How Many Millionaires Are in the US? 2023 Millionaire Statistics (2024)

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Most of us dream about what it would be like to have $1 million or more. You could retire early, buy a lovely beach house in the South of France and spend your life doing things you love. Or you could use that money to help your community grow or to provide humanitarian aid. The list of possibilities seems endless, but how do actual millionaires spend their money? These millionaire statistics have some answers.

Let’s take a look at how millionaires made their money and how they use it.

Jump to:

  • Key Findings
  • How Many Millionaires Are There in the US?
  • Which State Has the Most Millionaires?
  • How Millionaires Make, Grow, and Spend Their Money
  • Does the US Have the Most Millionaires?

Key Findings:

  • 21,951,000 people in the U.S. have a net worth of$1 million or more.
  • Among all states,New Jerseyhas the most millionaire households.
  • Only3%of American millionaires received an inheritance of $1 million or above.
  • Real estate makes up about40%of a typical millionaire’s net worth.
  • China, Japan, Germany, the U.K., France, and Australiaadded together have fewer millionaires than the U.S.
  • The typical American millionaire owns justone property (43%).

How Many Millionaires Are There in the US?

Data from the Credit Suisse Global Wealth Report shows that in 2020 there were just under 30 million millionaires in the US.

The number of millionaires increased by over 3 million just from 2010 to 2020.[1] Trusted source
Credit Suisse Research Institute
Credit Suisse Research Institute studies long-term economic trends with a global impact.

Is a Millionaire in the Top 1% of Americans by net worth?

Having a net worth of $1 million will not put you in the top 1%. You’ll need a minimum net worth of around $11.1 million to get into the 1% of Americans by wealth.[2]

Which State Has the Most Millionaires?

New Jersey has the highest rate of millionaires, with 9.76% of households showing a net worth of $1 million or above. That means that 246,058 New Jersey households are millionaires.[4]

How Millionaires Make, Grow, and Spend Their Money

Let’s take a look at how people got to become millionaires and how they choose to invest and spend their money.

How Many Millionaires Inherited Their Wealth?

21%of millionaires received some inheritance, but only3%received an inheritance of $1 million or above. 79%of millionaires did not receive any inheritance from their family or relatives.8out of10millionaires come from low-income families.[3]

Percent of millionaires that inherited their wealth

Did Millionaires Get Rich Thanks to Their Income?

The majority of millionaires didn’t become wealthy because of their six-figure wages. In fact,93%of millionaires polled by Ramsey Solutions claimed they did not become rich due to their salary but rather by working hard and avoiding debt. Only31%of respondents surveyed had a$100,000annual income at some time in their careers.One-thirdnever made $100,000 a year at any point in their career.[3] Trusted source
Ramsey Solutions
Ramsey Solutions, founded by personal finance personality and radio show host Dave Ramsey, is a media company offering financial education and guidance.

Percent of millionaires with six-figure income at some time in their careers

What Percentage of Millionaires Have Liquidity?

Only27%of millionaires have liquidity. This makes perfect sense as millionaires invest in several categories of monetary and physical assets, such as stocks, mutual funds, retirement accounts, and real estate, to protect and grow their wealth.[5]

Percent of millionaires that have liquidity

What Do Millionaires Invest In?

40%of an average millionaire’s assets consist of real estate.That’s partly because real estate can be a great investment and partly because US property values are very high. Many millionaires have a significant percentage of their wealth tied up in their primary residence. In California, for example, the average home value is almost $800,000, which puts an average homeowner 80% of the way toward being a millionaire!

Corporate equities and mutual fund shares(40%) are another preferred investment.[6]

How Many Properties Does the Average American Millionaire Own?

Although many people imagine millionaires owning various properties, the average American millionaire prefers to own onlyone property(43%), with only8.5%of the millionaire in the U.S owningfour properties or more.[7]

Which Country Has the Most Millionaires?

Research done by the Credit Suisse Research Institute states that the country with the highest number of millionaires is the U.S., with nearly 30 million millionaires and17 million people with wealth up to $5 million! To put numbers in perspective, China, Japan, Germany, the U.K., France, and Australia added together have a total of 17 million millionaires![1] Trusted source
Credit Suisse Research Institute
Credit Suisse Research Institute studies long-term economic trends with a global impact.

