Quick answer: In the Federal Reserve’s newest Survey of Consumer Finances (2025, released October 2026), the median retirement account balance for families that have one is $21,000 under age 35, $61,200 at 35 to 44, $133,000 at 45 to 54, $239,000 at 55 to 64 and $257,000 at 65 and older. Averages run far higher ($48,400 under 35 up to $798,700 at 75+) because a few large balances pull them up. The typical family keeps $5,000 to $14,000 in checking and savings, depending on age. All figures in 2025 dollars. Source: Federal Reserve.
This page pulls the age breakdowns out of the Federal Reserve’s 2025 Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF), the most detailed official survey of what American families own and owe. Every number below links to its source, and the methodology at the bottom explains exactly what each figure measures. If you want a target rather than an average, see how much you should have saved by 30.
Retirement savings by age (2025)
Retirement accounts here means IRAs, Keogh accounts and employer plans such as 401(k)s and 403(b)s. The median is for families that have at least one such account; the first column shows how many do. Source: SCF 2025 historical tables, table 6 (2025 dollars).
| Age of family head | Families with a retirement account | Median balance (those with one) | Average (mean) balance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 35 | 48.8% | $21,000 | $48,400 |
| 35 to 44 | 59.6% | $61,200 | $182,400 |
| 45 to 54 | 63.0% | $133,000 | $415,800 |
| 55 to 64 | 63.1% | $239,000 | $670,200 |
| 65 to 74 | 49.0% | $257,000 | $767,600 |
| 75+ | 44.6% | $257,000 | $798,700 |
| All families | 54.9% | $106,000 | $451,100 |
Two things stand out. First, only 48.8% of families under 35 have a retirement account at all, so the $21,000 median describes the half that has started. Second, the average is two to three times the median at every age, which is why “average retirement savings” headlines can make almost everyone feel behind. The median is the better yardstick for a typical family. The Federal Reserve’s own report shows the same pattern: average balances among families with an IRA or DC plan were $48,400 under 35 and $670,200 at 55 to 64 in 2025 (SCF 2025 report, box 2, table A).
Did balances grow since 2022?
Yes, for every age group. After adjusting for inflation, the median balance for families with a retirement account rose from $49,200 to $61,200 at 35 to 44 and from $202,500 to $239,000 at 55 to 64 between the 2022 and 2025 surveys. Across all families it rose 11%, from $95,200 to $106,000 (SCF 2025 report; age figures from the historical tables, 2022 values in 2025 dollars).
Cash savings by age: checking and savings accounts
“Transaction accounts” in the SCF are checking, savings and money market accounts, money market funds, brokerage cash and prepaid cards. Nearly every family has one (98% or more in each age group), so these medians cover almost everyone. Source: SCF 2025 historical tables, table 6 (2025 dollars).
| Age of family head | Median in checking and savings | Average (mean) |
|---|---|---|
| Under 35 | $5,000 | $20,500 |
| 35 to 44 | $6,800 | $40,800 |
| 45 to 54 | $9,400 | $62,800 |
| 55 to 64 | $10,000 | $90,600 |
| 65 to 74 | $10,000 | $79,100 |
| 75+ | $14,000 | $97,200 |
| All families | $8,200 | $62,900 |
For comparison, the Fed’s separate household well-being survey found that 63% of adults would cover a $400 emergency expense with cash or its equivalent in 2025 (Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households in 2025). A common guideline is an emergency fund of 3 to 6 months of essential expenses.
Net worth by age
Net worth is everything a family owns (including home equity and retirement accounts) minus everything it owes. Source: SCF 2025 report, table 2.
| Age of family head | Median net worth 2025 | Median net worth 2022 (2025 dollars) | Average (mean) net worth 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 35 | $33,000 | $42,700 | $135,400 |
| 35 to 44 | $155,600 | $148,400 | $681,900 |
| 45 to 54 | $253,700 | $270,600 | $1,244,500 |
| 55 to 64 | $411,900 | $398,900 | $1,878,000 |
| 65 to 74 | $431,300 | $448,600 | $1,897,600 |
| 75+ | $504,900 | $367,300 | $1,962,200 |
| All families | $215,900 | $211,100 | $1,241,500 |
Median net worth for families under 35 fell 23% after inflation, from $42,700 to $33,000, the largest drop of any age group, while it rose 37% for families 75 and older. Nationally, the median family’s net worth was $215,900 in 2025, up 2% from 2022 (SCF 2025 report, table 2).
