"Before we proceed into a detailed discussion of net worth by age, we should note one glaring discrepancy in the numbers: the difference between mean and median.
The average 50-something is worth about $1.4 million, according to Empower. But that’s a mathematical average, and the super-rich drive the number way up.
The “median” 50-something – imagine the middle number in a long list of numbers – is worth a more modest $192,964."
So yeah, just a wee bit sensationalism in that headline.
> The average 50-something is worth about $1.4 million, according to Empower. But that’s a mathematical average, and the super-rich drive the number way up.
> The “median” 50-something – imagine the middle number in a long list of numbers – is worth a more modest $192,964.
This is the average including and heavily impacted by super high net worth individuals. If you are in your 50s and dont have a million bucks like most dont you are not really behind.
you are behind the guy with $1M and ahead of the homeless bum with 10 stolen bucks. The elephant in the room is that all three of you are indistinguishably close to each-other when compared to Bezos/Musk/Koch etc ;)
It's not just the misleading "average" that is problematic. USA Today "reporting" on a "report" by Empower where you find this:
The numbers below reflect Empower Personal DashboardTM users as of October 2025, with the average and median net worth of these individuals, broken down by age. *(These figures are not identical to, nor directly comparable with, representative national data from the Survey of Consumer Finances from the Fed.)*
Scroll to the bottom of the article to see the averages compared with the medians. The concept that older people have more holds true, but the medians are predictably far lower.
The average 50-something is worth about $1.4 million, according to Empower. But that’s a mathematical average, and the super-rich drive the number way up.
The “median” 50-something – imagine the middle number in a long list of numbers – is worth a more modest $192,964."
So yeah, just a wee bit sensationalism in that headline.
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