Meet the typical millionaire: They're over 55, have a house worth nearly 7 figures, and are probably moving to Scottsdale (2024)

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Meet the typical millionaire: They're over 55, have a house worth nearly 7 figures, and are probably moving to Scottsdale (1)

  • America's millionaires are older, college-educated, and white.
  • They have some pretty valuable houses and stock holdings.
  • They're also flocking to cities such as Austin, Miami, andScottsdale, Arizona.

Meet the typical millionaire: They're over 55, have a house worth nearly 7 figures, and are probably moving to Scottsdale (2)

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Meet the typical millionaire: They're over 55, have a house worth nearly 7 figures, and are probably moving to Scottsdale (4)

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Who wants to be a millionaire? Probably lots of Americans — but members of the rarefied club are likely to be white, older, and college-educated.

America's millionaires are flocking to cities such as Austin, Miami, and Scottsdale, Arizona. They're also making a return to New York City after a pandemic hiatus as lower-earning New Yorkers decide to leave.

But who are the members of America's seven-figure club? There are a lot of them, and their ranks have grown over the past few years; The Wall Street Journal found that 16 million American families held wealth of more than $1 million. Using the Federal Reserve Bank's Survey of Consumer Finances 2022 individual-level data, we took a look at the millionaires of America.

Millionaires — those who have a net worth of at least $1 million —are, perhaps not surprisingly, on the older end. They're predominantly 55 and older; just 2.4% are under the age of 35. Older Gen Xers and boomers have the millionaire market particularly cornered, with more than a quarter of millionaires in the 55 to 64 range.

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Millionaires are also very likely to hold at least a college degree, with three-quarters of them having completed college. Under 1% of millionaires didn't finish high school or a GED.

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And many millionaires have additional post-secondary education: According to BI's analysis, about 21% of millionaires hold a master's degree, and just under 17% hold a doctorate or professional school degree.

Millionaires are also mostly white, showcasing yet another example of racial wealth gaps in the US. Nearly 86% of millionaires are white. That's not constrained to just millionaires: According to the Federal Reserve, a typical white family's wealth dwarfs that of typical Black and Hispanic families, with the white family's wealth six and five times higher, respectively.

Millionaires are also predominantly homeowners, with about 95% owning houses. The average value of a millionaire's home is $982,938, suggesting many are real-estate rich — especially older millionaires who've had time to grow their home equity.

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Similarly, about 47% of millionaires hold stocks; on average, they own $949,248 in stock. Meanwhile, about 35% of millionaires hold stock mutual funds. On average, those stock mutual funds are worth $996,663. They're also socking away a good amount for retirement, with an average total value of $452,491 in individual retirement accounts or Keogh plans, which are retirement plans for those who are self-employed.

That makes sense when it comes to how America's wealthy derive and hold wealth; those with ultra-high net worths like to park their money into equities and invest in stock and real estate. That composition of wealth has become one issue for politicians who have tried to hike taxes on America's wealthy.

More than a third of millionaires have a business that they either actively or non-actively manage. Those businesses are, on average, worth $3,304,674. Businesses that millionaires actively manage are worth $2,784,236 on average; ones that they don't actively manage are worth $520,438.

And millionaires do like to splurge on some of the things you'd expect. Roughly 94% of them own a car. About 40% own two cars, and about 18% own three cars. They're also splashing out on eating out and eating at home. On average, they spend $5,286 on food away from home annually; they're also spending about $548 on average on food delivered to their houses.

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But, like many Americans, millionaires are also spending a lot on groceries: an average of $9,904 annually.

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Watch: Self-made millionaires read biographies of other successful people to increase their wealth

Meet the typical millionaire: They're over 55, have a house worth nearly 7 figures, and are probably moving to Scottsdale (5)

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Meet the typical millionaire: They're over 55, have a house worth nearly 7 figures, and are probably moving to Scottsdale (2024)

FAQs

Meet the typical millionaire: They're over 55, have a house worth nearly 7 figures, and are probably moving to Scottsdale? ›

Meet the typical millionaire: They're over 55, have a house worth nearly 7 figures, and are probably moving to Scottsdale. America's millionaires are older, college-educated, and white. They have some pretty valuable houses and stock holdings.

How many millionaires are in Scottsdale? ›

Scottsdale is one of the country's fastest-growing cities in terms of wealth. There are 243,000 residents — about 14,600 of them are millionaires, and five are billionaires, AZ Central reported in March.

What percentage of millionaires are over 50? ›

Most millionaires in the US are 60-79 years old.

Another 23% of Americans with a net worth of $1 million or more are 50-59, with a small percentage of millionaires being 40 or younger.

