# Why Under-35s Lost 23% Net Worth as Retirees Gained 37%

> Young families' median net worth dropped 23% while retirees' rose 37% in latest Fed survey.
- Title: Why Under-35s Lost 23% Net Worth as Retirees Gained 37%
- Summary: Young families' median net worth dropped 23% while retirees' rose 37% in latest Fed survey. The Fed's 2025 survey shows under-35 families lost 23% median net…
- Keywords: federal reserve, median net worth, under 35 families, families 75 and older, retirement accounts, business equity, net worth drop, fed survey, Under-35s, Lost, Net, Worth
- Source: 24/7 Wall St. — https://247wallst.com/personal-finance/2026/11/03/why-under-35s-saw-their-median-net-worth-drop-23-while-families-75-and-older-gained-37
- Author: Jake FitzGerald
- Published: 2026-11-03T09:44:59+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: federal reserve, median net worth, under 35 families, families 75 and older, retirement accounts, business equity, net worth drop, fed survey
## Fed Survey Shows Net Worth Shift
The Federal Reserve's 2025 Survey of Consumer Finances reveals under-35 families lost 23% median net worth while families 75+ gained 37%.
## Median Net Worth Decline for Young Families
Under-35 families' median net worth fell 23% to $33,000 from $42,700 in 2022, with mean net worth dropping 33% to $135,400.
## Pandemic Business Gains Reversed
The Fed says young families' net worth declines were 'primarily driven by the unwinding of business equity gains between 2019 and 2022'.

> primarily driven by the unwinding of business equity gains between 2019 and 2022
## Retirees' Net Worth Gained 37%
Families 75 or older saw median net worth rise 37% to $504,900, with retirement accounts driving gains.
## Business Equity Decline for Young Families
The median value of business equity for all families fell 23% from $98,500 to $75,400, reversing pandemic gains.
## Retirement Plans Help Young Families
Under-35 families with retirement plans rose from 42% in 2016 to near 50% in 2025, with employer matches boosting net worth.
## Housing Market Challenges
The median home price is 4.5 times median family income, with Case-Shiller index at 337.3 in July 2026.
## Key takeaway

The Fed's 2025 survey shows under-35 families lost 23% median net worth as business equity reversed pandemic gains, while families 75+ gained 37% through retirement accounts.