Americans are growing richer on average—but not everyone, and not even a little bit equally.

The Fed recently published the results from the latest Survey of Consumer Finances, a snapshot of American personal finances taken every three years. Conducted from April to May of 2025, the survey illuminates national wealth trends with detailed polling from roughly 4,300 U.S. households. 

According to the latest data, post-pandemic wealth gains are generally decelerating, but families that are older and richer just keep stockpiling more wealth. Younger Americans? They’re not doing so hot.

Americans between age 45 and 54 held an average of $1.24 million in “real” inflation-adjusted dollars in 2025 and actually experienced the largest net worth gains of any of the age categories. For Americans age 55 to 74, inflation-adjusted net worth hovered around $1.88 million, while people age 75 and up were sitting on an average of $1.96 million, notching 10% growth to their wealth across three years. 

For younger people, the story couldn’t be more different. People age 35 and younger saw their net worth plunge by 33% from 2022 to 2025. In 2022, Americans under age 35 held an average of $200,800, but by last year that wealth dwindled to only $135,400. Meanwhile, Americans between the ages of 35 and 44 held an average of $682,000 in 2025, up 13% from three years prior.

“Net worth declined substantially for the youngest families, while exhibiting large gains for the oldest,” the survey stated. “ . .

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