How much in assets do you need to be considered a millionaire? ›

A millionaire is somebody with a net worth of at least $1 million. It's a simple math formula based on your net worth. When what you own (your assets) minus what you owe (your liabilities) equals more than a million dollars, you're a millionaire.

What does the average millionaire look like? ›

they're first-generation wealthy; most millionaires earn their wealth instead of inheriting it. they're well-educated; 80% have college degrees and more than 35% have advanced degrees. they save more than 15% of their money. they live well below their means, driving American-made cars and living in relatively modest ...

Where do the rich live in Scottsdale AZ? ›

Silverleaf at DC Ranch

Covering 4,000 acres, DC Ranch is the premier master-planned community in town, and Silverleaf is its most prestigious neighborhood. Like the city in which it is located, Silverleaf offers an abundance of amenities set against a backdrop of a dramatic desert landscape.

Why is Scottsdale so wealthy? ›

Larger lots, bigger homes, and lower taxes aren't the only reasons the wealthy are ditching their big-city lifestyles for Scottsdale. Tech workers, entrepreneurs, and retirees are also moving to the area for business opportunities, pristine golf courses, warm weather, and inspiring landscapes.

What is a good net worth at 50? ›

A general rule of thumb is that your net worth in your 50s should be around four to five times your annual salary, said Jeff Rose, CFP and founder of Good Financial Cents. For instance, he said that if someone's earning $60,000 annually, their net worth might ideally be in the ballpark of $240,000 to $300,000.

What is the average age to reach $1 million? ›

A middle-age Millionaires' Row: Average 50-something now has net worth over $1 million. Sometime around age 50, the average American can now expect a household net worth exceeding $1 million. How did so many 50-somethings become millionaires? Household wealth swelled at a record pace during the pandemic.

How many people have a net worth over 50 million? ›

In the US about 110,000 people are worth $50 million or more or 0.03%.

What net worth is upper class? ›

With that in mind, a net worth of $604,900 would put you in the upper 25% of American households and having $1 million or more should make you firmly a member of the upper class. Of course, it's important to remember that net worth is calculated by adding up your assets and then subtracting your liabilities.

What salary is considered rich in the USA? ›

You'll need to earn more than half a million annually to be considered among the highest earning residents in 11 states and Washington, D.C. "This comes down to cost of living," Murray said.

What is legally considered rich? ›

Back then, only Connecticut and Washington, D.C., had a 5% top-earning threshold of $500,000. Five years later, that's up to 11 U.S. states and D.C.: Washington, California, Massachusetts, Hawaii, Virginia, Colorado, New York, New Jersey, Illinois, Maryland and Connecticut.

What vehicle do most millionaires drive? ›

The top 10 car brands driven by millionaires, according to a Ramsey post on X (formerly Twitter) are:
  1. Toyota. The average price for a Toyota went up to $38,198 in the automaker's second quarter of its 2024 fiscal year, according to Carsdirect, citing Cox Automotive data.
  2. Honda. ...
  3. Ford. ...
  4. Lexus. ...
  5. Subaru. ...
  6. BMW. ...
  7. Acura. ...
  8. Hyundai.
Apr 5, 2024

What is a middle class millionaire? ›

Upper class is people with titles and peerages. Middle class millionaire usually refers to people on the American class system who are people that work the upper end of normal jobs and through moving up the housing ladder, investments and savings reach above a million dollars in assets.

What is a silent millionaire? ›

They are modest in how they dress, the cars they drive, and even where they choose to live. The only way you would know they are millionaires is if you saw their bank balance and some even would have multiple accounts to not draw attention to themselves. Those are your quiet millionaires.

Is Scottsdale the wealthiest city in Arizona? ›

Scottsdale is one of the most well-known cities in the state, thanks to its amazing golf courses and resorts. With a median household income of $91,042, it is our third wealthiest city in Arizona. The average home price in Scottsdale is $871,609, with real estate selling for as high as $21.8 million.

Where do the most millionaires live in Arizona? ›

Scottsdale, Arizona

Over 14,500 millionaires, 63 centi-millionaires and five billionaires call Scottsdale home. Henley and Partners say the Valley of the Sun is also luring tech entrepreneurs from California.

Do any celebrities live in Scottsdale AZ? ›

Notable celebrities like former Poison lead singer Bret Michaels, former Phoenix Suns power forward Charles Barkley, “The Big Unit” Randy Johnson, and former Arizona Cardinals QB Kurt Warner own homes in Scottsdale.

What city has the highest proportion of millionaires? ›

New York has almost 350,000 millionaires, which is the most of any city and up 48% from a decade ago, according to a global ranking of the wealthiest cities by Henley & Partners, an immigration consultancy.

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