Is a Millionaire Rich?

For most of us – especially those of us who aren’t millionaires – the word “millionaire” conjures up images of spectacular wealth. But is a millionaire really rich?

Most Americans don’t think so. The 2022 Charles Schwab Modern Wealth Survey found that Americans see a net worth of $2.2 million as the minimum to be considered “wealthy”, and that a net worth of $774,000 is needed to be “financially comfortable”.

Those figures get even higher in major urban areas.

Being a millionaire doesn’t necessarily mean you have a great deal of disposable wealth, especially if you live in a high-cost environment. If your net worth is primarily in your primary residence you could even be financially stressed despite being a millionaire, especially if your property taxes are high and your income is limited!

“Millionaire” is a convenient term to describe wealthy people, but wealth isn’t just about net worth, especially when inflation is high. Income, debt, and cost of living all make a difference in defining whether a person can be considered “rich”.

How Many Millionaires Are in the US? 2023 Millionaire Statistics (1)

ByAna-Ioana Ciochia

Fact Checking, Online Research

12 Posts

Ana-Ioana Ciochia is a fact checker, researcher and writer for FinMasters. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Chinese and English and is working on her Master's degree in International Management and Marketing. Ana loves reading and researching anything to do with finances, sustainability, and investments.

Updated on Reviewed by Steve Rogers

Sources

To support the facts within our articles FinMasters editorial team uses only high quality primary sources. Read our editorial policy to learn more about how we make sure our content is unbiased, accurate and up-to-date.

[1] https://www.credit-suisse.com/about-us/en/reports-research/global-wealth-report.html

[2] https://www.forbes.com/advisor/investing/financial-advisor/are-you-in-the-top-1-percent/

[3]https://www.ramseysolutions.com/retirement/the-national-study-of-millionaires-research

[4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._states_by_the_number_of_millionaire_households#cite_note-2

[5] https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/demo/tables/wealth/2019/wealth-asset-ownership/State_Wealth_tables_dy2019.xlsx

[6] https://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/z1/dataviz/dfa/distribute/chart/#quarter

[7] https://www.statista.com/statistics/1125919/us-millionaire-distribution-house-ownership/#:

[8] https://www.aboutschwab.com/research#panel-25-75–4026

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How Many Millionaires Are in the US? 2023 Millionaire Statistics (2024)

FAQs

How Many Millionaires Are in the US? 2023 Millionaire Statistics? ›

According to the current Global Wealth Report, there are 24,480,000 millionaires in the United States in 2023. This number went up a lot because of the historic international COVID-19 pandemic, which caused stock prices and home sales to increase.

What is considered wealthy in 2023? ›

You might need $5 million to $10 million to qualify as having a very high net worth while it may take $30 million or more to be considered ultra-high net worth. That's how financial advisors typically view wealth.

What percentage of people in the U.S. are millionaires? ›

Millionaires make up about 2% of the U.S. adult population. While an ultra-high net worth will be out of reach for most, you can amass $1 million by managing money well and investing regularly.

How many millionaires are there statistics? ›

8.8 % of U.S. adults are millionaires. 33% of U.S. millionaires are women. 76% of millionaires in the U.S. are white, and white people account for 60% of the total U.S. population. There are about 62.5 million millionaires globally, a 11.4% increase from 2020.

What percentage of US citizens have a net worth over 2 million? ›

Additionally, statistics show that the top 2% of the United States population has a net worth of about $2.4 million. On the other hand, the top 5% wealthiest Americans have a net worth of just over $1 million. Therefore, about 2% of the population possesses enough wealth to meet the current definition of being rich.

What is considered upper class in 2023? ›

upper-income households had incomes greater than $145,500; middle-income households fell into a range between those two numbers.

What percentage of US population has $3 million dollars? ›

What percentage of the U.S. population has $3 million dollars? According to The Kickass Entrepreneur, there are about 5,671,000 households in the U.S. that have a net worth of $3 million or more. This represents 4.41% of all U.S. households.

