How to calculate your net worth
Step 1: List your assets
- Cash: checking, savings, money-market accounts and CDs.
- Investments: brokerage accounts, stocks, funds, bonds and crypto, at today's market value.
- Retirement accounts: 401(k), 403(b), IRA, Roth IRA and HSA balances.
- Real estate: what your home and any other property would sell for today — not what you paid.
- Vehicles: current private-sale value, which falls every year.
- Other: business ownership, the cash value of a whole-life policy, money owed to you.
Step 2: List your liabilities
- Mortgage and home-equity loan balances.
- Car loan balances.
- Student loans.
- Credit-card balances — the full balance owed, not the minimum payment.
- Personal loans, medical debt, and any taxes you owe.
Step 3: Subtract
- Net worth = total assets − total liabilities.
- A negative number is common early in a career, especially with student loans — what matters most is the direction it moves over time.
Worked example
A worked example for a household in its late 30s:
| Assets | Value |
|---|---|
| Checking and savings | $18,000 |
| 401(k) and IRA | $142,000 |
| Brokerage account | $25,000 |
| Home (market value) | $410,000 |
| Car | $16,000 |
| Total assets | $611,000 |
| Liabilities | Owed |
|---|---|
| Mortgage | $298,000 |
| Car loan | $9,000 |
| Student loans | $21,000 |
| Credit card | $3,000 |
| Total liabilities | $331,000 |
Net worth: $611,000 − $331,000 = $280,000. See how that compares by age →
Common questions
What is the formula for net worth?
Net worth = total assets − total liabilities. Assets are what you own at today's value; liabilities are every debt you owe.
How often should I calculate my net worth?
Monthly or quarterly is enough for most people. The trend over a year or more tells you far more than any single number, and markets make month-to-month values noisy.
Can net worth be negative?
Yes. If your debts exceed your assets — common with student loans or a new mortgage on a home that has not appreciated — your net worth is negative. Paying down debt and saving both move it up.
What is a typical net worth?
The median American family's net worth is $210,900 (Federal Reserve Survey of Consumer Finances (2022)); it varies a great deal by age — see net worth by age.
Let it add itself up
Caliper is the AI net worth tracker: link your accounts once and it keeps every balance, your home's value and your car's value current — and you can ask its AI analyst questions about your own numbers.
Track your net worth free →