Boomers collectively hold an astonishing amount of wealth—but the $77 trillion headline hides a much more complicated picture.
$77 Trillion Sounds Like Everyone Is Rich
In 2022, U.S. households headed by Baby Boomers collectively owned about $77 trillion in wealth. But the typical Boomer household had a net worth of $432,200—far below what the giant headline number might suggest.
The Top 10% Own Most of It
This is the biggest catch. Pew found the wealthiest 10% of Boomer households controlled 71% of the generation’s total wealth in 2022. The remaining 90% shared less than a third.
Education Makes a Huge Difference
Boomers with a bachelor’s degree or higher had median wealth of about $1.08 million in 2022. For Boomers with some college but no bachelor’s degree, the median was $330,500. For those without a high school diploma, it was just $77,200.
Some Boomers Are Actually Less Wealthy
The $77 trillion figure doesn’t mean every Boomer generation-wide financial measure is ahead. Among Boomers without a bachelor’s degree, median wealth wasn’t higher than that of similarly educated older generations.
The Wealth Is Also Tied to Age
The oldest Boomers turn 80 in 2026, while the youngest are still in their early 60s. Some have had decades longer to build assets than others, creating enormous differences within the same generation.
So Who Gets the $77 Trillion?
That’s the bigger question. As Boomers age, their wealth will eventually move through home sales, family transfers, charitable giving and other channels—but Pew’s numbers show that the starting line is nowhere near equal.
Sources
- Pew Research Center — Are Baby Boomers Wealthier Than Previous Generations of Older Adults?, 2026
- AARP Research — Longevity Economy Outlook 2026
- AARP — Older Americans Feeling Financial Strain as Costs Rise, 2026