Is $2 million a multi millionaire? ›

Dated ways of describing someone worth n millions are "n-fold millionaire" and "millionaire n times over". Still commonly used is multimillionaire, which refers to individuals with net assets of 2 million or more of a currency.

Where do 90% of millionaires come from? ›

“90% of all millionaires become so through owning real estate.” This famous quote from Andrew Carnegie, one of the wealthiest entrepreneurs of all time, is just as relevant today as it was more than a century ago. Some of the most successful entrepreneurs in the world have built their wealth through real estate.

How many people have $1000000 in savings? ›

In fact, statistically, around 10% of retirees have $1 million or more in savings.

Are millionaires top 1%? ›

No, a millionaire isn't in the top 1% of wealth in the U.S. To be in the top 1%, you would need to have a net worth of over $11 million.

What percentage of US population has $5 million dollars? ›

Somewhere around 4,473,836 households have $4 million or more in wealth, while around 3,592,054 have at least $5 million. Respectively, that is 3.48% and 2.79% of all households in America.

How rare is it to be a millionaire? ›

How common is a millionaire? The 56 million millionaires around the globe account for just 1.1% of the world's adult population and 46% of the world's wealth. The nearly 22 million millionaires in the U.S. account for 8.8% of the country's adult population and over 39% of millionaires worldwide.

How many Americans have $100 million? ›

Henley Partners reports that, among the $65 trillion in total U.S. private wealth, there are 5.3 million people worth $1+ million, 9630 worth $100+ million, and 770 worth $1+ billion. This firm helps rich people get citizenship elsewhere, and their 2023 study shows a spike in Americans wanting out.

How many Americans have $20 million net worth? ›

How many people are worth 20 million or more? In the US, approximately 1.8 million people have a net worth of $20 million of more.

What is the average age to become a millionaire? ›

The average age of millionaires is 57, indicating that, for most people, it takes three or four decades of hard work to accumulate substantial wealth.

What is the top 1% income in 2023? ›

What It Takes to Be in the Top 1% by State – 2023 Edition. The gap between the top 1% of earners and average Americans is stark. In fact, the average American household earns a median income of under $70,000, but in some places, the top 1% can earn as much as $955,000.

What is a middle class salary in 2023? ›

These middle income residents need to make at least $81,623 in San Francisco, $84,673 in San Jose and $104,499 in Fremont. Seattle residents similarly need to make at least $74,223. You're middle class even if you make $310,000 in this California city.

What is the salary for upper class in 2023? ›

As of Jun 4, 2023, the average annual pay for the Upper Class jobs category in the United States is $59,699 a year. Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $28.70 an hour. This is the equivalent of $1,148/week or $4,974/month.

What age can you retire with $3 million? ›

You can probably retire in financial comfort at age 45 if you have $3 million in savings. Although it's much younger than most people retire, that much money can likely generate adequate income for as long as you live.

Can I retire at 50 with $3 million dollars? ›

The Bottom Line

Retiring at 50 is a great goal to have. If you have $3 million saved, it's likely that you'll be able to retire comfortably. You'll need to factor in your living expenses, inflation and the expected rate of return on your investments.

Can you live off the interest of 3 million dollars? ›

Living off the interest of $3 million is possible when you diversify your portfolio and pick the right investments. Here are six common investments and expected income for each year: Savings and money market accounts. Savings accounts are one of the most liquid places to hold your money besides a checking account.

Can you retire with $2 million net worth? ›

Yes, for some people, $2 million should be more than enough to retire. For others, $2 million may not even scratch the surface. The answer depends on your personal situation and there are lot of challenges you'll face. As of 2023, it seems the number of obstacles to a successful retirement continues to grow.

What is considered high net worth? ›

A high-net-worth individual, or HNWI, might be defined differently at certain financial institutions. But in all cases, a high-net-worth individual is someone with a large amount of wealth. Typically, a high-net-worth individual will have a net worth of at least $1 million.

How can you tell if someone is a millionaire? ›

A millionaire is somebody with a net worth of one million dollars. It's a simple math formula based on your net worth. When what you own (your assets) minus what you owe (your liabilities) equals more than a million dollars, you're a millionaire. That's it!

