money — the deferred income tax is still attached. A Roth balance of the same size genuinely is. Comparing the two at face value overstates one of them.
Track the trend, not the number
A single reading says little. The same figures recorded quarterly show whether the trajectory is working, which is the only thing net worth is actually good for.
Value the house conservatively
Use a realistic sale price minus selling costs of roughly 8-10%, not an automated estimate. Otherwise a large share of your net worth is an optimistic guess.
Percentiles describe a population, not a plan
Being at the 60th percentile for your age says nothing about whether you are on track for your own spending. The comparison that matters is against your own target.
What this calculator does not cover
Every calculator simplifies, and the useful thing is knowing exactly where. These are the specific gaps between this estimate and your real situation:
- Asset values are your estimates. Property, private business interests, and collectibles are worth what someone pays, not what a spreadsheet says.
- Retirement account balances are pre-tax for traditional accounts, so a dollar there is worth less than a dollar in a Roth or taxable account.
- Percentile comparisons use survey data collected in a prior year and describe the population, not people in your situation.
- Net worth is a snapshot, not a plan. Two households with identical net worth and different savings rates end up in very different places.
For anything that turns on an exact figure, use the primary sources below or a qualified professional. How these limits are decided and disclosed is described in the editorial standards.