One of the lesser-known rules of personal finance is that wealth is relative. A net worth of a clean $1 million might be a fortune in some places and barely enough in others, but with mounting inflation even that magic number looks a little mundane.
That’s why tracking your net worth against the national average and different percentiles can give you a clearer picture of your progress toward financial freedom.
A big part of that discussion is retirement. Although a million might seem like a lot in your 20s, or even 30s, it’s a different story when you retire with another 20 or even 30 years in front of you.
That’s why it’s important to know where you stand today so you can rest easy tomorrow. According to Northwestern Mutual (1), the average American thinks they’ll need $1.46 million to retire comfortably. Even then, that only breaks down to about $58,400 per year using the 4% rule for retirement — hardly a golden ticket to your twilight years.
With that in mind, here’s the latest available government data on how much wealth it takes to be in the top 10% of all Americans.
America’s top 10%
The Federal Reserve is arguably the best source of data on national net worth. It has unmatched insight into how Americans earn, spend, save, invest and borrow.
According to the Federal Reserve’s most recent Survey of Consumer Finances (2), the median American family has a net worth of just $192,900. If your household has more than that, you’re doing better than half of the country.
If your net worth is above $1,063,700, you’re wealthier than the average American. This number is about ten times higher than the median because it is skewed by ultra-wealthy individuals like Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg. Coupled with Northwestern Mutual’s reporting, this paints a worrying picture of how much Americans actually have saved.
Still, it’s a useful benchmark. Being a millionaire or billionaire in America puts you ahead of most, and much further ahead than the middle of the pack.
To break into the top 10%, though, you’ll need a net worth of at least $2 million, according to the 2022 survey. That means only one in 10 American households has a net worth above that threshold. It gets even tighter as you near the top 1%.
This figure has jumped significantly in the past 25 years, driven in large part by the gains in net worth of the super-rich. By comparison, the income cutoff for the top 10% (3) was just $71,846 in 1990, or $181,836 adjusted for inflation.
Moreover, the top 10% hold 67% of total household wealth in the U.S. CNBC reports (4) that the top 0.1% of the rich in the U.S. gained 10% in wealth in 2025, and those with a net worth of at least $46 million saw their wealth almost double, to the tune of over $23 trillion (4).
So if you’re a multi-millionaire, you can safely consider yourself among the affluent. Your family likely enjoys access to better housing and education than most.
That said, 2022 was a while ago, and this data is likely outdated — although the government is expected to update the data this year. If you’re trying to crack the top 10% in 2025 or beyond, you might need to aim a little higher than $2 million, and starting as early as possible is one way to even out the playing field.
Wealth is a moving target
Every year, America’s wealthiest people tend to get even richer. At the same time, the cost of living keeps rising.
Since 2021, the S&P 500 has jumped roughly 80% (5) — although the annualized return is more like 12.51% — boosting the portfolios of many affluent families and potentially raising the bar for the top 10%.
Meanwhile, consumer price inflation (CPI) has averaged about 3.25% annually since 2022, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data (6). This means cumulative inflation is around 10% over the past three years. Your dollar buys 10% less than it did then.
Taking all of this into account, it’s safe to estimate that the current minimum net worth for joining the top 10% sits closer to at least $2.2 million — with the war in Iran and 2025’s reciprocal tariffs bearing major distortions.
For most Americans — that middle band of median earners — reaching that milestone may take a lifetime of exceptional earnings, diligent saving, savvy investments and successful business ventures. Or even a lucky inheritance.
But you don’t have to do it alone. Finding a good financial planner during the early stages of your search for wealth could make or break joining the multi-millionaire club — especially if your net worth is approaching or at the $192,900 benchmark. Then, once you’re established, you can consider taking advantage of more complex investment and tax instruments.
If you’re looking for advice on how to expand your wealth and meet financial goals like these, one option is to find a trusted financial advisor through Advisor.com.
How it works is simple — just answer a few quick questions about yourself and your finances. Then the platform will match you with a pre-vetted financial professional to help you develop a plan to grow your wealth and make more informed investment decisions.
The best part? You can view the advisors’ profiles, read past client reviews and schedule an initial consultation for free with no obligation to hire.
For those who are already ahead of the pack, you might want to lock in your lead with more specialized financial services.
If you have a portfolio of $250,000 or more, platforms like WiserAdvisor can connect you with vetted professionals who specialize in this kind of planning.
Simply answer a few questions about your savings, retirement timeline and overall investment portfolio.
From there, WiserAdvisor reviews its network to match you — for free — with up to three vetted, reputable advisors aligned with your specific needs.
You can then schedule no-obligation consultations with your matches to determine who is the best fit for your long-term goals.
