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Scroll through social media and you’re likely to feel like everyone is a millionaire. In fact, some mainstream headlines reinforce this feeling.
Surprisingly, some of the official data backs up this notion of America as a land of wealth creators. According to the Federal Reserve’s latest Survey of Consumer Finances (1), the real median net worth of U.S. households is $1,063,700. In plain English: The average family is now in the seven-figure club.
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But dig a little deeper and you’ll find that these stats and headlines are mildly misleading. Being a “real” millionaire is actually still a badge of honor, if you’re measuring wealth appropriately. And careful measurement can also tell you a lot about your own financial progress.
Here’s what you need to know.
The real millionaire club
There are a lot of millionaires in America.
As of 2025, there were at least 23.8 million people who fit that description, according to UBS’ latest Global Wealth Report (2). That means 7% of the country’s total population (presently sitting at 341.8 million) or 8.8% of the adult population (269.7 million) is in this elite club, based on the U.S. Census data (3).
But it’s worth noting how UBS measures net worth. According to their report, the investment bank has included the value of personal assets (including primary residence) in their calculations.
To be clear, homeownership is a legitimate part of personal net worth. But this asset puts real constraints on an individual’s ability to tap into their wealth. There are costs and limitations on how much home equity you can access to fund your lifestyle.
For this reason, British consulting firm Henley & Partners (4) applies a net-worth standard that leaves out the value of a household’s main residence. Its latest report counts only 6 million liquid millionaires nationwide, or about 2.2% of U.S. adults.
In other words, only one in 45 Americans are genuinely liquid millionaires. If you’re in this club, it’s worth bragging about.
If you’re not, there are a few ways to break in.
Read More: Here’s the average income of Americans by age in 2026. Are you falling behind?
Getting into the club
Becoming a millionaire is still a lofty ambition for many people. Caught between the rising cost of living and limited ways to make money, accumulating capital can be difficult.
The hard truth is that conventional savings probably won’t cut it. To build real wealth, your money has to work harder than you do. And you’ll probably need some calculated risks as well.
That starts with the stock market. Historically, the S&P 500 has returned about 11.5% annually, according to Fidelity (5). This means $500 invested monthly over 28 years could realistically push past the million-dollar mark. But picking the right names matters, especially in a market dominated by a handful of mega caps.
That’s where a platform like Moby can give retail investors an edge.
Moby delivers institutional-grade stock research and weekly picks in plain English, helping you spot opportunities before they hit mainstream headlines. For investors tired of guessing, it’s a research shortcut worth considering.
In four years and across almost 400 stock picks, their recommendations have beaten the S&P 500 by almost 12% on average. They also offer a 30-day money-back guarantee. Plus, their reports are easy to understand for beginners, so you can become a smarter investor in just five minutes.
You might also need to consider some alternative assets on your path to seven figures. And with reason — something is missing from traditional portfolios.
In a period of heightened market volatility, data suggests stocks and bonds alone may be less reliable for consistent long-term growth. As alternative investments become more accessible and attractive, more investors are seeking smarter ways to diversify.
Now, Masterworks is offering a single investment that combines blue-chip art with other scarce assets, such as gold and bitcoin, that have historically moved independently of equities and of one another.
The result is a more balanced, all-weather approach to alternative investing. In fact, this model would have outperformed the S&P 500 by 3.1x from 2017 to 2025.*
By leveraging access to museum-quality artwork alongside other uncorrelated assets, the strategy aims to enhance diversification while still pursuing meaningful appreciation.
Discover how diversifying with this strategy can strengthen your portfolio for the years ahead.
*Investing involves risk. Past performance is not indicative of future returns. The 3.1x figure reflects a model backtest, not actual fund performance.
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Article Sources
We rely only on vetted sources and credible third-party reporting. For details, see our ethics and guidelines.
U.S. Federal Reserve (1); Visual Capitalist (2); U.S. Census Bureau (3); Henley & Partners (4); Fidelity (5)
This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
