The State of Household Finances in the U.S.


U.S. Household Finances (November 2025)

Verified data from Federal Reserve, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Census Bureau, and select institutional sources

Median Savings Balance
$8,000
Transaction accounts – Fed SCF 2022
Average Savings Balance
$62,410
Transaction accounts – Fed SCF 2022
Total Credit Card Debt
$1.17T
NY Fed Q3 2024 (latest available)
Median Monthly Rent
$1,200
Fed SHED 2024 – up 10% annually

Emergency Savings Snapshot

54%
Have 3 months emergency savings
63%
Can cover $400 emergency with cash
13%
Cannot pay $400 by any means
46%
Have 3+ months savings (Bankrate)

Emergency Fund Coverage by Income

Adults earning $100,000+: 75% have 3 months savings
Adults earning $50,000-$99,999: 56% have 3 months savings
Adults earning under $50,000: 32% have 3 months savings

Source: Federal Reserve SHED 2024

Savings by Demographics

Source: Federal Reserve Survey of Consumer Finances 2022 (most recent comprehensive data)

By Age Group

$5,400
Median for Americans under 35
Fed SCF 2022
$8,700
Median for ages 45-54 (peak earning years)
Fed SCF 2022
$13,400
Median for ages 65-74 (peak savings)
Fed SCF 2022

By Income Bracket

$900
Median for lowest income bracket (0-20th percentile)
Fed SCF 2022
$15,760
Median for middle income (60-80th percentile)
Fed SCF 2022
$111,600
Median for highest income (90-100th percentile) – 124x lowest
Fed SCF 2022

By Household Type

$2,400
Median for single parents with children (lowest)
Fed SCF 2022
$12,500
Median for couples with children
Fed SCF 2022
$16,000
Median for couples without children (highest)
Fed SCF 2022

By Race/Ethnicity

$12,000
Median for White non-Hispanic households
Fed SCF 2022
$2,100
Median for Hispanic households
Fed SCF 2022
$2,110
Median for Black non-Hispanic households
Fed SCF 2022

Retirement Savings

Source: Vanguard “How America Saves” 2025 (based on actual 401k participant data)

$42,640
Average 401(k) balance for ages 25-34
Vanguard 2025
35%
Non-retirees who think retirement savings plan is on track
Fed SHED 2024
42%
Retirees who retired due to health, caregiving, or lack of work
Fed SHED 2024

Housing Cost Burden

Sources: Federal Reserve SHED 2024, Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey 2023

$1,200
Median monthly rent in 2024, up 10% annually since 2022
Fed SHED 2024
7%
Homeowners without insurance (43% cite cost as reason)
Fed SHED 2024
20%
Adults financially affected by natural disaster in prior year
Fed SHED 2024

Household Debt

Source: Federal Reserve Bank of New York Quarterly Report on Household Debt and Credit Q3 2024

$1.6T
Total student loan debt outstanding
NY Fed Q3 2024
30%
Borrowers with some college/technical degree behind on student loans
Fed SHED 2024
11%
Bachelor degree holders behind on student loan payments
Fed SHED 2024
15%
Adults who used buy now, pay later services
Fed SHED 2024
24%
BNPL users who were late on payment (up from 18% prior year)
Fed SHED 2024

Financial Well-Being

Sources: Federal Reserve SHED 2024, Bankrate 2025

73%
Doing okay or living comfortably financially (down from 78% in 2021)
Fed SHED 2024
25%
Feel completely financially secure (down from 28% in 2023)
Bankrate 2025
29%
Rate national economy as good or excellent (up from 22% in 2023)
Fed SHED 2024
21%
Experienced financial fraud or scams in 2024
Fed SHED 2024
$63B
Total consumer losses from non-credit-card fraud after recovery
Fed SHED 2024

Cost of Living & Expenses

Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey 2023, Federal Reserve SHED 2024

60%
Say price changes made finances worse (down from 65% in 2023)
Fed SHED 2024
79%
Adjusted behavior due to higher prices in prior year
Fed SHED 2024
51%
Adults spending less than income (up from 48% in 2023)
Fed SHED 2024
24%
Parents using paid childcare (children under 13)
Fed SHED 2024
50%+
Parents spending ≥50% as much on childcare as housing
Fed SHED 2024

Employment & Job Quality

Source: Federal Reserve SHED 2024

14%
Started a new job in 2024 (similar to 2023, down from 15% peak in 2022)
Fed SHED 2024
62%
Job changers who said new job was better (down from 67% in 2023)
Fed SHED 2024
13%
Made money selling things in gig or resale sectors
Fed SHED 2024
9%
Did short-term gig tasks (rides, delivery, odd jobs)
Fed SHED 2024
17%
Employees with variable schedules based on employer needs
Fed SHED 2024

Data Quality & Methodology

All data points on this dashboard come exclusively from:

Tier 1 Sources (Federal/Government):

  • Federal Reserve Survey of Consumer Finances (2022 – most recent)
  • Federal Reserve Report on Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households (SHED 2024)
  • Federal Reserve Bank of New York Quarterly Report on Household Debt and Credit (Q3 2024)
  • Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey (2023)
  • Census Bureau Income and Poverty data

Tier 2 Sources (Reputable Financial Institutions):

  • Bankrate Annual Emergency Savings Report (2025)
  • Bankrate Financial Security Survey (2024-2025)
  • Vanguard “How America Saves” (2025 – actual 401k participant data)

Next Major Updates Expected:

  • NY Fed Household Debt Q4 2024: February 2026
  • Vanguard How America Saves 2026: June 2026
  • Federal Reserve SCF 2025: Late 2026 (comprehensive 3-year update)

Dashboard Statistics: 60+ verified data points | Last Updated: November 2025 | All sources independently verifiable