People with the top 1% of net worth in the U.S. in 2022 had $10,815,000 in net worth. The top 2% had a net worth of $2,472,000.
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.
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.
To be in the top 1% of earners, you're looking at an average annual income of $819,324. The top 0.1% of Americans earn an average of $3,312,693.
The top 10% of earners, who have a net worth on average of $6.63 million according to the Fed, saw their income increase by over 22%, while the middle-income percentiles—between the 20 and 59.9 mark—experienced just a 5% boost in their income between 2019 and 2022.
Based on that figure, an annual income of $500,000 or more would make you rich. The Economic Policy Institute uses a different baseline to determine who constitutes the top 1% and the top 5%. For 2021, you're in the top 1% if you earn $819,324 or more each year. The top 5% of income earners make $335,891 per year.
The 95th percentile, with a net worth of $3.2 million, is considered wealthy, facilitating estate planning and possibly owning multiple homes. The top 1%, or the 99th percentile, has a net worth of $16.7 million and represents the very wealthy, who enjoy considerable financial freedom and luxury.
Having two million dollars would put you close to the top 10 percent of wealth at almost any age, except for families headed by a person 55 to 64, where you'd need $2.1 million.
$2.2 million
That's how much net worth an American needs to be considered wealthy in 2023, according to the Charles Schwab Modern Wealth Survey.
Financial professionals break down the category into three classifications of wealth: High-net-worth individuals. HNWIs are people or households who own liquid assets valued between $1 million and $5 million. Very-high-net-worth individuals.
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. However, there's a surprising amount of information to unpack.
In 2023, the top 1% of household net worth in the U.S. started at $13.7 billion. An individual would need to earn an average of $407,500 per year in order to join the top 1%, and a household would need an income of $591,550. The median household income was $74,580 in 2023 and $45,440 for individuals.
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.
There are also those who have several million dollars in savings for their senior years -- but it's a really small percentage. In fact, only 0.1% of U.S. savers have a nest egg worth $5 million or more.
To feel wealthy, Americans say you need a net worth of at least $2.2 million on average, according to financial services company Charles Schwab's annual Modern Wealth Survey. But even if you have that much in the bank, it might not be enough to be considered rich in certain places, the survey found.
But if you have $4 million in savings, it's entirely possible to retire by age 55. Retiring early offers a lot of advantages.
This sum of money would quickly put you in the top 1% of the U.S., according to Fortune magazine. When you consider how wealthy the U.S. is relative to most of the world—for instance, $57,000 of net worth would put you in the top 1% in the Philippines—$5 million is an enormous number.
There are roughly 5,671,005 households with $3 million or more in America, 4.41% of all US households.
In fact, statistically, around 10% of retirees have $1 million or more in savings.
Upper middle class: Anyone with earnings in the 60th to 80th percentile would be considered upper middle class. Those in the upper middle class have incomes between $89,745 and $149,131. Upper class: Finally, the upper class is the top 20% of earners and they have incomes of $149,132 or higher.
If you're earning $200,000 per year, you've reached elite status in this country. That's nearly triple the median income of American workers, which per the latest U.S. Census data is $70,784.
The Sept. 8 report said the minimum annual income required in 2023 for a family of four to be middle class in California is $69,064. Alabama and Arkansas both required the lowest minimum income to be considered middle class, at $51,798.