# Wealth Concentration in the U.S.: High and Rising, But Not Unprecedented Wealth concentration in the U.S. is exceptionally high right now and has risen sharply in recent decades. The top 1% now holds about 30-31% of total household wealth, and the top 10% has increased their share from 56% to 60% since 1989—according to Federal Reserve and Congressional Budget Office data. The generational wealth gap has also widened significantly, with under-40 households dropping from 12% to 6.6% of wealth between 1989 and 2026. That said, this isn't quite the historic peak some framing suggests. Historical research shows that parts of the early 20th century—particularly the 1920s and 1930s—had comparable or even higher wealth concentration among elites. So while current inequality is genuinely striking and a major shift from the more equal distribution of the mid-to-late 20th century, claiming we're at an all-time high glosses over some complexities in how far back you look and which metrics you use. Sanders frames this as a defining political issue requiring a working-class movement response. That's a judgment call about priorities, not a factual dispute. The core data on recent inequality trends is solid. The overreach is mainly in the "never before" language—we're at a historic extreme for modern America, but not necessarily for all of American history.