What amount of savings is considered wealthy?
Someone who has $1 million in liquid assets, for instance, is usually considered to be a high net worth (HNW) individual. You might need $5 million to $10 million to qualify as having a very high net worth while it may take $30 million or more to be considered ultra-high net worth.
Americans need at least $2.2 million in assets to be considered rich, according to Charles Schwab's 2023 Modern Wealth Survey.
Top 2% wealth: The top 2% of Americans have a net worth of about $2.472 million, aligning closely with the surveyed perception of wealth. Top 5% wealth: The next tier, the top 5%, has a net worth of around $1.03 million. Top 10% wealth: The top 10% of the population has a net worth of approximately $854,900.
Additionally, statistics show that the top 2% of the United States population has a net worth of about $2.4 million. On the other hand, the top 5% wealthiest Americans have a net worth of just over $1 million. Therefore, about 2% of the population possesses enough wealth to meet the current definition of being rich.
According to Schwab's 2023 Modern Wealth Survey, Americans perceive an average net worth of $2.2 million as wealthy. Knight Frank's research indicates that a net worth of $4.4 million is required to be in the top 1% in America, a figure much higher than in countries like Japan, the U.K. and Australia.
When your savings reaches $100,000, that's a milestone worth marking. In a world where 57% of Americans can't cover an unexpected $1,000 expense, having a six-figure savings account is commendable.
Households with a net worth of $1 million or more may be classified as members of the upper class, depending on the definition of class used.
1,821,745 Households in the United States Have Investment Portfolios Worth $3,000,000 or More.
At its most basic, net worth is everything you own minus everything you owe. To calculate your net worth, tally the value of all or your assets, including bank accounts, investments, and perhaps the value of your home or vacation home.
If you have more than $1 million saved in retirement accounts, you are in the top 3% of retirees. According to EBRI estimates based on the latest Federal Reserve Survey of Consumer Finances, 3.2% of retirees have over $1 million in their retirement accounts, while just 0.1% have $5 million or more.
What is considered rich by age?
| Age Range | Top 10% | Top 1% |
|---|---|---|
| 20-24 | $64,855 | $129,709 |
| 25-29 | $142,680 | $303,736 |
| 30-34 | $188,079 | $468,035 |
| 35-39 | $230,234 | $1,048,484 |
Nonetheless, not just anyone can be a mini-millionaire. Mini-millionaires, whom Zumburn describes as “upper middle class” rather than rich, typically make between $150,000 and $250,000 per year. That's more income than that of fourth fifths (78.9% to be exact) of U.S. households in 2022.
According to the October 2023 Survey Of Consumer Finances, a household net worth in the top 10 percent in 2022 was approximately $7.8 million. Consequently, a top 1% net worth would exceed $13 million.
Someone who has $1 million in liquid assets, for instance, is usually considered to be a high net worth (HNW) individual. You might need $5 million to $10 million to qualify as having a very high net worth while it may take $30 million or more to be considered ultra-high net worth.
We can also define middle class in terms of net worth. According to the U.S. Census data, the average net worth for U.S. households in 2022 is about $300,000. The median net worth is about $110,000 in 2024. In other words, wealth is concentrated at the top.
Most American households have at least $1,000 in checking or savings accounts. But only about 12% have more than $100,000 in checking and savings.
Millionaires Don't Keep Much in Their Traditional Savings Accounts. “My millionaire clients keep very little of their net worth in a traditional savings account. $10,000 or less,” said Herman (Tommy) Thompson, Jr., CFP, ChSNC, ChFC, a certified financial planner with Innovative Financial Group.
There's no one-size-fits-all number in your bank or investment account that means you've achieved this stability, but $100,000 is a good amount to aim for. For most people, it's not anywhere near enough to retire on, but accumulating that much cash is usually a sign that something's going right with your finances.
Among the 47 million households headed by someone age 60 or older, 7% had household investable assets of at least $2 million, Drinkwater said. Only 6% of the 89 million households in the U.S. headed by someone 40 to 85 years old has that amount, Drinkwater said.
Many have graduate degrees with educational attainment serving as the main distinguishing feature of this class. Household incomes commonly exceed $100,000, with some smaller one-income earners household having incomes in the high 5-figure range. "The upper middle class has grown...and its composition has changed.
What are the 5 income classes?
- Lower class: less than or equal to $30,000.
- Lower-middle class: $30,001 – $58,020.
- Middle class: $58,021 – $94,000.
- Upper-middle class: $94,001 – $153,000.
- Upper class: greater than $153,000.
That includes the majority of those either close to or at retirement age. Nearly 80% said they'll need $250,000 or more, but only 11.7% said they have reached that savings milestone. That includes just 18.8% of respondents age 55-64, and 28.8% of those 65 and older.
What is the average and median retirement savings? The average retirement savings for all families is $333,940 according to the 2022 Survey of Consumer Finances.
A retirement account with $2 million should be enough to make most people comfortable. With an average income, you can expect it to last 35 years or more. However, everyone's retirement expectations and needs are different.
At the highest level, the average net worth in our country of all its households in 2022 is $1,059,470, while the median is $192,700. Here is my commentary on the facts and figures in the report.
