- The richest 20% of the US population has a median household net worth of nearly $500,000.
- When broken down by age, it can be helpful to see how your own net worth compares to others'. For example, the richest 20% of 41 to 45-year-olds have a median net worth of $379,000.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
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The net worth it takes at every age to be richer than most people you know
The typical American household has a net worth of about $97,300.
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The journey to building wealth is a highly personal one, but it may be helpful to know how you compare to others along the way.
To find out the median net worth of Americans at every age, Harness Wealth , a financial adviser-client matching firm, used household wealth data from the Federal Reserve's 2016 Survey of Consumer Finances and developed its own proprietary classification of ages and ranges of net worth.
The typical American family had a net worth of $97,290 in 2016, which is the most recent data available. In other words, 50% of the population has a net worth below that threshold, and 50% has a net worth above it. People in the richest 20% have a median net worth of nearly $500,000, according to Harness Wealth 's data. You can compare your own net worth using the net worth calculator .
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It's important to understand the difference between income and net worth. Net worth is what you're left with after subtracting your liabilities (what you owe) from your assets (what you own), whereas income is what you earn each year and what's reported on an income tax return . A high income doesn't necessarily translate to a high net worth, which is why the latter is often a better benchmark for measuring wealth.
Keep reading to find out the median net worth of the top 20% of US households, according to Harness Wealth's calculations, as well as what it takes to be in top 50% and the top 10%.
18 to 25 years old: $22,750
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The median net worth of people in the 50th percentile is $4,000 .
The median net worth of people in the 90th percentile is $65,510 .
26 to 30 years old: $82,500
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Michael Dodge/Getty Images
The median net worth of people in the 50th percentile is $12,000 .
The median net worth of people in the 90th percentile is $142,710 .
31 to 35 years old: $144,950
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Victoria Savostianova/Shutterstock
The median net worth of people in the 50th percentile is $30,400 .
The median net worth of people in the 90th percentile is $259,780 .
36 to 40 years old: $218,400
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Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images
The median net worth of people in the 50th percentile is $47,700 .
The median net worth of people in the 90th percentile is $464,100 .
41 to 45 years old: $379,000
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Dan Kitwood / Staff / Getty Images
The median net worth of people in the 50th percentile is $85,600 .
The median net worth of people in the 90th percentile is $721,800 .
46 to 50 years old: $546,200
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Mychal Watts/Getty Images for SOBEWFF
The median net worth of people in the 50th percentile is $131,590 .
The median net worth of people in the 90th percentile is $1,173,100 .
51 to 55 years old: $586,470
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The median net worth of people in the 50th percentile is $134,920 .
The median net worth of people in the 90th percentile is $1,224,500 .
56 to 60 years old: $998,100
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Antony Jones/Getty Images for Cartier
The median net worth of people in the 50th percentile is $188,250 .
The median net worth of people in the 90th percentile is $2,456,300 .
61 to 65 years old: $1,015,350
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Hero Images/Getty
The median net worth of people in the 50th percentile is $209,700 .
The median net worth of people in the 90th percentile is $1,957,700 .
66 to 70 years old: $852,300
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Getty Images / Tim Graham
The median net worth of people in the 50th percentile is $218,500 .
The median net worth of people in the 90th percentile is $1,712,000 .
71 to 75 years old: $990,500
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Photographee.eu/Shutterstock
The median net worth of people in the 50th percentile is $255,900 .
The median net worth of people in the 90th percentile is $2,118,600 .
76 to 99 years old: $1,003,800
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Alan Crowhurst / Stringer / Getty Images
The median net worth of people in the 50th percentile is $259,900 .
The median net worth of people in the 90th percentile is $2,079,069 .
See Also:
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SEE ALSO: The 15 states where $1 million in retirement savings will last the longest
DON'T MISS: 7 signs you're building wealth faster than you think
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