Fed Finds 54.9% of US Families Hold Retirement Accounts, Median Balance Reaches $106,000
Updated
Updated · 24/7 Wall St. · Nov 5
Fed Finds 54.9% of US Families Hold Retirement Accounts, Median Balance Reaches $106,000
3 articles · Updated · 24/7 Wall St. · Nov 5
Summary
The Federal Reserve’s 2025 Survey of Consumer Finances found 54.9% of US families had an IRA or workplace retirement account, up slightly from 54.3% in 2022.
Among families that already had an account, the inflation-adjusted median balance rose 11% to $106,000 from $95,200, while the mean climbed 23% to $451,100 as large balances skewed the average.
Fed data also showed retirement wealth remained concentrated: households in the 80th to 99th income percentiles held 62% of defined-contribution assets, while the bottom 20% held 0.5%.
Access remains a key barrier, especially for small-business, part-time and gig workers without workplace plans; families without savings are more exposed as Social Security trust funds are projected to pay 83% of scheduled benefits after 2034.
State auto-IRA programs and the federal Saver’s Match, which starts in 2027 and covers 50% of eligible contributions up to $1,000, are aimed at widening retirement-plan coverage.