Liquid net worth is the number that actually matters
Total net worth includes your home, which you can't easily spend. Liquid net worth (cash + brokerage + accessible retirement after penalty) is what you can deploy in an emergency, opportunity, or job loss. Two households can both have $500K net worth — one with $480K trapped in home equity and $20K liquid is in a completely different financial position than the other with $200K home equity and $300K liquid.
- • Track liquid net worth separately from total — they tell different stories.
- • Don't count vehicles unless they're truly worth $10K+ (most depreciate to nothing).
- • Mark home value at the conservative end of comps minus 6% selling cost.
Net worth benchmarks by age (2026 Fed SCF)
The Federal Reserve Survey of Consumer Finances tracks household balance sheets. Median net worth by age bracket (2022 data, the latest released, lightly updated for 2026): under 35: $39K, 35–44: $135K, 45–54: $247K, 55–64: $365K, 65–74: $410K. These are medians (half of households are below). If you're at or above the median for your age, you're doing fine. The 'rich uncle on Facebook' is not the benchmark.
Related guides
Long-form playbooks on the same topic, written by the RevenueLab editorial team.
FAQ
How do I calculate my net worth?
Add everything you own (cash, investments, retirement accounts, home value, vehicles worth $5K+, business equity) and subtract everything you owe (mortgage, student loans, credit cards, auto loans, personal loans). The difference is your net worth. Recalculate quarterly.
What is a good net worth by age?
US medians from the Fed SCF: under 35: $39K, 35–44: $135K, 45–54: $247K, 55–64: $365K. Above the median for your age = above-average. 2× the median = top 25%. 4× = top 10%.
Should I include my home in my net worth?
Yes — total net worth includes home equity (value minus mortgage). But also track 'liquid' or 'investable' net worth separately, which excludes the home. That's the number that matters for opportunities, emergencies, or early retirement.
How much should my net worth be at 30, 40, 50?
Common guideline (Millionaire Next Door): age × pretax annual income × 0.1 = expected net worth. So at 40 earning $90K: $360K. More aggressive (FIRE community): 1× salary at 30, 3× at 40, 6× at 50, 10× at 60.
Does my 401(k) count toward net worth?
Yes — retirement accounts are assets. Some people prefer 'net worth after tax' (discount 401k/traditional IRA by your future marginal tax rate) for a more conservative number. Both views are valid; pick one and track it consistently.
For the long-run version of this question, Ramsey's 12% investing method compounds it to age 65.
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Written by Sam Doshi and the RevenueLab editorial team. We don't sell the data feeds this tool is built on.
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