Americans’ savings balances vary sharply by age, according to the latest figures from the Federal Reserve’s Survey of Consumer Finances. The survey places the median amount saved by adults younger than 35 at $12,220, while people ages 35 to 44 had a median of $27,300.
The figures cover three types of savings: money in transaction accounts such as checking and traditional savings accounts, certificates of deposit, and savings bonds. The Federal Reserve has conducted the household-finance survey in three-year cycles since 1989. The data cited in the report are from 2025.
“Savings” has three categories
The survey’s use of median balances is significant because a median identifies the midpoint of a group. Half of households have more than that amount and half have less. That measure is less affected by a small number of households with exceptionally large or small balances than an average would be.
Balances change across age groups
For adults younger than 35, certificates of deposit represented a median balance of $6,600. Transaction accounts had a median of $4,620, while savings bonds accounted for $1,000. The report says the group’s overall median savings balance was down by about $6,000 from 2022. The Federal Reserve attributed part of that decline to persistent inflation from 2022 through 2025.
| Age group | Median savings information |
|---|---|
| Under 35 | $12,220 overall; $6,600 in CDs; $4,620 in transaction accounts; $1,000 in savings bonds |
| 35-44 | $27,300 overall; $20,000 in CDs; $6,600 in transaction accounts; $700 in savings bonds |
| 45-54 | $25,000 in CDs; $9,400 in transaction accounts; $1,000 in savings bonds |
Among adults ages 35 to 44, certificates of deposit made up the largest reported category, with a median balance of $20,000. The median held in transaction accounts was $6,600, and the median in savings bonds was $700. The overall median for this age group increased from $19,972 in 2022 to $27,300 in 2025, according to the report.
The next age group, people ages 45 to 54, had a median of $25,000 in CDs, $9,400 in transaction accounts and $1,000 in savings bonds. The report says this group had about $9,000 more in savings accounts than people ages 35 to 44, while listing the category balances separately.
What the categories include
A certificate of deposit is a bank or credit union account that generally pays interest in exchange for leaving money deposited for a set period. Early withdrawals often carry penalties. Savings bonds are issued by the Treasury Department and are also considered low-risk holdings. Transaction accounts include the money consumers use for routine banking, including checking and traditional savings accounts.
- Adults younger than 35 had a median overall savings balance of $12,220.
- People ages 35 to 44 had a median of $27,300, up from $19,972 in 2022.
- The Federal Reserve’s measure includes transaction accounts, CDs and savings bonds.
