Being a millionaire isn’t enough to join America’s top 10% — here’s the net worth it actually takes to be in the top.
Clay Halton, writing for Moneywise, reports that the Federal Reserve’s Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF) puts the top 10% line at roughly $2 million in net worth. That means a seven-figure bank account leaves you out of the upper echelon entirely.
What the Survey Says
According to the latest SCF, the median American family’s net worth sits at just $192,900. That means crossing that line puts a household above the middle point for the nation as a whole.
The typical household lands at $1,063,700, a figure pushed upward by the vast wealth held by the nation’s richest families, which skews the average well above the middle.
Only about 1 in 10 American households clears the $2 million mark. The top 10% together hold 67% of total household wealth in the U.S., per CNBC.
“The median American family has a net worth of just $192,900.”
How the Numbers Have Changed
The gap has widened significantly in the past 25 years. The income cutoff for the top 10% was just $71,846 in 1990, or $181,836 adjusted for inflation.
The wealthiest Americans have seen their fortunes grow more quickly than most. In 2025, the top 0.1% of the nation’s richest gained 10% in wealth, and since the pandemic began, those with a net worth of at least $46 million have nearly doubled their holdings, adding over $23 trillion to their combined worth.
What the $2 Million Means Today
Survey data gathered in 2022 underpins the figure cited here. Since that point, stock prices have risen sharply, pushing up the worth of retirement accounts and investment portfolios alike. The S&P 500 was up an additional 12.3% for the year by the time September 2026 arrived.
Since 2022, the average yearly increase in consumer prices, as measured by the CPI, has been roughly 3.25%, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. This steady rise means that people must spend more money just to keep their standard of living from slipping.
Today, the official threshold stands at $2 million. Anyone aiming for the top 10% might find they need more once newer survey data set a higher cutoff.
Reaching the Top 10%
For most Americans, getting there won’t happen through one lucky investment. It typically requires years of saving, investing and accumulating assets — while avoiding financial setbacks that can eat away at the progress you’ve already made.
As your net worth grows, making choices becomes harder. You must decide how much to set aside, where to place those funds, how much risk you’re willing to take on, and how best to plan for your later years — all while keeping your long-term goals in mind.
For those with bigger portfolios, professional advice can prove helpful. WiserAdvisor links investors with specialists who focus on this sort of planning. By answering a few questions about your savings, retirement timeline and general investment portfolio, the platform pairs you — without charge — with up to three reputable, vetted advisors suited to your particular needs.
Third-party advisors are matched through WiserAdvisor, which functions solely as a matching service. No direct financial advice is provided by WiserAdvisor itself, and there is no guarantee of specific financial results.
What Investors Can Do on Their Own
Going it alone isn’t the only way forward for investors. A steady stream of contributions to the market can build net worth over time, alongside professional guidance.
Investors can hold shares in a single company or spread their money across many firms through diversified funds. Individual stocks offer the chance to back businesses believed to have growth potential, while diversified funds can involve investments in dozens or even hundreds of companies.
Here’s how the two approaches compare:
- Individual stocks let you target companies with growth potential.
- Diversified funds spread money across dozens or hundreds of firms.
The central assertion of the story — that entry into the top 10% starts at $2 million net worth, leaving ordinary millionaires behind — serves as a striking reminder of the distance between the middle class and the wealthy. It is a sobering one as well.
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