Misleading USA Today Report on Average Net Worth at age 50

[Winemaker]

When college freshmen can't read or write, why expect them to do math or be able to reason?

 

[TripleLindy]

It isn't totally irrelevant. Some things such as property taxes and healthcare are based on the net worth of those around you, not just yours. I know to qualify for the senior discounted property tax in our area your income has to be below a certain figure, and we all know about ACA MAGI, So yeah, numbers matter.

None of what you referenced is based on net worth. Those items are based on individual income, and neither average or median income is part of the equation.

The context of the article and post were about average and median savings. And while those “benchmarks” may be good reference points when trying to decide on retirement, they’re still irrelevant to individual situations. Each individual has to determine what he/she can live on, regardless of national average or median.

 

[Fermion]

None of what you referenced is based on net worth. Those items are based on individual income, and neither average or median income is part of the equation.

"Income ThresholdsThe income threshold to qualify for this exemption isthe greater of the previous year’s threshold or 70% ofthe county median household income. County specificthresholds can be found at dor.wa.gov/incomethresholds."

https://dor.wa.gov/sites/default/files/2022-02/PTExemption_Senior.pdf

 

[Aerides]

When you don't know what "average" means, investing is probably not something you're taking seriously.

Either way, it's not a lie or misleading, it's just not particularly meaningful.

Oh, and 95% of article titles are placed there by the editor, not the journalist, and they are designed to drive traffic and engagement...which....oh hey looks like it worked? Good for them.

 

[jazz4cash]

The average is the misleading part, as many, many folks do not understand the difference between average and median.

I like to cite the George Carlin joke:
“Just think about how dumb the average American is. Then you realize that half of ‘em are dumber than that”

It’s funny at face value but it’s even funnier because that’s not how averages work (although many think it is) which reinforces the point. I don’t know how intentional that was by Carlin, though.

 

[Amethyst]

"The numbers below reflect Empower Personal DashboardTM users as of October 2025, with the average and median net worth of these individuals, broken down by age.* (These figures are not identical to, nor directly comparable with, representative national data from the Survey of Consumer Finances from the Fed.)"

I had yet to feel broken down by age when I was 50!

 

[Amethyst]

I like to cite the George Carlin joke:
“Just think about how dumb the average American is. Then you realize that half of ‘em are dumber than that”

It’s funny at face value but it’s even funnier because that’s not how averages work (although many think it is) which reinforces the point. I don’t know how intentional that was by Carlin, though.

Maybe so, but I remind my husband now and then, when he complains about someone's stupid behavior, that 50% of the population are below average so give them a break.

 

[Original Wally]

I like to cite the George Carlin joke:
“Just think about how dumb the average American is. Then you realize that half of ‘em are dumber than that”

It’s funny at face value but it’s even funnier because that’s not how averages work (although many think it is) which reinforces the point. I don’t know how intentional that was by Carlin, though.

EXCEPT in Lake Woebegon where "the children are all above average."

 

[jazz4cash]

Maybe so, but I remind my husband now and then, when he complains about someone's stupid behavior, that 50% of the population are below average so give them a break.

We even had a manager joke to a room full of engineers that anyone below average could voluntarily resign to help the company. No one laughed.

 

[Koolau]

What a shame. Garbage reporting.

Yeah, I'm shocked. SHOCKED!!

 

[Koolau]

Averages are a great way to lie with statistics.

Four truck drivers are in a bar drinking beer. Their average net worth is $50,000. Taylor Swift walks in and joins them. Their average net worth is now $200,000,000.

The additional wealth is good, since they end up paying for Taylor’s beer because rich people don’t carry around much cash.

Oh, and because she's HOT!

 

[Koolau]

Statistics don't lie - people lie WITH statistics by not giving proper context.

Yeah, my favorite statistics quote is: "Statistics are like a bikini. What they conceal may be more significant than what they reveal."

 

[jazz4cash]

Yeah, my favorite statistics quote is: "Statistics are like a bikini. What they conceal may be more significant than what they reveal."

Yikes! I thought that was the main purpose of a bikini. Statistics, not so much.

 

[GenXguy]

Nothing to see here, like most similar articles.

 

[Chuckanut]

Maybe so, but I remind my husband now and then, when he complains about someone's stupid behavior, that 50% of the population are below average so give them a break.

