Benchmarks · Retirement savings · 42–45

Retirement savings for people aged 42–45 in the U.S.

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

Modeled estimate · federal survey data
Median
$88K
Upper quarter
$230K
Top 10%
$470K

Half of people aged 42–45 in the U.S. have a retirement savings above $88,000. Reaching the upper quarter takes about $230,000, and the top 10% starts at $470,000 — roughly 5.3× the median. The lower quarter sits below $24,000, and the bottom 10% is under $5,000.

The full distribution

PercentileRetirement savingsWhat it means
Bottom 10%$5,0009 in 10 are above this
Lower quarter$24,00025th percentile
Median$88,000half above, half below
Upper quarter$230,00075th percentile
Top 10%$470,000only 1 in 10 is above this
Average (mean)$110,000pulled 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 42–45 in the U.S. — plus savings rate, spending by category and net worth over time. Read-only bank access via Plaid; your numbers are never shown to anyone.

See where you stand →Free to start · no card required

Retirement savings by age

AgeLower quarterMedian retirement savingsUpper quarterTop 10%
22–25 →$500$4,000$14K$36K
26–29 →$3,000$11K$32K$75K
30–33 →$6,000$22K$62K$145K
34–37 →$10K$38K$100K$220K
38–41 →$16K$60K$160K$340K
42–45$24K$88K$230K$470K
46–50 →$36K$125K$310K$620K
50 and over →$52K$175K$420K$850K

Retirement savings at 42–45 by city

MetroLower quarterMedian retirement savingsUpper quarterTop 10%
New York City →$31K$114K$306K$653K
San Francisco →$34K$128K$344K$745K
Los Angeles →$28K$106K$281K$592K
Chicago →$26K$97K$255K$531K
Boston →$28K$104K$276K$580K
Washington, DC →$28K$106K$281K$592K
Seattle →$29K$107K$286K$604K
Austin →$27K$99K$260K$543K

National figures above; metro pages adjust for local incomes and housing costs.

More for people aged 42–45 in the U.S.

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

Common questions

What is the median retirement savings for people aged 42–45 in the U.S.?
The median retirement savings for people aged 42–45 in the U.S. is $88,000. Half of this group is above that figure and half below.
What retirement savings puts you in the top 10% of people aged 42–45 in the U.S.?
About $470,000. The 90th percentile is the level only one in ten people in this group exceeds — roughly 5.3× 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 42–45 in the U.S.. Model sample basis: 500.