Roughly 14% to 22% of Americans have $100,000 or more in retirement savings, depending on the survey's specifics, with a larger portion having substantial overall savings or income in that range, but many fall short, with around 40-46% having no retirement accounts and many having less than $10k in savings, showing a big gap in financial security despite some affluent segments.
According to one 2023 survey, only 14% of Americans have at least $100,000 in savings.
People often consider cash one of the safest ways to build up savings, as they aren't exposed to the ups and downs of the financial markets. If you're asking yourself, “Is 100k in savings a lot in the UK?” the answer is, yes it is. It's a very significant sum.
Believe it or not, data from the 2022 Survey of Consumer Finances indicates that only 9% of American households have managed to save $500,000 or more for their retirement. This means less than one in ten families have achieved this financial goal.
Breaking the survey data down a bit further, we find that 34% of Americans don't have a dime in their savings account, while another 35% have less than $1,000. Of the remaining survey-takers, 11% have between $1,000 and $4,999, 4% have between $5,000 and $9,999, and 15% have more than $10,000.
Personal Savings in the U.S.
18 percent said their saving were at least $1000 but under $10,000, while 11 percent each had $10,000 to $49,999 and $50,000 or more saved up.
Most Americans have far less than $100,000 in transaction accounts (checking, savings, and money market)1. But it's not a lofty goal reserved for the ultra-wealthy or financial gurus. Even if you're juggling expenses on a modest income, some key mindset shifts and money moves could put this goal within reach.
Using figures from the U.S. Federal Reserve's Survey of Consumer Finances (updated to 2022 but released in 2025), only about 2.5% of all Americans actually have $1 million or more saved in their retirement accounts—a figure that might shock anyone used to seeing financial media and their depictions of average Americans ...
It is possible to retire with $600,000 if you plan and budget accordingly. With an annual withdrawal of $40,000, you will have enough savings to last for over 20 years. An expert financial advisor can help you manage your finances and ensure your retirement savings align with your goals.
I tell young people all the time, by the time you hit 33 years old you should have at least $100,000 saved somewhere. Make that your goal. That's the age when it's really time to start getting FOCUSED on saving.
That's because households making $100,000 annually are still considered “middle-class” in every U.S. state, according to a recent analysis of 2023 U.S. Census Bureau data.
The "27.39 rule" (often rounded to $27.40) is a simple financial strategy to save $10,000 in one year by consistently setting aside $27.40 every single day, making it an achievable micro-saving habit to build wealth or an emergency fund. It turns the daunting goal of saving $10,000 into a manageable daily action, emphasizing consistency over large lump sums.
Surveys have found that the number of Americans without retirement savings is between 20% and 46%. Low-income households are most likely to lack savings, often because of limited access to retirement plans. Older Americans without savings face the highest risk, since they have little time left to catch up.
A $100,000 salary is considerably higher than the American median income. However, according to the most recent data, the median individual income is $43,289, meaning a $100K salary is more than twice that figure.
According to the Fed's Survey of Consumer Finances, the median amount held in bank accounts across all American households in 2022 (the most recent data available) was $8,000.
Most Americans retire with far less than the stories you see online. According to the latest data: Only 3.2% of retirees have $1 million or more in retirement accounts. Across all Americans, it drops to 2.5%.
We estimate that to retire comfortably at age 60, a single person might need a super balance of around $515,000 (for an income in retirement of about $52,000 per year*), and a couple retiring at age 60 might need a combined super balance of around $660,000 (for a combined income in retirement of about $72,000 per year ...
$800,000 can last anywhere from 15 to over 30 years in retirement, depending heavily on your annual spending, investment returns, and additional income (like Social Security). A common guideline, the 4% Rule, suggests withdrawing $32,000 in the first year (adjusting for inflation), potentially lasting 30 years; however, higher spending (e.g., $50k-$60k/year) reduces longevity to 20-29 years, while a lower withdrawal rate or income from other sources significantly extends it.
In the organisation's super balance update, it found 2.5 per cent of the population have a super account of more than $1 million, as of June 2021. This represents 417,567 individuals, ASFA said, and is a 29 per cent increase from the 322,200 individuals who held over $1 million in June 2019.
How many Americans have $500,000 in retirement savings? Of the 54.3% of U.S. households that have any money in retirement accounts, only about 9.3% have $500,000 or more in retirement savings.
The first 100k is often called the hardest milestone in wealth building because it takes the longest to reach. When you are starting from zero every dollar saved feels like a struggle and every investment grows slowly at first.