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Net Worth Calculator
Your income is what you earn. Your net worth is what you keep. Add up what you own and what you owe below — this net worth calculator gives you the number, your debt-to-asset ratio, and an honest comparison with the typical household your age.
Ask someone how they are doing financially and they will usually quote their salary. But a salary is a flow, not a position — it says nothing about what is being kept. Net worth is the position. Two households can both earn $95,000 and live in different universes: one with $180,000 saved and no debt but the mortgage, the other with maxed cards and a car payment eating a fifth of every check. This calculator takes ninety seconds, uses the same net worth formula banks use, and answers the question that matters: am I on track?
What you own (assets)
What you owe (liabilities)
For education only — not financial advice. Use realistic resale values, not what you paid.
How to calculate net worth
The net worth formula fits on an index card: net worth = total assets − total liabilities. The craft is in the listing. Assets go in at what they are worth today — your home at a realistic market value, vehicles at resale value rather than what you paid, retirement accounts at current balances. Liabilities go in at what you owe today: the mortgage balance, this month's card balances, the remaining student loan. Leases and future tax bills do not count.
A worked example, using the numbers prefilled above: assets are $5,000 cash + $8,000 invested + $25,000 in retirement + a $320,000 home + $18,000 of vehicles + $2,000 of other assets = $378,000. Liabilities are a $240,000 mortgage + $12,000 car loan + $8,000 student loan + $3,500 of card balances = $263,500. Net worth: $114,500, and the debt-to-asset ratio is 263,500 ÷ 378,000 = about 70% — typical for a mortgaged household. The age comparison below the calculator then puts that $114,500 next to the Federal Reserve's median for the age band, which is where the honest context lives.
Median net worth by age (Federal Reserve)
| Age band | Median net worth (approx.) | What it usually looks like |
|---|---|---|
| Under 35 | $39,000 | Student loans still shrinking; first savings and a starter retirement account. |
| 35–44 | $135,600 | Home equity starts doing real work; retirement balances become meaningful. |
| 45–54 | $247,200 | Peak earning years; mortgage balance finally falling faster than it grows. |
| 55–64 | $364,500 | Retirement accounts at their largest; many mortgages nearly done. |
| 65–74 | $410,000 | The median peak — after this, drawdown years slowly reduce the number. |
These are approximate medians from the Federal Reserve's Survey of Consumer Finances — medians, not averages, so a handful of billionaires cannot drag them upward. Half of households sit below each line. Our article on how much you should have saved by 30 digs into the younger end of this table in more detail.
4 tips to grow your net worth every year
1. Track the trend, not the day. Recalculate two to four times a year on the same dates. Markets will jiggle the number month to month; the year-over-year line is the one that tells the truth about your habits.
2. Automate the gap between earning and spending. Net worth grows by exactly one mechanism: keeping more than you consume. A payday transfer into savings or a 401(k) contribution increase of 1% a year moves the number without any willpower at all. Our savings goal calculator turns the target into a monthly deposit.
3. Delete high-interest liabilities first. A credit card at 24% APR shrinks net worth faster than almost any investment grows it. Clearing card balances is a guaranteed 24% “return” — then feed the freed payment into the asset side.
4. Let time and compounding do the heavy lifting. The biggest jumps in the table above come from decades of ordinary contributions plus growth, not from brilliant picks. Run your retirement balance through the compound interest calculator and look at the 20-year line — that curve is your net worth's best friend.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is net worth, in plain English?
It is everything you own minus everything you owe. Add up your cash, investments, retirement accounts, home, and vehicles; subtract your mortgage, loans, and card balances. What is left is your net worth — the single best scoreboard for whether your financial life is moving forward, whatever your income.
How do I calculate net worth?
List your assets at today's realistic values, list your debts at today's balances, and subtract. Net worth = total assets − total liabilities. A house worth $320,000 with a $240,000 mortgage contributes $80,000 of equity, not $320,000 of wealth — the calculator handles that automatically because you enter both sides separately.
What is a good net worth by age?
Compare yourself with medians, not millionaires. Federal Reserve data puts the median net worth at roughly $39,000 for households under 35, about $135,600 at ages 35–44, $247,200 at 45–54, $364,500 at 55–64, and around $410,000 at 65–74. Being at or above the median for your age means you are ahead of half the country — a genuinely good place to be.
Is a negative net worth normal?
Yes, especially early on. Student loans arrive years before assets do, so many people in their twenties and early thirties are underwater on paper. What matters is the trend: if your net worth is higher than it was a year ago, you are winning, even if the number still starts with a minus sign.
How often should I check my net worth?
Two to four times a year is the sweet spot. Monthly checking tempts you to react to market noise; never checking means slow leaks — a growing card balance, a stalled savings rate — go unnoticed. Many people recalculate on the same dates each year so the progress is easy to compare.
Does my home count toward net worth?
Yes — count its current market value as an asset and the mortgage balance as a liability; the difference is your equity, and it absolutely counts. Just remember it is illiquid wealth: it makes the net worth number healthier without helping you pay next month's bills, which is why the calculator also shows your debt-to-asset ratio.