Fed says household income, wealth and debt stress rose from 2022 to 2025
SPY•A Federal Reserve survey found inflation-adjusted median family income rose 7% to $82,200 and real median net worth rose 2% to $215,900 from 2022 to 2025. The share of families with debt-payment-to-income ratios of at least 40% increased from 6.5% to 8.6%.
1. Income and wealth gains
The Fed’s latest triennial survey found most US families experienced moderate increases in income and net worth from 2022 to 2025. Inflation-adjusted median family income rose 7% to $82,200, with the largest gains among households at the lower end of the income distribution. Real median net worth increased 2% to $215,900.
2. Debt stress increased
The share of families whose debt payments were at least 40% of income rose from 6.5% to 8.6%, the highest level since 2013. The Fed said an increasing subset of families appeared to be experiencing financial stress.
3. Uneven wealth outcomes
The homeownership rate remained about 66%, while stock-market participation slipped from 58% to 56%. Net worth for families in the bottom wealth quartile fell from $3,800 to $1,700, and median net worth for Black non-Hispanic families declined 25%, though their average net worth rose about 5%. The survey covered 4,367 households and was conducted mostly from April through December 2025.