Is it true that 90% of millionaires make over $100000 a year? ›

Choose the right career

And one crucial detail to note: Millionaire status doesn't equal a sky-high salary. “Only 31% averaged $100,000 a year over the course of their career,” the study found, “and one-third never made six figures in any single working year of their career.”

Do millionaires pay off their house? ›

Most have paid off their mortgages. In 2020, 58% of the state's equity millionaires owned their homes free and clear. Statewide, there has been a dramatic rise in the number of Californians who have paid off their mortgages, from 1.6 million households in 2000 to 2.4 million in 2020.

How many homes does the average millionaire have? ›

The world's richest people owned on average about four homes in 2022.

How long will a $1 million 401k last in retirement? ›

A recent analysis determined that a $1 million retirement nest egg may only last about 20 years depending on what state you live in. Based on this, if you retire at age 65 and live until you turn 84, $1 million will probably be enough retirement savings for you.

How many Americans have $1 million in bank? ›

More than 8% of adults in the U.S. have enough assets to fit the definition, according to the Global Wealth Report 2020 by Credit Suisse. That works out to more than 20 million Americans.

Can I live off interest on a million dollars? ›

Once you have $1 million in assets, you can look seriously at living entirely off the returns of a portfolio. After all, the S&P 500 alone averages 10% returns per year. Setting aside taxes and down-year investment portfolio management, a $1 million index fund could provide $100,000 annually.

Are millionaires happier? ›

The super-rich are slightly happier than the rich.

In other words, the super-rich are slightly happier at extreme levels of wealth. The $1-$2 millionaires reported a 7.8 out of 10 happiness whereas the $10+ multimillionaires came in just above an 8.0 out of 10.

What is the top 2% income in the US? ›

Across the US, the average income for the top 2% of all earners is $206,000.

Are most millionaires born or made? ›

Recent studies have shown that the notion that most millionaires are born into wealth is a myth. In fact, over two-thirds of millionaires are self-made, according to a 2019 study by Wealth-X and a study by Fidelity Investments.

Does net worth include home? ›

However, one measure that many overlook is net worth. Your net worth represents how much wealth you have, measured by assets like a house, cars, 401(k), jewelry or cash in the bank, minus the debt obligations you have, or what you owe.

What is the average net worth of a 50 year old American? ›

Average Net Worth of an American Family

The average net worth of someone younger than 35 years old is $76,300, as of 2019. From there, average net worth steadily rises within each age bracket. Between 35 to 44, the average net worth is $436,200, while between 45 to 54 that number increases to $833,200.

What state has most millionaires? ›

by state U.S. 2020. In 2020, California had the highest number of millionaire households in the U.S., with 1.14 million households having one million or more in investible assets.

What age do most millionaires become rich? ›

This is according to a study conducted by Ramsey Solutions, which is the largest study of millionaires to date. The average age of a millionaire is 49 years old, which means it takes them over 27 years of saving and investing to reach this status. This may seem daunting, but the truth is, it's never too late to start.

What is technically a millionaire? ›

A net-worth millionaire is someone who has a net worth of at least $1,000,000. Net worth is a fancy way to say 'what you own minus what you owe.

What profession has the most millionaires? ›

It's often said that more millionaires are created in real estate than anywhere else. That refers primarily to those who invest in real estate and not so much to those who sell it for a living.

How many US citizens make over $1 million a year? ›

California

There are just under 72,500 tax filers in California with an adjusted gross income above $1 million.

How many 401k millionaires are there in the US? ›

The number of 401(k) millionaires in Fidelity-managed plans is relatively small, just shy of 1.4 percent out of 21.5 million accounts. That segment peaked in 2021, at 442,000, with a median balance of $1.3 million, according to Mike Shamrell, vice president for workplace thought leadership for Fidelity.

What is the top 10 percent net worth? ›

Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
  • People with the top 1% of net worth in the U.S. in 2022 had $10,815,000 in net worth.
  • The top 2% had a net worth of $2,472,000.
  • The top 5% had $1,030,000.
  • The top 10% had $854,900.
  • The top 50% had $522,210.
Dec 13, 2022

Is $10 million enough to retire? ›

While it certainly depends on your needs and lifestyle, the answer for almost everyone is yes, as long as you invest and manage your money wisely. With $10 million on hand, you can comfortably retire at age 40.

