Fed releases survey on Americans’ finances

The Federal Reserve Board recently released the results of the 2025 Survey of Consumer Finances, a representative picture of what Americans own, how and how much they borrow, and how they bank. It provides information on the economic conditions of American families. 

© Shutterstock

The board also issued a summary report, examining changes in income, net worth, assets, debt, and financial vulnerability. When comparing the 2022 and 2025 surveys, most families experienced moderate increases in income and net worth, but an increasing subset of families have been experiencing financial stress.

Key findings include:

  • Real median family income rose 7 percent surveys to $82,200 while real mean family income fell 6 percent to $145,200. 
  • Real median net worth rose by 2 percent to $215,900 while real mean net worth rose by 7 percent to $1.24 million. 
  • For families that owned a home, the median net housing value rose to $230,000.
  • Retirement plan participation was up slightly to 65 percent. 
  • Participation in the stock market declined slightly from 58 percent in 2022 to 56 percent in 2025. 
  • The fraction of families with any type of debt remained about stable at 77 percent. 
  • The fraction of families with debt payment-to-income ratios greater than 40 percent increased from 6.5 to 8.6 percent.