PERSONAL FINANCE
Net Worth Spreadsheet: How to Calculate and Track Your Net Worth
Net worth is one number: everything you own minus everything you owe. Calculating it once takes about 30 minutes; tracking it every month is what shows whether your money is actually moving in the right direction. This guide shows what to count (including your home and mortgage), how your number compares with the Federal Reserve's figures by age, and how to set up a net worth spreadsheet in Excel or Google Sheets.
THE BASICS
What net worth is (and isn't)
Your net worth is the value of what you own (assets) minus what you owe (liabilities) on a given date. It is a snapshot, like a personal balance sheet. Income is not part of it: a $150,000 salary with $160,000 of debt and little savings can mean a lower net worth than a $50,000 salary with a paid-off car and a growing 401(k).
Net worth = Total assets β Total liabilitiesMeasured on one date, then repeated (monthly or quarterly) so you can see the trend.
Assets
Cash, savings, retirement accounts, investments, the market value of your home and car, money owed to you.
Liabilities
Mortgage balance, car loans, student loans, credit card balances, personal loans, medical debt, taxes due.
Net worth
Can be negative. That is common in your 20s or right after buying a home with a small down payment.
Change over time
The month-to-month change matters more than the level. A rising line means debt is falling or savings are growing.
STEP BY STEP
How to calculate your net worth
Pick a date
Use the same day every time, for example the last day of the month. Balances move daily; one fixed date keeps the numbers comparable.
List cash and savings
Checking, savings, money market and cash you actually hold, at the statement or app balance on that date.
Add retirement and investment accounts
401(k), 403(b), IRA, Roth IRA, HSA investments, brokerage accounts and crypto at their market value on that date. Most people use the full balance; if you prefer a stricter number, reduce pre-tax accounts by your expected tax rate, and note which method you chose.
Value your home and vehicles realistically
Use what you could sell them for, not what you paid: a recent online estimate or comparable sales for a home, a used-car price guide for a vehicle. If you'd like to be conservative, subtract about 6β8% from the home value for selling costs.
List every debt at its payoff balance
Mortgage principal (not the original loan amount and not the remaining payments with interest), car loans, student loans, the full credit card balance, buy-now-pay-later plans, money borrowed from family and any tax you owe.
Subtract and record
Total assets minus total liabilities. Write the result and the date in your sheet. Next month, repeat with the same accounts, and look at the change.
WORKED EXAMPLE
How to calculate net worth with a mortgage
The home goes in assets at its market value; the mortgage goes in liabilities at the principal still owed. The difference is your home equity, which is usually the biggest single piece of a homeowner's net worth. Paying down principal raises net worth; the interest part of each payment does not.
Home worth $380,000, mortgage balance $265,000
Plus $18,000 in savings, $64,000 in retirement accounts, $12,000 in a brokerage account and a car worth $14,000. Debts besides the mortgage: a $9,000 car loan, $21,000 of student loans and $3,500 on a credit card.
- Total assets
- $488,000
- Total liabilities
- $298,500
- Home equity
- $115,000
- Net worth
- $189,500
Same household with the home left out: $108,000 of assets against $33,500 of non-mortgage debt gives $74,500. Some people track both numbers: total net worth, and "liquid" net worth without the home, which shows what is actually available.
YOUR NUMBERS
Net worth calculator
TRY IT
What's your net worth today?
Replace the example figures with your balances. Leave a field at 0 if it doesn't apply. Nothing you type is saved or sent anywhere.
BENCHMARKS
Net worth by age: median and average
The most reliable US figures come from the Federal Reserve's Survey of Consumer Finances, which interviews about 4,600 households every three years. The latest published survey is for 2022 (released October 2023); results from the 2025 survey are expected in late 2026, and we'll update this table when they come out.
| Age | Median net worth | Mean (average) net worth |
|---|---|---|
| Under 35 | $39,000 | $183,500 |
| 35β44 | $135,600 | $549,600 |
| 45β54 | $247,200 | $975,800 |
| 55β64 | $364,500 | $1,566,900 |
| 65β74 | $409,900 | $1,794,600 |
| 75 or older | $335,600 | $1,624,100 |
| All families | $192,900 | $1,063,700 |
Use the median, not the average
The median is the household in the middle: half have more, half have less. The average is pulled up by a small number of very wealthy families, which is why it is four to five times higher in every age group. Comparing yourself with the average makes almost everyone feel behind.
Homeownership is the big divider
In the same survey, the median homeowner had a net worth of $396,200 and the median renter $10,400. Much of that gap is home equity built up over years of mortgage payments, which is one reason the medians climb with age.
These figures are a reference, not a target. Your own trend (is the line going up year over year?) says more about your progress than where you sit against a national median.