What should my net worth be at 40? ›

By the time you reach age 40, prevailing wisdom says you should have a net worth equal to about twice your annual salary. Hopefully, you climbed the salary ladder a bit in your 30s, too. If you're making $80,000 annually, for example, your goal should be to have a net worth of $160,000 at age 40.

Is $5 million net worth rich? ›

Is $5 million considered rich? Statistically speaking, yes, having a total net worth of $5 million is considered rich. According to the latest survey from the US Federal Reserve, a net worth of $5 million puts you in the top 10% of households in the US by net worth.

What age do most millionaires retire? ›

Millionaire Statistics by Gender

The average age for women to have $1 million set aside for retirement is 58.5. The average age for men to have $1 million set aside for retirement is 59.3.

How common is a millionaire? ›

Key points. There are 5.3 million millionaires and 770 billionaires living in the United States. Millionaires make up about 2% of the U.S. adult population. While an ultra-high net worth will be out of reach for most, you can amass $1 million by managing money well and investing regularly.

How old is the youngest millionaire? ›

Austin Russell, the 28-year-old CEO of California-based Luminar Technologies, remains the world's youngest self-made billionaire, with a net worth of US$1.

What is the average family income 2023? ›

Political Calculations' initial estimate of median household income in January 2023 is $80,440, an increase of $1,035 (or 1.3%) from the initial estimate of $79,405 in December 2022.

At what net worth are you considered rich? ›

You might need $5 million to $10 million to qualify as having a very high net worth while it may take $30 million or more to be considered ultra-high net worth. That's how financial advisors typically view wealth.

What is the middle class net worth in 2023? ›

We can also define middle class in terms of net worth. According to the U.S. Census data, the average net worth for U.S. households in 2022 is about $300,000. The median net worth is about $110,000 in 2023. In other words, wealth is concentrated at the top.

What salary is upper middle class? ›

Many have graduate degrees with educational attainment serving as the main distinguishing feature of this class. Household incomes commonly exceed $100,000, with some smaller one-income earners household having incomes in the high 5-figure range.

What are the 5 income classes? ›

One objective way some researchers divide individuals into economic classes is by looking at their incomes. From that data, they split earners into different classes: poor, lower-middle class, middle class, upper-middle class and wealthy.

How much does the average American make in 2023? ›

As of May 24, 2023, the average annual pay for an American in the United States is $58,563 a year. Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $28.16 an hour.

What is the top 10% salary in the US? ›

Landing in the top 10% is a fairly attainable goal for upwardly mobile Americans. A study by the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) found that the average earnings of those in the top 10% were roughly $173,000 in 2020.

What percentage of American households make over $75 K? ›

Overall, the highest percentage of Americans (16.5%) have an income between $50,000-$74,999. With the second and third highest percentages being those who make between $75,000-$99,999 (12.2%) and $100,000-$149,000 (15.3%).

What percent of Americans make over 100k? ›

To find out more about how many people make over 100k per year, we've gathered essential facts and data. According to our extensive research: 18% of individual Americans make over $100k per year. 34.4% of US households make over $100k per year.

Which US state has the highest average income? ›

New York is the richest state in the US, with a GDP per capita at $96,5k. This means that New York is responsible for around 9% of America's entire economic output, the highest percentage amongst the 50 states.

What is a good monthly income for a family of 4? ›

(Cases Filed Between May 1, 2019 and October 31, 2019, Inclusive)
.FAMILY SIZE
STATE1 EARNER4 PEOPLE *
Arizona$52,334$80,956
Arkansas$43,585$68,341
California$57,962$96,813
51 more rows
May 1, 2019

Is being a millionaire based on net worth or cash? ›

A net-worth millionaire is someone who has a net worth of at least $1,000,000. Net worth is a fancy way to say 'what you own minus what you owe. ' If that amount ends up being $1,000,000+, you're a net-worth millionaire."

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