Back in Statistics class, I was taught that there are three definitions of "average": Mean, Median, and Mode. The Mean is the calculation that accumulates all values and then divides that total by the number of individual totals. For population wealth, that would not be helpful because the stratospheric wealth of the top couple percent would skew the "average" upward. The Median is equally flawed because that is the mid-point between the highest and the lowest - again skewed by the highest numbers. The Mode is the most frequently occurring value, which in this case would require the data to be divided into bite-size chunks, for example, Net worth between $0 and $100k, net worth between $100k and $200k, and so on.
In that case, it is not difficult to believe that the most frequently occurring Net Worth for a household with the main earner between 50 and 55 y.o. is a million bucks. Net Worth would be the value of their owned residence, all investments (esp. 401k or defined-benefit pension), and other tangible assets having significant value, if any.
But it is astounding as you drive through high-demand resorts, neighborhoods, and posh neighborhoods, how many seven figure houses, townhouses, condo's, etc., there are . In Florida alone, there are hundreds of thousands of them, and that's probably only 10% of the national total. My own personal reaction includes consideration that MOST OF THEM - certainly more than half - are owned by people who are drawing Social Security. [Perhaps it's time for "means testing" SS].
Since the 1970's, buying a first home has always been a challenge. I remember in about 1975, one of my brothers in California begged my dad for some help with a down payment, because if they didn't buy a house THEN, it would increase beyond their ability to pay within a year or two (10% per year was common at the time). My dad turned him down because he didn't want all of his kids coming to him later for the same thing.
"We" have reached the point where, to paraphrase HRC, "It takes a family to..." buy a house. Parents of young adults have to seriously consider giving their "kids" money to help with the down payment and furnishing of their first house, if that is possible. It would be a damn shame to watch your kids paying thousands of dollars each month in rent - and increasing every year - when helping out could get them into home ownership. For those who don't have well-solvent parents, they just need to work harder to get off the monthly rent treadmill.
Sorry.