Averages vs targets: how to read your own number
Averages tell you where other families are, not where you need to be. A widely used target is Fidelity’s guideline of saving 1x your salary by 30, 3x by 40, 6x by 50, 8x by 60 and 10x by 67, which assumes saving about 15% of income a year including any employer match (Fidelity). On a $60,000 salary, 1x by 30 is $60,000, almost three times the $21,000 median for families under 35 with an account.
Worked example: a 30-year-old with $21,000 saved (the under-35 median) who adds $500 a month at a hypothetical 7% a year, compounded monthly, for 30 years: the $21,000 grows to about $170,446 and the $500 a month to about $609,985, a total of about $780,431 at 60. Of that, $180,000 is new deposits ($500 x 360 months). Hypothetical, not guaranteed; real returns vary.
Run your own numbers: the compound interest calculator shows what monthly saving grows to, the Coast FIRE calculator shows when you could stop adding money, and the Roth vs Traditional IRA calculator helps you pick the account.
Methodology: how we built this
- Source. All age figures come from the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, Survey of Consumer Finances 2025, released October 9, 2026: the report Changes in U.S. Family Finances from 2022 to 2025 (tables 2 and box 2) and the historical tables in 2025 dollars (tables 4 and 6), both linked from the SCF home page. See also the Fed’s press release.
- Families and age. The SCF measures families (households), not individuals. Age is the age of the family’s reference person, as the Fed defines it.
- Medians are conditional. Retirement and transaction account medians and means are for families that hold that account type. Net worth figures cover all families.
- Means are noisy. The Fed notes its mean estimates by group have not been reviewed for robustness and may be sensitive to outliers. Treat averages as context, medians as the typical case.
- Dollars. All values are in 2025 dollars; 2022 comparisons are the Fed’s inflation-adjusted figures. The Fed publishes values in thousands; we show them in full dollars without changing them.
- What is not included. Retirement accounts exclude defined benefit pensions and Social Security, which matter a lot for many families but have no account balance.
- Updates. The SCF runs every three years; the next survey is 2028. Compiled by Compound Mint on October 21, 2026. Our charts are drawn directly from the table values above.
Educational content only. Not financial advice. Examples are hypothetical, not guaranteed. Survey figures describe groups of families, not what any one person should have.
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Questions people ask
What is the average retirement savings by age in 2026?
The newest official data is the Federal Reserve's 2025 Survey of Consumer Finances, released in October 2026. For families with a retirement account, the median balance is $21,000 under 35, $61,200 at 35 to 44, $133,000 at 45 to 54, $239,000 at 55 to 64 and $257,000 at 65 to 74 (2025 dollars). Averages are much higher, from $48,400 under 35 to $767,600 at 65 to 74.
How much does the average 30-year-old have saved?
The SCF groups everyone under 35 together. In 2025, 48.8% of those families had a retirement account, with a median balance of $21,000, and the median family under 35 had $5,000 in checking and savings. Median net worth for families under 35 was $33,000.
Why is average savings so much higher than median savings?
Averages are pulled up by a small number of very large balances. The median is the middle family, so it better describes a typical household. In the 2025 survey the average retirement balance was two to three times the median in every age group.
How much cash should I keep in savings?
A common guideline is an emergency fund of 3 to 6 months of essential expenses, kept in a savings account. The Fed's 2025 household survey found 63% of adults would cover a $400 emergency with cash or its equivalent.
Where does this data come from?
From the Federal Reserve Board's Survey of Consumer Finances, a survey of U.S. families run every three years. We used the October 2026 report and the Fed's historical tables in 2025 dollars, linked on this page.