Generally, a liquid net worth of at least $1 million would make you a high net worth (HNW) individual. To reach a very high net worth status, you'd need a net worth of $5 million to $10 million. Individuals with a net worth of $30 million or more might qualify as ultra-high net worth.
Every year since 2017, Charles Schwab has conducted its Modern Wealth Survey, which asks Americans about both their actual finances and their beliefs about money. In 2024, Americans stated that the average net worth they consider “wealthy” is $2.5 million.
Net Worth: What You Need to Have
But if you want to be considered very high net worth, you might need anywhere from $5 million to $10 million. For those aiming even higher, ultrahigh net worth status could mean having $30 million or more. Interestingly, the perception of what makes someone wealthy has shifted.
Americans say you need a net worth of at least $2.5 million to feel wealthy, according to Charles Schwab's annual Modern Wealth Survey, which surveyed 1,000 Americans ages 21 to 75 in March 2024. That's up slightly from $2.2 million, compared with last year's survey results.
The top 10% of earners have an average net worth of $2.65 million. Even if you're squeaking into the upper class (the 80-90% range), you're looking at about $793,000. Moving down to the middle class, things get a bit more varied. The upper-middle class folks have an average net worth of around $300,800.
Rich people are often measured by their income. Wealthy people, though, are measured by their net worth – how much they own minus how much they owe. A person can earn a huge salary but not wealthy if they have high debt or no savings.
A high-net-worth individual (HNWI) is a person with typically at least $1 million in liquid financial assets. An ultra-high-net-worth individual has a net worth of more than $30 million.
With $8 million in savings, even a modestly invested portfolio can generate enough money to live a very comfortable life indefinitely. Of course, that's all relative as the amount of money you need in retirement is going to vary based on an individual's life choices and desires.
But after that, you are left on your own. That could explain why there are roughly 8.3 million millionaires in the U.S. … but only 1.4 million people with a net worth of $5 million or more. In other words, only 17% of people who reach $1 million in net worth then go on to get $5 million. Think about it.
What is a good net worth for my age? People in their 20s and 30s should target net worth of $100,000 to $300,000. A net worth of $1 million or more should be the goal in your 40s and beyond. A seven-figure net worth is usually necessary to ensure a comfortable retirement.
This year's study reveals that Americans now think it takes an average of $2.5 million to be considered wealthy – which is up slightly from 2023 and 2022 ($2.2 million).
Your net worth is what you own minus what you owe. It's the total value of all your assets—including your house, cars, investments and cash—minus your liabilities (things like credit card debt, student loans, and what you still owe on your mortgage).
Turns out, the number might surprise you. According to data from the Federal Reserve and the Employee Benefit Research Institute, just 3.2% of retirees have saved over $1 million.
What are the average and median retirement savings? The average retirement savings for all families is $333,940, according to the 2022 Survey of Consumer Finances. The median retirement savings for all families is $87,000.
So for example, in this hypothetical simulation, a retiree with a $10 million portfolio could have cash flow of $470,000/year (increasing 2.5% annually to keep pace with inflation) for 25 years with an 80% probability that he/she will not run out of money prematurely.¹ If we further assume a simple flat tax rate of 25% ...
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.
Probably 1 in every 20 families have a net worth exceeding $3 Million, but most people's net worth is their homes, cars, boats, and only 10% is in savings, so you would typically have to have a net worth of $30 million, which is 1 in every 1000 families.
This graphic shows where the planet's 28,420 centimillionaires—people with $100 million or more in investable assets—are most likely to cluster, and how fast each city's ranks of the rich are projected to grow.
Imagine you're retiring at 50 years old with $20 million in the bank. Even if the money generated little interest or even none at all, you could afford to withdraw $500,000 per year for the next 40 decades. That means you could spend nearly $42,000 each month for 40 years if you live to 90.
According to Charles Schwab's 2024 Modern Wealth Survey, the average American thinks you need a net worth of around $2.5 million to be considered wealthy. That's up from $2.2 million in previous years. But of course, this number can vary wildly depending on where you live.