---
title: Average vs median net worth by age: where do you stand?
url: https://wealthscout.app/updates/household-net-worth
category: Net worth
updated: 2026-08-23
---

# Average vs median net worth by age: where do you stand?

Source: https://wealthscout.app/updates/household-net-worth

Household net worth grows steadily with age, peaking just before retirement. While the median average provides a useful official benchmark, the average is heavily skewed by ultra-wealthy individuals. Tracking your own specific household figures is the only way to forecast your financial future.

## Takeaways

- The median net worth is a more accurate benchmark than the average, which is skewed heavily by billionaires.
- A high net worth percentile means very little if your wealth is entirely trapped in an illiquid primary residence.
- Comparison is the thief of joy; national benchmarks answer the curiosity itch, but they cannot tell you when you can personally afford to retire.

**Scope.** This guide references broad statistical trends. Exact figures change with each reporting cycle. Do not use national averages as financial advice or as a definitive measure of your financial security.

## Move from comparison to forecasting


## Questions

## Sources

- [Net worth calculator](https://moneysmart.gov.au/managing-debt/net-worth-calculator) — Moneysmart