My data for net worth comes from the Survey of Consumer Finances, which is conducted every three years by
the Federal Reserve Board. I used the raw 1998
data to create the following table. To find out where you rank by net worth, just find the range that your
net worth fits into. For example, if you think your net worth is about $500,000, that would put you in the 68th
percentile, which means that you're worth more than 68% of the people in this country, while 32% of the people
are worth more than you.
|
%
|
net worth
|
%
|
net worth
|
%
|
net worth
|
%
|
net worth
|
|
99
|
$110,077,600 - $514,651,390
|
74
|
$899,800 - $1,006,239
|
49
|
$144,400 - $153,199
|
24
|
$16,850 - $19,699
|
|
98
|
$62,801,000 - $110,077,599
|
73
|
$804,400 - $899,799
|
48
|
$133,700 - $144,399
|
23
|
$14,420 - $16,849
|
|
97
|
$43,725,400 - $62,800,999
|
72
|
$727,600 - $804,399
|
47
|
$125,450 - $133,699
|
22
|
$12,340 - $14,419
|
|
96
|
$29,882,900 - $43,725,399
|
71
|
$645,580 - $727,599
|
46
|
$119,150 - $125,449
|
21
|
$10,500 - $12,339
|
|
95
|
$23,632,100 - $29,882,899
|
70
|
$587,037 - $645,579
|
45
|
$112,950 - $119,149
|
20
|
$8,910 - $10,499
|
|
94
|
$18,008,900 - $23,632,099
|
69
|
$542,160 - $587,036
|
44
|
$105,990 - $112,949
|
19
|
$7,410 - $8,909
|
|
93
|
$14,677,050 - $18,008,899
|
68
|
$494,050 - $542,159
|
43
|
$99,100 - $105,989
|
18
|
$6,200 - $7,409
|
|
92
|
$12,120,420 - $14,677,049
|
67
|
$459,690 - $494,049
|
42
|
$94,300 - $99,099
|
17
|
$5,250 - $6,199
|
|
91
|
$9,674,000 - $12,120,419
|
66
|
$428,450 - $459,689
|
41
|
$89,580 - $94,299
|
16
|
$4,400 - $5,249
|
|
90
|
$8,181,400 - $9,673,999
|
65
|
$397,500 - $428,449
|
40
|
$83,950 - $89,579
|
15
|
$3,590 - $4,399
|
|
89
|
$6,817,200 - $8,181,399
|
64
|
$372,500 - $397,499
|
39
|
$77,800 - $83,949
|
14
|
$2,700 - $3,589
|
|
88
|
$5,632,900 - $6,817,199
|
63
|
$349,700 - $372,499
|
38
|
$72,000 - $77,799
|
13
|
$2,000 - $2,699
|
|
87
|
$4,781,000 - $5,632,899
|
62
|
$330,500 - $349,699
|
37
|
$67,420 - $71,999
|
12
|
$1,400 - $1,999
|
|
86
|
$4,171,900 - $4,780,999
|
61
|
$309,180 - $330,499
|
36
|
$61,870 - $67,419
|
11
|
$780 - $1,399
|
|
85
|
$3,591,200 - $4,171,899
|
60
|
$287,100 - $309,179
|
35
|
$56,280 - $61,869
|
10
|
$420 - $779
|
|
84
|
$3,021,900 - $3,591,199
|
59
|
$274,300 - $287,099
|
34
|
$51,500 - $56,279
|
9
|
$100 - $419
|
|
83
|
$2,603,200 - $3,021,899
|
58
|
$256,100 - $274,299
|
33
|
$47,120 - $51,499
|
8
|
$0 - $99
|
|
82
|
$2,255,350 - $2,603,199
|
57
|
$237,800 - $256,099
|
32
|
$42,500 - $47,119
|
7
|
($1) - $0
|
|
81
|
$1,988,250 - $2,255,349
|
56
|
$221,400 - $237,799
|
31
|
$38,370 - $42,499
|
6
|
($300) - ($1)
|
|
80
|
$1,823,100 - $1,988,249
|
55
|
$209,300 - $221,399
|
30
|
$34,400 - $38,369
|
5
|
($1,400) - ($301)
|
|
79
|
$1,570,300 - $1,823,099
|
54
|
$197,900 - $209,299
|
29
|
$30,750 - $34,399
|
4
|
($3,300) - ($1,401)
|
|
78
|
$1,374,230 - $1,570,299
|
53
|
$186,700 - $197,899
|
28
|
$27,950 - $30,749
|
3
|
($6,500) - ($3,301)
|
|
77
|
$1,229,900 - $1,374,229
|
52
|
$175,000 - $186,699
|
27
|
$25,350 - $27,949
|
2
|
($11,500) - ($6,501)
|
|
76
|
$1,107,170 - $1,229,899
|
51
|
$163,400 - $174,999
|
26
|
$22,370 - $25,349
|
1
|
($20,360) - ($11,501)
|
|
75
|
$1,006,240 - $1,107,169
|
50
|
$153,200 - $163,399
|
25
|
$19,700 - $22,369
|
0
|
($15,162,200) - ($20,361)
|
Notes on the above table:
1. Net worth is how much money and property you own, minus the amount of debt you owe. (You'll notice that about
six percent of the people in this table have negative net worths -- the numbers in parentheses. This means that
they actually owe more than they own.)
2. The top net worth is $514,651,390, but this is obviously not because that's how much the richest person in America
owns. These numbers don't include every person in this country. Rather they are based on a survey done by the Federal
Reserve Board. Like all surveys, it was based on a sampling of people that represented the whole population, and
I guess the richest person surveyed was worth $514,651,390. |