When all households are included — not just households with retirement accounts — the median retirement account balance is $ 3,000 for all working - agehouseholds and $ 12,000 for near - retirementhouseholds.
The median retirement account balance — including money in a 401 (k) retirement account — is $ 2,500 for working - agehouseholds, and $ 14,500 for near - retirementhouseholds, the study found.