Net worth calculator
Take a snapshot of assets minus liabilities.
- Formula and assumptions shown
- Table and CSV export
- Runs in your browser
How it works
Net worth is a snapshot: the value of assets less the balances of liabilities. Grouping the entries helps reveal whether a change comes from saving, debt repayment, or an asset value assumption.
Net worth = total assets − total liabilities.
Use values you can explain and date the snapshot. The calculator does not appraise property, forecast investments, or apply tax treatment.
Assumptions
- Asset values and liability balances are entered estimates at the same snapshot date.
- Each item is counted once.
- No future growth, depreciation, tax, or transaction cost is applied.
- The result is a bookkeeping view, not a statement of financial advice.
Worked example
$250,000 assets and $120,000 liabilities
At the same snapshot date, net worth is $250,000 − $120,000 = $130,000.
Step by step
- Add up the assets. Total assets in the example are $250,000: everything owned on the snapshot date at the value entered for it, such as cash, retirement and brokerage balances, a home, and a vehicle.
- Add up the liabilities. Total liabilities are $120,000 on the same date. Each debt counts at its current payoff balance (mortgage, auto loan, student loans, card balances), not at its original amount or its monthly payment.
- Subtract. $250,000 − $120,000 = $130,000, the headline net worth and the last row of the results table.
- Compare debt with assets. The liabilities-to-assets ratio is $120,000 ÷ $250,000 = 48%. The other 52% of the asset value ($130,000 ÷ $250,000) is owned outright.
How to read your result
The headline is a single-date figure: total assets minus total liabilities as entered. The results repeat Assets and Liabilities and add the liabilities-to-assets ratio, and the table lists the same three amounts so they can be copied or exported. There is no chart, because the model does not project growth, interest, or value changes over time.
The liabilities-to-assets ratio shows how much of what is owned is matched by debt. At 48% in the example, roughly half of the asset value is offset by balances owed. The ratio rises when debt grows faster than assets and is reported as undefined when assets are zero. Net worth itself can be negative, for example when student loan or car loan balances exceed savings; the result then shows as a negative amount.
The figure does not separate cash from assets that take time to sell, and it does not subtract selling costs or taxes that could be due if an asset were sold or a pre-tax retirement account withdrawn. It also does not value anything: a home or car counts at whatever estimate is entered. Snapshots taken on the same basis a few months apart show the direction of change more reliably than any single total.
What changes the result most
- Estimated asset values
- Home, vehicle, and investment values change without any action. With assets $25,000 lower ($225,000) and the same debts, net worth falls from $130,000 to $105,000 and the liabilities-to-assets ratio rises from 48% to 53.33%.
- Paying debt from savings
- Moving cash to pay down a balance shrinks both sides by the same amount. Using $10,000 of savings on a loan (assets $240,000, liabilities $110,000) leaves net worth at $130,000, while the ratio falls to 45.83%. Net worth grows from income that is saved and from asset gains, not from moving money between accounts.
- Items left out
- A car bought with a loan belongs on both sides. Adding a $20,000 car and its $15,000 loan (assets $270,000, liabilities $135,000) raises net worth by the $5,000 of equity, to $135,000, and moves the ratio to 50%. Listing the car but forgetting the loan would overstate net worth by $15,000.
Questions
Should I include my home?
Include an entered value if you want it in the snapshot, and include the related mortgage as a liability. Keep the valuation assumption visible.
Is a high net worth the same as having cash?
No. Net worth can include assets that are illiquid or whose value changes. Review liquidity separately.
How often should I update it?
Use a cadence that helps you see meaningful changes, such as monthly or quarterly, and keep the dates consistent.
How do you calculate net worth?
List everything owned at its current value and everything owed at its current payoff balance, both on the same date, then subtract total liabilities from total assets. With $250,000 of assets and $120,000 of debts, net worth is $130,000. Monthly payments are not liabilities; the balance still owed is.
What is liquid net worth?
Liquid net worth counts only assets that can be turned into cash quickly without a large loss, such as checking, savings, and taxable brokerage balances, minus debts. Definitions vary, and many leave out home equity and retirement accounts that carry withdrawal taxes or penalties. To estimate it here, enter only those liquid assets in the assets field.
How does net worth compare by age?
The Federal Reserve’s Survey of Consumer Finances, conducted every three years, publishes median and mean household net worth by the age of the household head. Medians sit well below means because a small number of very wealthy households pull the averages up. This calculator does not compare a result with those figures.
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Sources
These references explain the concepts behind the calculation. They do not endorse this site. Estimates leave out any cost or condition you did not enter.