Bottom-Half Share of Household Wealth
Share of household wealth held by the bottom 50 percent
Where the Bottom-Half Share of Household Wealth stands now
The Bottom-Half Share of Household Wealth was 2.3% in the second quarter of 2026. Since 1989 it has ranged from 0.4% in the fourth quarter of 2010 to 4.1% in the third quarter of 1992.
How the Bottom-Half Share of Household Wealth has moved since 1989
Bottom-Half Share of Household Wealth: little changed over the past year
Share of total household net worth held by the bottom 50 percent of households by wealth: 2.3% in the second quarter of 2026, little changed from 2.4% a year earlier. Quarterly, 1989–2026.
What the Bottom-Half Share of Household Wealth measures
A lower rate is worse for households.
Bottom-Half Share of Household Wealth by quarter, 1989 to 2026
| Quarter | Rate (%) | Change from a year earlier (percentage points) |
|---|---|---|
| Q2 2026 | 2.3 | −0.1 |
| Q1 2026 | 2.4 | 0.0 |
| Q4 2025 | 2.4 | 0.0 |
| Q3 2025 | 2.4 | 0.0 |
| Q2 2025 | 2.4 | −0.1 |
| Q1 2025 | 2.4 | −0.1 |
| Q4 2024 | 2.4 | −0.1 |
| Q3 2024 | 2.4 | −0.2 |
| Q2 2024 | 2.5 | −0.1 |
| Q1 2024 | 2.5 | −0.1 |
| Q4 2023 | 2.5 | −0.1 |
| Q3 2023 | 2.6 | −0.1 |
| Q2 2023 | 2.6 | −0.1 |
| Q1 2023 | 2.6 | 0.0 |
| Q4 2022 | 2.6 | +0.2 |
| Q3 2022 | 2.7 | +0.3 |
| Q2 2022 | 2.7 | +0.3 |
| Q1 2022 | 2.6 | +0.3 |
| Q4 2021 | 2.4 | +0.2 |
| Q3 2021 | 2.4 | +0.3 |
| Q2 2021 | 2.4 | +0.4 |
| Q1 2021 | 2.3 | +0.4 |
| Q4 2020 | 2.2 | +0.5 |
| Q3 2020 | 2.1 | +0.4 |
| Q2 2020 | 2.0 | +0.4 |
| Q1 2020 | 1.9 | +0.3 |
| Q4 2019 | 1.7 | +0.1 |
| Q3 2019 | 1.7 | +0.1 |
| Q2 2019 | 1.6 | 0.0 |
| Q1 2019 | 1.6 | +0.1 |
| Q4 2018 | 1.6 | +0.2 |
| Q3 2018 | 1.6 | +0.2 |
| Q2 2018 | 1.6 | +0.2 |
| Q1 2018 | 1.5 | +0.2 |
| Q4 2017 | 1.4 | +0.1 |
| Q3 2017 | 1.4 | +0.1 |
| Q2 2017 | 1.4 | +0.2 |
| Q1 2017 | 1.3 | +0.1 |
| Q4 2016 | 1.3 | +0.1 |
| Q3 2016 | 1.3 | +0.2 |
| Q2 2016 | 1.2 | +0.1 |
| Q1 2016 | 1.2 | +0.1 |
| Q4 2015 | 1.2 | +0.2 |
| Q3 2015 | 1.1 | 0.0 |
| Q2 2015 | 1.1 | +0.1 |
| Q1 2015 | 1.1 | +0.2 |
| Q4 2014 | 1.0 | +0.1 |
| Q3 2014 | 1.1 | +0.2 |
| Q2 2014 | 1.0 | +0.2 |
| Q1 2014 | 0.9 | +0.2 |
| Q4 2013 | 0.9 | +0.2 |
| Q3 2013 | 0.9 | +0.3 |
| Q2 2013 | 0.8 | +0.2 |
| Q1 2013 | 0.7 | +0.3 |
| Q4 2012 | 0.7 | +0.3 |
| Q3 2012 | 0.6 | +0.1 |
| Q2 2012 | 0.6 | +0.2 |
| Q1 2012 | 0.4 | 0.0 |
| Q4 2011 | 0.4 | 0.0 |
| Q3 2011 | 0.5 | 0.0 |
| Q2 2011 | 0.4 | −0.1 |
| Q1 2011 | 0.4 | −0.1 |
| Q4 2010 | 0.4 | −0.2 |
| Q3 2010 | 0.5 | −0.2 |
| Q2 2010 | 0.5 | −0.3 |
| Q1 2010 | 0.5 | −0.3 |
| Q4 2009 | 0.6 | −0.4 |
| Q3 2009 | 0.7 | −0.5 |
| Q2 2009 | 0.8 | −0.7 |
| Q1 2009 | 0.8 | −0.7 |
| Q4 2008 | 1.0 | −0.7 |
| Q3 2008 | 1.2 | −0.8 |
| Q2 2008 | 1.5 | −0.6 |
| Q1 2008 | 1.5 | −0.7 |
| Q4 2007 | 1.7 | −0.6 |
| Q3 2007 | 2.0 | −0.4 |
| Q2 2007 | 2.1 | −0.3 |
| Q1 2007 | 2.2 | −0.2 |
| Q4 2006 | 2.3 | −0.2 |
| Q3 2006 | 2.4 | −0.1 |
| Q2 2006 | 2.4 | 0.0 |
| Q1 2006 | 2.4 | −0.1 |
| Q4 2005 | 2.5 | 0.0 |
| Q3 2005 | 2.5 | 0.0 |
| Q2 2005 | 2.4 | −0.2 |
| Q1 2005 | 2.5 | 0.0 |
| Q4 2004 | 2.5 | −0.1 |
| Q3 2004 | 2.5 | −0.2 |
| Q2 2004 | 2.6 | 0.0 |
| Q1 2004 | 2.5 | −0.3 |
| Q4 2003 | 2.6 | −0.3 |
| Q3 2003 | 2.7 | −0.3 |
| Q2 2003 | 2.6 | −0.3 |
| Q1 2003 | 2.8 | −0.1 |
| Q4 2002 | 2.9 | 0.0 |
| Q3 2002 | 3.0 | −0.1 |
| Q2 2002 | 2.9 | −0.2 |
| Q1 2002 | 2.9 | −0.3 |
| Q4 2001 | 2.9 | −0.3 |
| Q3 2001 | 3.1 | −0.1 |
| Q2 2001 | 3.1 | −0.1 |
| Q1 2001 | 3.2 | 0.0 |
| Q4 2000 | 3.2 | 0.0 |
| Q3 2000 | 3.2 | 0.0 |