Keep in mind the #1 Law of Human Stupidity

Always and inevitably everyone underestimates the number of stupid individuals in circulation.

https://gandalf.fee.urv.cat/professors/AntonioQuesada/Curs1920/Cipolla_laws.pdf

 

[Koolau]

Yikes! I thought that was the main purpose of a bikini. Statistics, not so much.

Statistics are, of course, neutral. The motive of the person using statistics is the main determiner of their value. IOW it's how they are used that makes them either enlightening or obfuscating.

 

[Original Wally]

I'd classify this type of reporting as misleading and best and fear generating at worst.

The headline is : The average 50-something American is now worth $1.4 million

The average is the misleading part, as many, many folks do not understand the difference between average and median.

The average 50-something American is now worth $1.4 million

The older you are, the higher your net worth: That's what the data tells us. Financial experts cite three big reasons. One of them is time.

www.usatoday.com

The report referenced is here:

The average net worth by age in America

Have you ever wondered how you stack up against other people financially? Here's the average net worth by age.

www.empower.com

Which reports both the average and median by various ages. The net worth reported at age 50 is:

Age by decade	Average net worth	Median net worth
50s	$1,369,809	$192,964

All the billionaries, the uneven distribution of wealth, makes average a meaningless number.

For someone saving for retirement, trying to save money, and who does not have a million by the time they are 50, this type of reporting can cause them to just give up.

Then there is the conflating of 'net worth' with investable assets. Given the rise of house values, that median net worth does litttle to inform on retirement savings and planning.

But the headline sure is shocking to fly by readers.

ALSO we should STOP with "average" The median AND the "arithmetic mean" <- the one called "AVERAGE are BOTH "averages" as anyone who ever took a statistics class knows. [ANOTHER "average" calculation is the MODE = the most frequent observation.

 

[mystang52]

Years ago after a game, the backup center for the Chicago Bulls quipped that he was proud that he and Michael Jordan had scored a combined 54 points., 2 by him and 52 for Jordan, but still an average of 27 each. I used this example in a course I was teaching about deceptive being wary of an average statistic.

 

[Triton461]

I like to cite the George Carlin joke:
“Just think about how dumb the average American is. Then you realize that half of ‘em are dumber than that”

It’s funny at face value but it’s even funnier because that’s not how averages work (although many think it is) which reinforces the point. I don’t know how intentional that was by Carlin, though.

Carlin was a smart guy, I'm sure it was intentional. This reminds me of another statistical quote:
Ed: "He's on life support. Doctors say he's got a 50-50 chance of living, though there's only a ten percent chance of that."

 

[TwoBitsCA]

The title and the article are wrong and misleading on two levels...besides it being more appropriate to use median, if they were to use average, it should have said "the average net-worth of 50 somethings is $x" instead of "the average 50 something's net-worth is $x".

 

[Montecfo]

I like to cite the George Carlin joke:
“Just think about how dumb the average American is. Then you realize that half of ‘em are dumber than that”

It’s funny at face value but it’s even funnier because that’s not how averages work (although many think it is) which reinforces the point. I don’t know how intentional that was by Carlin, though.

I always assumed that he meant the median in intelligence when he said "average". I mean, he was a smart guy, and that's a common mode of communication.

 

[Montecfo]

Journalism is all but dead.

Begging your pardon, journalism is alive and well.
Yellow journalism.

 

[Chuckanut]

I did find this in the details of the article.

How do averages compare with median net worth?​

Median figures are far lower than averages, highlighting how a few high-wealth households skew results. For instance, in the 50s the average net worth is $1,364,050, but the median is only $180,227. This means half of households in that age range have less than $180,227 in net worth, offering a more realistic benchmark.

It is a good example of how the we can be mislead by somebody telling the truth, but not the whole truth. It’s a shame when important details are buried behind sensational headlines, since it shows the mistake was not one of ignorance.

 

[erkevin]

Maybe so, but I remind my husband now and then, when he complains about someone's stupid behavior, that 50% of the population are below average so give them a break.

I come across similar quotes quite often and try to explain that this is a characteristic of the median, not the mean and I get downvoted into oblivion.

 

[GrayHare]

I come across similar quotes quite often and try to explain that this is a characteristic of the median, not the mean and I get downvoted into oblivion.

Yes, that's demoing the Family Feud approach to knowledge. "Name the longest river in the US, the top five answers are on the board."