AnswerAt age 48 with $250k income, the median US net worth is $1,350,000. The 75th percentile is $4,320,000. You can see where you rank below.
Median: $1,350,000 · 75th percentile: $4,320,000
Source: Federal Reserve Survey of Consumer Finances, 2025 data (released Oct 2026), computed from public microdata
Am I behind at age 48 on $250k?
Median net worth for US households age 48 earning $250k is $1,350,000; top 10% starts at $9,200,000. Computed from the Federal Reserve's 2025 Survey of Consumer Finances.
For 48-year-old households with income above $200,000, the SCF 2025 median is $1.35M, about 5.4x income, with a 75th percentile of $4.32M and a 90th of $9.2M. The 6x-by-50 milestone is $1.5 million, a little above the median. With a 25th percentile of $755,000, there is a large group still building toward it.
Your numbers
Peer group: age 45 to 54 · over $200,000Your $1,350,000 ranks ahead of 50% of US households age 45 to 54 earning over $200,000.
Another $7,850,000 in net worth would put you in the top 10% for your peer group.
How this number is calculated
We look up your age and income in the Federal Reserve's 2025 Survey of Consumer Finances (the most recent SCF, released Oct 2026), then interpolate your position between 25th/50th/75th/90th/99th percentile breakpoints for that age×income cell. The Fed does not publish those cells, so we compute them from its public microdata. Figures are in 2025 USD, and cells with few sampled families are noisy. Households with similar age and income show meaningful net-worth variance — the percentile reflects how your balance sheet compares to theirs, not to the full US population.
What these numbers mean for age 48, $250k
This cell covers every 45-54 household with income above $200,000, computed from Federal Reserve SCF 2025 microdata, so a household at exactly $250,000 may sit below its median. At 48 you are nearer the middle of the bracket than its youngest members. Here is the arithmetic for 17 years to 65, using an assumed 7% real return that is not a forecast. The median of $1.35M grows to about $4.3 million with no further saving, and a 4% withdrawal of that is roughly $170,000 a year before Social Security, which is why the main question is optimization rather than more.
The empty-nest years can arrive at peak earning capacity, so the tradeoff between more years of high income and more years of free time sharpens. Some households model coast-style plans, where contributions stop around 55 with growth carrying the balance to retirement in the mid-sixties. The arithmetic only works if the starting balance is large enough, which is true for the median here but not for the 25th percentile of $755,000, so check your own numbers.
Tax and estate planning move from optional to material. The 2026 federal basic exclusion amount is $15 million per person, but state estate taxes, concentrated assets, business succession, and growth can create needs well below that. Medicare premiums also step up at higher incomes, based on income from two years earlier, so retirement income and Roth conversion timing deserve modeling years in advance.
Benchmarks for age 48, $250k
Source: Federal Reserve Survey of Consumer Finances, 2025 (released October 9, 2026); cells computed from public microdata. Figures in 2025 USD. Cells built on fewer than about 100 sampled families are noisy. Your seeded percentile if net worth equals the median for this cell: 50th.
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Frequently asked questions
What does coast-style retirement look like at this income?
It means your current assets grow to a retirement target without further contributions. From the median of $1.35M, an assumed 7% real return reaches about $4.3 million by 65, enough for roughly $170,000 a year at 4%. Many households use that as license to take a lower-stress role at 55, but returns are uncertain, so keep a margin of safety.
How do Medicare IRMAA brackets affect retirement planning?
Medicare Part B and D premiums rise in steps once modified AGI passes thresholds that start a little over $200,000 for joint filers, and they are based on income from two years earlier. Sizing Roth conversions and capital gains to stay under a threshold can save meaningful premiums, so the bracket edges are worth knowing.
Does a backdoor Roth still make sense at this income?
Usually yes, since direct Roth contributions are barred above the income limits. It works cleanly when you have no existing pre-tax IRA balances, which would trigger the pro-rata rule, so check that first. The annual amount is modest, but it grows tax-free and gives flexibility in later years.
Is an irrevocable life insurance trust worth setting up?
An ILIT can keep life insurance proceeds out of a taxable estate, but it adds cost and complexity and mainly helps when a projected estate exceeds the federal or state exemption. With an exclusion of $15 million per person in 2026, most households in this cell do not need one, but state rules and business holdings can change that.
Should I sell a second home or rental property before 55?
Property held in your own name is concentrated and illiquid, and a sale triggers capital gains and depreciation recapture. Some owners use a 1031 exchange to defer the tax, and later move into passive structures. Compare after-tax return and your time, and get tax advice before choosing.
Is another five years of peak earnings worth it?
Another five years at this income can add substantially to the eventual estate, but it also uses years of good health. If your assets already cover a reasonable spending plan, the question is about preference, not necessity. Modeling a plan that stops contributions early, versus one that works longer, makes the tradeoff concrete.
Methodology & data sources
Calculations on this page use benchmarks from US federal statistical agencies. Percentile breakpoints are interpolated linearly between tabulated cells. Figures are in the dollars of each dataset's reference year unless noted. Numbers are educational estimates, not personalized financial advice.
Net worth figures come from the Federal Reserve SCF 2025 (2025 dollars). Age medians match the Fed's published tables; the age × income cells are computed from the public microdata, and cells with fewer than about 100 sampled families are noisy. Full methodology.