| Q2 2000 | 3.2 | 0.0 |
| Q1 2000 | 3.2 | −0.1 |
| Q4 1999 | 3.2 | 0.0 |
| Q3 1999 | 3.2 | −0.3 |
| Q2 1999 | 3.2 | 0.0 |
| Q1 1999 | 3.3 | 0.0 |
| Q4 1998 | 3.2 | −0.1 |
| Q3 1998 | 3.5 | +0.1 |
| Q2 1998 | 3.2 | −0.2 |
| Q1 1998 | 3.3 | −0.1 |
| Q4 1997 | 3.3 | −0.1 |
| Q3 1997 | 3.4 | −0.1 |
| Q2 1997 | 3.4 | 0.0 |
| Q1 1997 | 3.4 | −0.1 |
| Q4 1996 | 3.4 | −0.2 |
| Q3 1996 | 3.5 | −0.2 |
| Q2 1996 | 3.4 | −0.2 |
| Q1 1996 | 3.5 | 0.0 |
| Q4 1995 | 3.6 | +0.1 |
| Q3 1995 | 3.7 | +0.2 |
| Q2 1995 | 3.6 | +0.2 |
| Q1 1995 | 3.5 | 0.0 |
| Q4 1994 | 3.5 | −0.2 |
| Q3 1994 | 3.5 | −0.3 |
| Q2 1994 | 3.4 | −0.4 |
| Q1 1994 | 3.5 | −0.3 |
| Q4 1993 | 3.7 | −0.3 |
| Q3 1993 | 3.8 | −0.3 |
| Q2 1993 | 3.8 | −0.1 |
| Q1 1993 | 3.8 | 0.0 |
| Q4 1992 | 4.0 | +0.3 |
| Q3 1992 | 4.1 | +0.4 |
| Q2 1992 | 3.9 | +0.4 |
| Q1 1992 | 3.8 | +0.3 |
| Q4 1991 | 3.7 | +0.1 |
| Q3 1991 | 3.7 | +0.2 |
| Q2 1991 | 3.5 | +0.1 |
| Q1 1991 | 3.5 | 0.0 |
| Q4 1990 | 3.6 | +0.2 |
| Q3 1990 | 3.5 | 0.0 |
| Q2 1990 | 3.4 | — |
| Q1 1990 | 3.5 | — |
| Q4 1989 | 3.4 | — |
| Q3 1989 | 3.5 | — |
Quarterly · Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System data retrieved via FRED (WFRBSB50215)
Counties with the highest labor scores
There's no county figure for this measure, so this list uses the labor part of our County Distress Index.
| Rank | County | Score (0–100) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Apache County, AZ | 99.2 |
| 2 | Mingo County, WV | 98.7 |
| 3 | Navajo County, AZ | 97.3 |
| 4 | Luna County, NM | 97.2 |
| 5 | McKinley County, NM | 96.8 |
| 6 | Lake County, CA | 96.8 |
| 7 | Clare County, MI | 96.6 |
| 8 | Harlan County, KY | 96.2 |
| 9 | Wyoming County, WV | 96.2 |
| 10 | Pike County, KY | 96.1 |
Questions about the Bottom-Half Share of Household Wealth
How much of U.S. wealth does the bottom half hold?
The Fed estimates that the half of U.S. households with the least wealth held 2.3% of all household net worth in the second quarter of 2026. That is net worth, assets minus debts, and it excludes Social Security.
How has the share changed?
In the second quarter of 2026 the share was 2.3%, about the same as a year earlier. Recent quarters are model estimates, so a change of a tenth of a point may not last through the Fed's next revision.
Does a lower share mean the bottom half got poorer?
Not necessarily. The share compares the group's net worth with the total. The Fed publishes the group's dollar net worth separately, and the share can go down in a quarter when that dollar amount goes up.
Why do other sources give a different bottom-half share?
Other estimates count people or adults instead of households, rank by income instead of wealth, or add Social Security. The Congressional Budget Office, for example, includes Social Security wealth for families. This series is the Fed's household estimate without it.
Sources and method for the Bottom-Half Share of Household Wealth
- Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System data retrieved via FRED (WFRBSB50215) We use the quarterly figures as published, from the third quarter of 1989 through the second quarter of 2026, with no adjustment of our own. Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System doesn’t adjust this rate for the season, so compare a quarter with the same quarter a year earlier. Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System’s report
We write with assistance from AI tools. Figures come from the data and sources named on this page.