Net worth is one of the most misunderstood numbers in personal finance, because the "average" and the "typical" household are worlds apart. This page collects the real, cited figures for net worth by age, and shows where Colorado sits relative to the country.
Every figure below is linked to its source at the foot of the page, drawn from the Federal Reserve, the US Census Bureau, and Zillow. Updated July 2026.
The headline numbers
1. The typical US household is worth $192,700, but the average is $1.06 million
In the Federal Reserve's 2022 Survey of Consumer Finances, the most authoritative wealth dataset in the country, median household net worth was $192,700, while the mean was about $1.06 million.1 The gap between those two figures is the single most important idea on this page: a small number of very rich households pull the average far above what a normal family actually holds.
2. A separate Census survey puts median net worth at $176,500
The US Census Bureau, using its Survey of Income and Program Participation, measured median household net worth at $176,500 in 2022, up from $136,500 in 2019. Most of that increase came from rising home equity, which grew by a median of $47,900 for homeowners over the same period.2 Two different federal surveys landing near $180,000 to $190,000 is a strong signal for the true national middle.
Net worth by age band
Wealth builds slowly across a working life and then draws down in retirement. The table below shows both measures for each age band from the 2022 SCF.
| Age of head of household | Median net worth | Mean (average) net worth |
|---|---|---|
| Under 35 | $39,040 | $183,380 |
| 35 to 44 | $135,300 | $548,070 |
| 45 to 54 | $246,700 | $971,270 |
| 55 to 64 | $364,270 | $1,564,070 |
| 65 to 74 | $410,000 | $1,780,720 |
| 75 and older | $334,700 | $1,620,100 |
3. Under 35: a median of about $39,000
Households headed by someone under 35 hold a median net worth of roughly $39,040, against a mean of $183,380.3 Student debt, early-career incomes, and the fact that few in this group own a home keep the typical balance sheet thin.
4. Ages 35 to 44: the median more than triples to $135,300
By the late-thirties and early-forties, the median climbs to about $135,300, with a mean of $548,070.4 This is the decade when home purchases and retirement contributions start to compound in earnest.
5. Ages 45 to 54: median net worth reaches $246,700
Peak earning years push the median to roughly $246,700, while the average nears $1 million at $971,270.5 The widening space between those two numbers reflects how unevenly investment and business wealth accumulate.
6. Ages 55 to 64: median of $364,270 heading into retirement
Households approaching retirement report a median net worth of about $364,270 and a mean of roughly $1.56 million.6 For most families this is the point when a paid-off or nearly paid-off home becomes the largest single asset they own.
7. Ages 65 to 74: wealth peaks at a median of $410,000
Net worth tops out here, at a median of about $410,000.7 This is the highest median of any age band, the accumulated result of decades of home equity and retirement saving before drawdown begins.
8. Age 75 and older: the median slips to $334,700
After 75, the typical household draws down assets to fund retirement, and the median falls to about $334,700.8 The decline is gentle, not a collapse, because a home retained into late life anchors the balance sheet.
Why the average dwarfs the median
9. The mean can be four to five times the median
Look again at the 55-to-64 band: a median of $364,270 sits beside a mean of $1,564,070, a gap of more than four to one.9 Whenever a source quotes an "average net worth" in the hundreds of thousands or the millions, it is almost always the mean, and it describes almost nobody. The median is the figure to compare yourself against.
10. The top 1% holds about 30% of all US wealth
The Federal Reserve's Distributional Financial Accounts show the wealthiest 1% of US households holding close to a third of all household net worth, while the entire bottom 50% holds only around 2.5%.10 That concentration at the very top is exactly what drags every "average" upward and is why medians tell the honest story.
Colorado vs the US
The Federal Reserve does not publish net worth by state, so the best Colorado-specific anchors are income and home value, the two inputs that build household wealth. On both, Colorado runs well above the national line.
