Americans ages 45 and under control only 11% of the nation’s wealth, according to household data from the Federal Reserve.

In other words, nine-tenths of America’s assets belong to the older half of America. People ages 45 and over make up about 42% of the nation's population, and about 54% of the adults.

Boomers, the generation born between 1946 and 1964, hold 51% of American wealth: a mountain of real estate, stocks, pension benefits, private businesses and other assets, collectively valued at $90 trillion in late 2025.

Other stats: Generation X, born between 1965 and 1980, owns 26% of the wealth, worth $46 trillion.
A dwindling group of Americans over age 80 holds 12% of American wealth, worth $21 trillion.

The remaining American wealth, valued at about $19 trillion, belongs to everyone else: millennials, born between 1981 and 1996, and the oldest members of Generation Z, born in 1997 or later.

Americans ages 45 and under control only 11% of the nation's wealth.

Older Americans are as wealthy as they’ve ever been, and they’re getting wealthier. The average 50-something is worth $1.4 million, according to estimates from Empower. The average 60-something is worth $1.6 million.

By contrast, the average 20-something is worth $139,243, and the average 30-something holds $325,952.

Does age beget wealth?

Boomers, the wealthiest generation, control $31 trillion in stocks and mutual fund shares, according to the Fed. They own $19 trillion in real estate. The collective values of those assets have ballooned over time, thanks to a surging stock market, rising home values and a steady accumulation of home equity.

Story Date: May 11, 2026