How the calculator works
- What you own: cash and savings, retirement accounts, other investments, your home, vehicles and anything else of value, at what each is worth today.
- What you owe: your mortgage, car loans, student loans, credit cards and other debts.
- Net worth is the difference. The calculator also shows your home equity (home value less mortgage), your net worth without your home, and the cash and investments you could reach without selling your home or touching retirement accounts.
Example
A homeowner with some savings, a 401(k), a car loan and student loans:
| What you own | Value |
|---|---|
| Cash and savings | $15,000 |
| Retirement accounts | $60,000 |
| Other investments | $10,000 |
| Your home | $350,000 |
| Cars and vehicles | $20,000 |
| You own | $455,000 |
| What you owe | |
| Mortgage | $250,000 |
| Car loans | $12,000 |
| Student loans | $20,000 |
| Credit cards | $3,000 |
| You owe | $285,000 |
| Net worth | $170,000 |
What the numbers tell you
| Measure | Example | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| Home equity | $100,000 | What your home would sell for, less the mortgage. |
| Net worth without your home | $70,000 | Your finances apart from the house you live in. |
| Cash and investments you can reach | $25,000 | Without selling your home or touching retirement accounts. |
| Debts as a share of what you own | 63% | Lower is stronger; it falls as you pay down debt. |
Net worth alone can hide a lot. Two people with the same figure are in very different places if one has it all in home equity and the other has cash they can reach in an emergency.
Net worth by age in the US
What US families were worth in 2025, by the age of the head of the family:
| Age | Typical (median) | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Under 35 | $32,970 | $135,430 |
| 35 to 44 | $155,620 | $681,910 |
| 45 to 54 | $253,650 | $1,244,530 |
| 55 to 64 | $411,910 | $1,877,990 |
| 65 to 74 | $431,320 | $1,897,550 |
| 75 or older | $504,900 | $1,962,240 |
| All families | $215,920 | $1,241,500 |
Half of families have more than the median and half have less, so it’s the fairer comparison. The average is several times higher because a small number of very wealthy families pull it up.
Net worth usually climbs through your working life as you pay down your mortgage and your retirement savings grow. If yours is below the median for your age, the trend matters more than the gap: check that it’s rising each year.
These figures come from the Federal Reserve’s Survey of Consumer Finances, which runs every three years.
What to include
- Include: checking and savings, CDs, 401(k)s, IRAs, HSAs, brokerage accounts, your home and other property, and cars at their resale value.
- Leave out: everyday belongings like furniture and electronics, which are worth far less used, and income you haven’t received yet, such as a future Social Security benefit.
How to grow your net worth
- Clear high-interest debt first: every dollar of card debt you pay off adds a dollar to your net worth and stops the interest. The debt payoff calculator plans it.
- Save automatically, starting with any 401(k) match, which adds to your net worth straight away. See the 401(k) calculator.
- Pay down your mortgage: each payment turns a little more of your home into equity.
- Go easy on loans for things that lose value, like cars. The car affordability calculator helps you keep it in proportion.
- Check it once or twice a year and look at the trend, not one number.
Learn more
See our budget calculator to free up money to save, and the compound interest calculator to see how investing adds up over time.