11. Colorado's median household income is $97,113
Per the Census Bureau's 2024 American Community Survey, Colorado's median household income is about $97,113.11 That is well above the national median of roughly $80,000, placing Colorado among the ten highest-income states in the country.12 Colorado's median has also climbed steadily over the past decade rather than in one-off jumps.13
12. Per capita income in Colorado is about $54,500
On a per-person basis, Colorado's per capita income is roughly $54,531, again running ahead of the US figure and reflecting a high-earning workforce across the Front Range and mountain economies.14 Higher incomes give Colorado households more room to save and invest, which over a lifetime is what separates the age bands above.
13. The median Colorado home is worth $537,600 to $574,600
Home equity is the biggest wealth-builder for most families, and Colorado real estate is expensive. The Census ACS puts the median value of owner-occupied homes in Colorado at about $574,600,15 while the Zillow Home Value Index for the state sits near $537,600 as of 2026.16 Both figures run well above the national median home value, so a Colorado homeowner's equity tends to make up an outsized share of net worth.
| Measure | Colorado | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income (ACS 2024) | ~$97,113 | ~$80,000 |
| Per capita income | ~$54,531 | ~$46,000 |
| Median owner-occupied home value | ~$574,600 | ~$340,000 |
| Homeownership rate | ~65.7% | ~65.6% |
14. About 65.7% of Colorado households own their home
Colorado's homeownership rate is roughly 65.7%, essentially in line with the national rate of about 65.6%.17 The Federal Reserve's state-level series confirms the same range for Colorado.18 That matters because, nationally, home equity is the single largest asset held by the typical household, and it drove most of the recent rise in median net worth.19 With home values so high in Colorado, the roughly two in three families who own carry the bulk of their wealth in a property that will one day pass to heirs.
Whatever your net worth, the asset that dominates most Colorado balance sheets, the family home, is exactly the kind of property that should be covered by a clear, valid will. If you have been putting it off, our guided will builder walks you through it step by step in plain language. You may also want to read how many Coloradans actually have a will to see how the state compares.
Sources
- 1Federal Reserve, Survey of Consumer Finances (2022) (federalreserve.gov)
- 2US Census Bureau, Median Household Net Worth Rose to $176,500 (2024) (census.gov)
- 3Federal Reserve, Changes in U.S. Family Finances from 2019 to 2022 (federalreserve.gov)
- 4Fidelity, Average and Median Net Worth by Age (fidelity.com)
- 5NerdWallet, Average and Median Net Worth by Age in the U.S. (nerdwallet.com)
- 6Federal Reserve, Survey of Consumer Finances Interactive Chart (federalreserve.gov)
- 7Fidelity, Average and Median Net Worth by Age (fidelity.com)
- 8NerdWallet, Average and Median Net Worth by Age in the U.S. (nerdwallet.com)
- 9Federal Reserve, Changes in U.S. Family Finances from 2019 to 2022 (federalreserve.gov)
- 10Federal Reserve, Distributional Financial Accounts Overview (federalreserve.gov)
- 11Census Reporter, Colorado Profile (ACS 2024 1-Year) (censusreporter.org)
- 12US Census Bureau, Household Income in States and Metropolitan Areas: 2024 (census.gov)
- 13Macrotrends, Colorado Median Household Income 1984-2024 (macrotrends.net)
- 14IncomeByZipCode, Colorado Income Statistics (incomebyzipcode.com)
- 15Census Reporter, Colorado Profile (ACS 2024 1-Year) (censusreporter.org)
- 16Zillow, Colorado Home Values (2026) (zillow.com)
- 17USAFacts, Homeownership Rate in Colorado (usafacts.org)
- 18FRED (St. Louis Fed), Homeownership Rate for Colorado (fred.stlouisfed.org)
- 19US Census Bureau, Home Equity and Household Net Worth (2024) (census.gov)
About the author
Max Kuch
Max Kuch writes about estate planning, wills and inheritance for Online Will Colorado. He gathers the numbers from official Colorado and US public data, then explains what they mean for anyone thinking about putting their wishes in writing.