Benchmarks · Retirement savings · 26–29 · Chicago

Retirement savings for people aged 26–29 in Chicago

Balances across 401(k), 403(b), IRA and other retirement accounts.

Modeled estimate · federal survey data
Median
$12K
Upper quarter
$36K
Top 10%
$85K

Half of people aged 26–29 in Chicago have a retirement savings above $12,100. Reaching the upper quarter takes about $35,520, and the top 10% starts at $84,750 — roughly 7.0× the median. The lower quarter sits below $3,276, and the bottom 10% is under $543.

The full distribution

PercentileRetirement savingsWhat it means
Bottom 10%$5439 in 10 are above this
Lower quarter$3,27625th percentile
Median$12,100half above, half below
Upper quarter$35,52075th percentile
Top 10%$84,750only 1 in 10 is above this
Average (mean)$15,125pulled up by the top end — the median is the better "typical"

Where do you stand?

Connect your accounts and Keeping Up shows your exact percentile against people aged 26–29 in Chicago — plus savings rate, spending by category and net worth over time. Read-only bank access via Plaid; your numbers are never shown to anyone.

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Retirement savings by age in Chicago

AgeLower quarterMedian retirement savingsUpper quarterTop 10%
22–25 →$546$4,400$16K$41K
26–29$3,276$12K$36K$85K
30–33 →$6,552$24K$69K$164K
34–37 →$11K$42K$111K$249K
38–41 →$17K$66K$178K$384K
42–45 →$26K$97K$255K$531K
46–50 →$39K$138K$344K$701K
50 and over →$57K$193K$466K$961K

Retirement savings at 26–29 by city

MetroLower quarterMedian retirement savingsUpper quarterTop 10%
New York City →$3,828$14K$43K$104K
San Francisco →$4,242$16K$48K$119K
Los Angeles →$3,552$13K$39K$95K
Chicago$3,276$12K$36K$85K
Boston →$3,497$13K$38K$93K
Washington, DC →$3,552$13K$39K$95K
Seattle →$3,607$13K$40K$96K
Austin →$3,331$12K$36K$87K

More for people aged 26–29 in Chicago

Net worth →Income →Investments →Savings rate →Monthly spending →

Common questions

What is the median retirement savings for people aged 26–29 in Chicago?
The median retirement savings for people aged 26–29 in Chicago is $12,100. Half of this group is above that figure and half below.
What retirement savings puts you in the top 10% of people aged 26–29 in Chicago?
About $84,750. The 90th percentile is the level only one in ten people in this group exceeds — roughly 7.0× the median.
Where do these numbers come from?
They are modeled percentile distributions fitted to this cohort from federal survey microdata — the Federal Reserve's Survey of Consumer Finances, the BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey, Census ACS and BLS wage data — and they blend toward anonymized, aggregated data from Keeping Up members as each cohort grows. Full methodology at keepingup.com/methodology.

How this is built. Percentiles are modeled for this cohort from federal survey microdata — Federal Reserve Survey of Consumer Finances, BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey, Census American Community Survey and BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics — with metro cost-of-living and wage adjustments. As Keeping Up members in this cohort grow, the band blends toward anonymized, aggregated live data (minimum cohort sizes apply; no individual is ever identifiable). Amounts are in current dollars. Read the full methodology.

Last updated June 2026. Cohort: people aged 26–29 in Chicago. Model sample basis: 120.