Net worth: ahead or behind?
Gen Z to the Silent Generation.
These numbers leave out pensions. Your FERS or CSRS annuity isn’t in them, so feds often look poorer on paper than they are.
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1. Compare yours
2. Net worth by age
From the Federal Reserve’s 2025 Survey of Consumer Finances, released October 9, 2026, by age of the family head. The generation shown is the rough fit for that age in 2025.
| Age | Roughly | Median | Average | Median vs 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 35 | Gen Z, young millennials | $33,000 | $135,400 | −23% |
| 35–44 | Millennials | $155,600 | $681,900 | +5% |
| 45–54 | Gen X | $253,700 | $1,244,500 | −6% |
| 55–64 | Gen X, young boomers | $411,900 | $1,878,000 | +3% |
| 65–74 | Boomers | $431,300 | $1,897,600 | −4% |
| 75 and older | Older boomers, Silent | $504,900 | $1,962,200 | +37% |
| All families | $215,900 | $1,241,500 | +2% |
Changes are after inflation. Use the median, the family in the middle. The average is pulled up by the very rich, which is why it’s roughly four to six times higher.
3. Wealth by generation
The Federal Reserve also tracks total household wealth by generation. Second quarter of 2026:
| Generation | Total net worth | Share | Change in a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Silent and earlier | $19.8 trillion | 10.7% | −1% |
| Baby boomers | $97.4 trillion | 52.5% | +14% |
| Gen X | $47.7 trillion | 25.7% | +11% |
| Millennials and younger | $20.8 trillion | 11.2% | +18% |
The Fed doesn’t split out Gen Z; it counts them with millennials. These totals include the value of pensions, unlike the survey above. Changes are in dollars, not adjusted for inflation.
4. What the numbers leave out
- Your pension. The survey leaves out defined benefit pensions and Social Security. A FERS annuity can be worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. See the hidden wealth in a federal pension.
- Where you live. A paid-off house in a costly area inflates net worth without adding income.
- What you need. Being ahead of the median doesn’t mean you’re on track. Check your TSP against the TSP balance you should have at every age.
Building yours faster? Federal Warrior’s TSP projector shows where your savings are heading. Protecting it for a family? Warrior Insure on how much life insurance you need. A veteran with a rating? Warrior Disability’s calculator adds VA income in.
5. Frequently asked questions
What is the median net worth of American families?
$215,900 in 2025, up 2% from 2022 after inflation, according to the Federal Reserve’s Survey of Consumer Finances released October 9, 2026. The average was $1.24 million, pulled up by the wealthiest families.
What is the median net worth by age?
In 2025 dollars, families headed by someone under 35 had a median of $33,000; 35 to 44, $155,600; 45 to 54, $253,700; 55 to 64, $411,900; 65 to 74, $431,300; and 75 or older, $504,900.
Which generation holds the most wealth?
Baby boomers, with $97.4 trillion, or 52.5% of U.S. household net worth, in the second quarter of 2026. Gen X held 25.7%, millennials and younger 11.2%, and the Silent Generation 10.7%, according to the Federal Reserve’s Distributional Financial Accounts.
Is Gen Z counted separately?
Not in the Federal Reserve’s generational data, which groups millennials and everyone younger together. For the youngest adults, the closest measure is families headed by someone under 35, with a median net worth of $33,000 in 2025.
Does net worth include my FERS pension?
Not in the Survey of Consumer Finances, which leaves out defined benefit pensions and Social Security. A FERS or CSRS annuity can be worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, so a federal retiree with an average net worth is often better off than the numbers suggest.