Net Worth Calculator United States

Net worth tells you what would be left if you sold everything you own and paid off everything you owe. This calculator adds up your assets, subtracts your liabilities and shows the result with the totals behind it, so you can see whether you are building wealth.

What counts as an asset

For most households the main assets are cash and savings, investment and retirement accounts, and the home. Cash and savings covers checking, savings, money market and certificate balances. Investments covers your 401(k), IRA and taxable brokerage holdings; retirement money counts even though it is hard to spend today. Home value is the price you could realistically sell for, not what you paid. Other assets covers anything else worth counting, such as a paid-off car, a second property, collectibles or a business stake.

What counts as a liability

For most people the largest liability is the mortgage; enter the outstanding balance, not the original loan. Everything else goes under other debts: federal and private student loans, credit card balances you carry, auto loans, personal loans and medical debt. Include balances you could clear quickly as well as long-term loans.

How the calculation works

The calculator adds your four asset fields for total assets and your two debt fields for total liabilities, then subtracts:

net worth = total assets − total liabilities

No rates or growth assumptions are involved, so the figure reflects only what you own and owe right now.

A worked example

Suppose you have $20,000 in cash and savings, $30,000 across a 401(k) and a brokerage account, and a home worth $300,000, for $350,000 of total assets. You owe $200,000 on the mortgage and $5,000 on a credit card, for $205,000 of total liabilities. Your net worth is $145,000. The home contributes $100,000 of equity, its $300,000 value less the $200,000 mortgage, which is why the value and the debt go in separate fields.

Reading and using the result

One net worth figure tells you little; the trend tells you more. Calculate it each quarter and track the numbers. A rising line means you are paying down debt, saving or both; a flat or falling line is a reason to look at your budget. A negative result early in a career with student loans is common, and movement toward zero is progress.

Common mistakes when tallying net worth

Use the home's realistic sale price today, not the purchase price or an optimistic online estimate. Enter the full home value and the mortgage separately instead of netting them yourself. Do not forget smaller debts such as a carried credit card balance, an auto loan or student debt, each of which would inflate the result. Do not list the same account twice, for example a 401(k) under both investments and other assets. Value a car at its resale price, since it loses value quickly. And measure the same way every time: if you include your car this quarter, include it every quarter, or the trend loses its meaning.

Growing the number over time

Net worth rises when assets grow or debts shrink. Paying off high-interest debt is often the quickest gain: clearing a balance charging 20 percent improves your position more reliably than most investments. Regular automatic contributions to retirement and brokerage accounts do most of the long-term work as compounding builds over decades. Each mortgage payment also moves some value from the debt column to equity. A common order is a small emergency fund first, then expensive debt, then steady long-term investing. Comparing quarters shows which change moved the number most. A market dip or a large purchase can lower a quarter's figure; the direction over several years is what counts.

Assumptions and limitations

This is a snapshot for planning, not an appraisal or account statement, and it is only as accurate as the values you enter. It does not account for taxes due on selling investments or a home, early withdrawal penalties on retirement accounts or how easily each asset can be turned into cash, so two people with the same net worth can be in quite different positions. Update your inputs whenever your balances change significantly.

About This Net Worth Calculator

Use this net worth calculator to get an instant estimate based on the figures you enter. Adjust the inputs above to match your situation, or browse all our calculators to plan your next step.