EXCEL & GOOGLE SHEETS
How to build a net worth spreadsheet
A net worth spreadsheet only needs one table of balances. Create a sheet called Balances with these columns: Date, Account, Type (Asset or Liability), Category (Cash, Retirement, Investments, Home, Vehicle, Mortgage, Credit cardβ¦) and Balance. Enter all liabilities as positive numbers. Each month, add one row per account with that month's date. Format it as a table (Excel: Insert βΊ Table and name it Balances; Google Sheets: Format βΊ Convert to table) so the formulas below expand automatically.
On a second sheet, put the month-end dates in column A (A2 = 31 Jan 2026, A3 = 28 Feb 2026 and so on) and add:
| Column | Formula (row 2, then fill down) |
|---|---|
| B: Total assets | =SUMIFS(Balances[Balance],Balances[Type],"Asset",Balances[Date],A2) |
| C: Total liabilities | =SUMIFS(Balances[Balance],Balances[Type],"Liability",Balances[Date],A2) |
| D: Net worth | =B2-C2 |
| E: Change vs last month | =IF(ROW()=2,"",D2-D1) |
| F: Debt-to-asset ratio | =IF(B2=0,"",C2/B2), formatted as a percentage |
| G: Home equity | =SUMIFS(Balances[Balance],Balances[Category],"Home",Balances[Date],A2)-SUMIFS(Balances[Balance],Balances[Category],"Mortgage",Balances[Date],A2) |
Google Sheets without a converted table: replace Balances[Balance] with the column range, for example Balances!E:E, and the same for the other columns. Then select columns A and D and insert a line chart: that line is your net worth over time. Lock the formula columns so a stray paste doesn't break them (see how to lock cells in Excel and Google Sheets).
- 1Update monthly, same dayTen minutes at month-end is enough. Quarterly works if your balances barely move.
- 2Revalue the home once or twice a yearMonthly home estimates add noise; your mortgage balance still updates every month.
- 3Watch the change columnA negative month after a market drop is normal; three or more in a row deserve a look at spending and debt.
READY-MADE TEMPLATE
Prefer a net worth tracker that's already built?
The sheet above takes an evening to set up. If you'd rather enter balances and see the totals and charts straight away, there is a ready-made Net Worth Tracker for Google Sheets and Excel; check the product page for current features.
Net Worth Tracker Spreadsheet for Google Sheets and Excel
The current listing describes automatic totals for assets, liabilities and net worth, a breakdown by categories such as cash, investments, property and loans, monthly and yearly tracking, and charts that update as you add data. It includes a step-by-step video tutorial.
- Assets and liabilities by category
- Monthly and yearly net worth tracking
- Charts that update automatically
Product features and compatibility are listed on the product page and may change.
Browse personal finance templatesFAQ
Net worth questions
What is a good net worth for my age?
A useful reference is the Federal Reserve's median for your age group: in 2022 it was about $39,000 under 35, $135,600 for ages 35β44, $247,200 for 45β54, $364,500 for 55β64 and $409,900 for 65β74. Being below the median is common; what matters more is that your own net worth rises over time.
Should I include my home in my net worth?
Yes, at its realistic market value, with the mortgage balance listed as a liability. Many people also track net worth without the home, because home equity can't be spent without selling or borrowing against the house.
How do I calculate net worth with a mortgage?
Add the home's current market value to your assets and the remaining mortgage principal to your liabilities. The difference is your home equity. For example, a $380,000 home with a $265,000 mortgage balance adds $115,000 to net worth.
Does a pension count toward net worth?
A defined-contribution account such as a 401(k) or IRA counts at its balance. A traditional pension that pays a monthly benefit and can't be cashed out usually isn't counted; if you want to include it, use the lump-sum value from your pension statement and track it separately.
How do I calculate net worth for the FAFSA?
The FAFSA asks for a narrower number than your personal net worth: the net worth of investments, real estate other than your home, and (since the 2024β25 FAFSA) businesses and family farms. The home you live in, retirement accounts and life insurance are not reported. Follow the instructions on StudentAid.gov for the year you are applying.
Is a negative net worth bad?
It is common early on, especially with student loans or right after buying a home or car. The useful question is whether it is moving toward zero. Paying down high-interest debt and building a small cash buffer usually turns the trend first.
Sources and further reading
- Federal Reserve: Changes in U.S. Family Finances from 2019 to 2022 (Survey of Consumer Finances, Table 2)
- Federal Reserve: Survey of Consumer Finances (about the survey and upcoming releases)
- StudentAid.gov: Filling out the FAFSA form
- CFPB: Consumer tools for budgeting, debt and saving
Checked October 2026. Federal Reserve figures are for 2022 in 2022 dollars; we'll update them when the 2025 survey is published. This article is general information, not financial advice.
