Answer: Enter your values and the Net Worth Calculator returns the exact result instantly — formula, worked example, and a plain-English explanation are included below the tool.
Calculate your net worth by totaling assets and liabilities.
Net worth is the single clearest snapshot of financial position: everything you own (assets) minus everything you owe (liabilities). Enter balances across the five asset categories — cash and bank accounts, investments, real estate, vehicles, and other assets — and the five liability categories — mortgage, car loan, credit cards, student loans, and other debts — and the calculator totals each side and subtracts.
The defaults illustrate a typical household: $10,000 cash, $50,000 investments, $250,000 real estate, and $15,000 vehicles against a $180,000 mortgage, $10,000 car loan, $3,000 credit card balance, and $20,000 student loans. Assets total $325,000, liabilities $213,000, and net worth comes out to $112,000 — positive, and highlighted green by the calculator.
Assets are items with market value you could convert to cash: checking and savings, retirement and brokerage accounts, your home's current market value (not purchase price), vehicles at realistic resale value, and valuables like jewelry or business interests. Use conservative estimates — your net worth is only as honest as your valuations.
Liabilities are every balance you owe: mortgage payoff, auto loan balances, credit card balances (statement balance, not monthly payment), and student loans. For most households under 40, the mortgage dominates liabilities and home equity dominates net worth — which is why real estate value estimates move the number so much.
Context beats the raw figure. US Federal Reserve Survey of Consumer Finances data has put median household net worth near $193,000 and the mean far higher (skewed by wealthy households), with median net worth rising strongly with age — under $40,000 for under-35 households and peaking around $400,000+ for 65–74. A healthy trajectory matters more than any snapshot: net worth should generally climb as debts amortize and investments compound.
A negative net worth — common early in careers with student loans and fresh mortgages — isn't failure; it's a timing artifact. What matters is the direction: liabilities shrinking in real terms while assets grow. Recalculate quarterly and the trend tells you more than any single number.
| Category | Default Entries | Subtotal |
|---|---|---|
| Cash & bank | $10,000 | Assets: $325,000 |
| Investments | $50,000 | |
| Real estate | $250,000 | |
| Vehicles | $15,000 | |
| Mortgage + car + cards + student | $180k + $10k + $3k + $20k | |
| Other liabilities | $0 | Liabilities: $213,000 |
| Net worth | $325,000 − $213,000 = $112,000 | |
The table walks the default inputs. Note how the calculator treats each line: assets sum to $325,000, liabilities to $213,000, and the result updates instantly as any field changes. Replace the placeholder values with your own balances — pulling from bank apps, loan statements, and a home-value estimate — for a real figure.
Vehicles deserve a caution: they depreciate. The default counts $15,000 of vehicle value as an asset, but cars lose value every year while the loan balance amortizes — one reason financial planners often exclude vehicles entirely and track only appreciating assets.
Net worth is a trend metric, not a test. Update it on a fixed schedule — quarterly is the usual cadence — using the same sources each time: bank and brokerage app balances on the same day, latest loan statements, and a home-value estimate from a consistent source. Identical methodology is what makes the quarter-over-quarter change meaningful.
Expect noise. Real estate estimates swing thousands of dollars between sources and market months, and investment accounts move with the market daily. A drop driven entirely by a market dip isn't a planning failure; look instead at whether the liability side shrank (debt paydown is guaranteed progress) and whether the asset side grew over a rolling year.
Milestones worth celebrating follow the debt lifecycle: net worth zero (crossing from negative), one year's salary saved, mortgage payoff pushing the asset side ahead permanently, and eventually financial independence when 25× annual spending is reached — the point where portfolio income alone can cover living costs under the standard withdrawal research.
What is net worth?
Total assets minus total liabilities: what you own minus what you owe. A paid-off $400,000 home and $100,000 in investments with no debts is a $500,000 net worth; the same assets with a $300,000 mortgage is $200,000.
What should I include in assets?
Cash and bank balances, retirement and brokerage investments, real estate at current market value, vehicles at realistic resale value, and anything else of meaningful resale value. Use conservative estimates — net worth is only as honest as your valuations.
What's a good net worth for my age?
It varies enormously. Federal Reserve Survey of Consumer Finances data shows median US household net worth around $193,000 overall but under $40,000 for under-35 households and $400,000+ for 65–74 — trend matters more than the snapshot.
Is a negative net worth bad?
Not necessarily. Early-career households with student loans and new mortgages often sit negative; the key is whether debts are shrinking and assets growing. Recalculate quarterly to track direction.
Should I count my car?
You can — this calculator includes it — but many planners track only appreciating assets since cars reliably lose value. Either way, be consistent over time so your trend line stays meaningful.