U.S. households held a median of $8,200 in checking and savings accounts in 2025, according to newly reported data from the Federal Reserve. The figure offers a broad look at liquid money available to households nationwide, while also showing how sharply balances differ across age groups and other demographic categories.
The Federal Reserve collects the information through its Survey of Consumer Finances, which measures household financial conditions every three years. The 2025 results showed that the national median balance was below the $8,760 recorded in 2022, but remained the second-highest figure in the survey’s history, according to the Federal Reserve data.
Balances differ across age groups
Older households generally reported larger combined balances in checking and savings accounts. Households headed by someone 75 or older had a median of $14,000 in 2025. Those in the 55-to-74 age range had a median of $10,000, the data showed.
| Household group | Median checking and savings balance in 2025 |
|---|---|
| All U.S. households | $8,200 |
| Households headed by someone 75 or older | $14,000 |
| Households headed by someone 55 to 74 | $10,000 |
The Federal Reserve reported that balances rose between 2022 and 2025 for all but two age groups: households headed by people 75 and older and those headed by people ages 55 to 64. The figures describe the middle household in each group, meaning half of households had more and half had less.
Education is another dividing line
The survey also found substantial differences linked to educational attainment. The Federal Reserve data identified education as the strongest factor among those discussed in the report for explaining differences in bank account balances. The lowest balances cited were about $900 across checking and savings accounts for some demographic groups, while other groups had balances exceeding $20,000.
Those figures show why a national median can conceal wide differences in the amount of cash households have available. A household’s combined checking and savings balance can reflect many circumstances, including age, income, education and the ability to set money aside. The survey tracks those differences across the population rather than describing the account balance of a particular consumer.
- The median U.S. household held $8,200 in checking and savings accounts in 2025.
- Households headed by someone 75 or older had a median balance of $14,000.
- The Federal Reserve’s survey found that balances varied widely by age and educational attainment.
Federal Reserve data shows that household account balances have not followed a straight line over the past several decades. The figures declined during the economic slowdown from 1992 to 1995 and again during the Great Recession from 2007 to 2010. After 2010, balances increased at each three-year survey point through 2022 before falling modestly in 2025.
