Steven Brown
Steven Brown is Director of Insights and Evidence at the Aspen Institute Financial Security Program, where his work focuses on wealth building and inclusive economic opportunity. Previously, he held roles at the Washington Center for Equitable Growth, the U.S. Department of the Treasury, and the Urban Institute.
Only 26% of U.S. Households Meet the Essential Wealth Threshold
Steven Brown, director of insights and evidence at the Aspen Institute Financial Security Program, argues that household wealth should be measured against what families need for security and opportunity, not just compared with the median. The program’s essential wealth metric sets three age-adjusted thresholds—from a basic cushion against hardship to resources for long-term prosperity—and finds that 26% of U.S. households meet its highest threshold. Brown says the benchmark can help researchers, policymakers, employers, and funders set and assess goals for building wealth.
A New Wealth Benchmark Finds Only 26% of U.S. Households Have Enough to Thrive
The Aspen Institute Financial Security Program’s Essential Wealth report argues that financial security cannot be measured by income and expenses alone: households also need savings and assets to absorb shocks, build for the future and make choices. Using 2022 data, the report estimates that 26% of U.S. households meet its essential-wealth threshold, while another 17% meet a lower threshold for emergent wealth. Aspen FSP presents the metric as a first version—a tool to identify gaps, not a solution to them—and argues that researchers, policymakers and institutions can use it to assess whether programs help families build wealth.