Bernie Sanders is famous for attacking billionaires and corporate greed, so people are often surprised to learn he’s a millionaire. But public records and media estimates show that Sanders has built a modest seven‑figure net worth over time, mainly from book royalties, government salaries, pensions, and real estate in Vermont.
Below is a clear, straightforward breakdown of how much he’s worth, where the money comes from, and how that compares to the “1%” he criticizes.
How Much Is Bernie Sanders Worth?
Most recent, credible estimates put Bernie Sanders’ net worth at around $2.5 million to $3 million.
- In 2019, Forbes estimated his net worth at about $2.5 million, based on:
- His homes
- His investments
- The calculated value of his federal and city pensions
- By the mid‑2020s, outlets like The Street and others still placed him in roughly the same range, with some estimates trending closer to $3 million as his Vermont properties increased in value.
These are estimates, not exact figures. Members of Congress report assets and debts in broad ranges, not precise dollar amounts. Some accounts—like the federal Thrift Savings Plan (similar to a 401(k) for federal employees)—don’t have to be detailed at all.
Because of that, any number you see for Sanders’ net worth is an approximation. Still, the available data strongly supports the idea that he is a “low‑millionaire”—wealthy by normal standards but not extremely rich.
Books: The Main Engine of Bernie Sanders’ Wealth
For most of his career, Sanders was financially comfortable but not rich. That changed after his 2016 presidential campaign, which turned him into a national figure—and a successful author.
Analyses of his financial disclosures suggest that between 2011 and 2023, Sanders earned around $2.5 million from book deals and royalties.
Key books include:
- 2015 – Outsider in the White House
- 2015 – The Speech: A Historic Filibuster on Corporate Greed and the Decline of Our Middle Class
- 2016 – Our Revolution: A Future to Believe In
- His breakout best‑seller, with over 200,000 copies sold
- 2017 – Bernie Sanders Guide to Political Revolution
- 2018 – Where We Go From Here: Two Years in the Resistance
- 2023 – It’s Okay to Be Angry About Capitalism
His book income has been very uneven:
- Around $850,000 in 2017 (a peak year)
- About $170,000 in 2022, after the initial surge of interest faded
Sanders has been open about how he became a millionaire. In 2019, when asked about it, he said:
“I wrote a best‑selling book. If you write a best‑selling book, you can be a millionaire, too.”
In short, book money is the single biggest reason his net worth jumped from a few hundred thousand dollars in the early 2010s to over a million dollars by the end of that decade.
Salary and Pensions: Income from Public Office
Long before his books took off, Sanders earned a steady income from public service.
Typical salaries over his career:
- Mayor of Burlington (1980s): About $33,700 per year
- U.S. House of Representatives (from 1991): Around $96,000 per year at the time
- U.S. Senate: Standard Senate salary, now $174,000 per year
His 2014 tax return, released during his first presidential campaign, showed total household income of about $205,617, made up of:
- His Senate salary
- $39,281 in Social Security benefits
- About $4,982 from his Burlington mayoral pension
- Around $4,900 from his wife Jane’s commission work
Decades in public office also earned him substantial pension benefits:
- Federal pension
- Nearly 30 years in Congress
- A 2019 estimate put this at about $73,000 per year, which is roughly $650,000 when treated as a lump‑sum asset
- Burlington city pension
- About $428 per month, valued at around $50,000
Together with Social Security, these pensions provide a reliable base for Sanders’ net worth, even aside from his books and homes.
Homes and Real Estate
Like many Americans, a large share of Sanders’ wealth is tied up in real estate.
1. Primary Home – Burlington, Vermont
- Type: 4‑bedroom, 2.5‑bath home, about 2,500 square feet
- Purchased: 2009 for roughly $405,000
- Estimated value (mid‑2020s): Around $700,000–$750,000
After his book income increased, Sanders used the money to pay off the 30‑year mortgage early, turning this property into a major source of home equity.
2. Vacation Home – Lake Champlain (North Hero, Vermont)
- Type: Lakefront home with 4 bedrooms, 3 baths, and about 500 feet of shoreline
- Purchased: 2016 for approximately $575,000
According to his wife Jane, they paid for it using:
- Part of Bernie’s book advance
- Some of her retirement savings
- Money from selling a family cabin
By 2025, online real‑estate estimates put the value at roughly $900,000 or more.
3. Former Townhouse – Washington, D.C.
- Type: Small townhouse, about 700 square feet, near the U.S. Capitol
- Purchased: 2007 for around $489,000
- In 2019, Forbes reported that about $350,000 remained on the mortgage
- Sold in 2021 for about $422,000
Mortgages and Equity
Reports indicate that Sanders and his wife still have at least one mortgage in the approximate range of $250,001 to $500,000, most likely tied to one of the Vermont properties.
Even with that remaining debt, the rising value of their homes means that real estate represents a significant part of Bernie Sanders’ overall net worth.
Savings, Investments, and Taxes
Outside of real estate and pensions, Sanders’ liquid assets appear relatively modest compared with many other national politicians.
- In 2019, reports suggested the couple held about $500,000 in cash and investments, including three retirement accounts owned by Jane Sanders.
- More recent disclosures list two joint bank accounts in the following ranges:
- One with $15,001–$50,000
- Another with $100,000–$250,000
He may also have money in the federal Thrift Savings Plan, but balances there do not need to be broken out in detail, so the exact amount is unknown.
Tax Records
Sanders’ released tax returns show:
- An effective federal tax rate of about 20% in 2014
- Roughly $28,000 in federal income tax on $140,994 of taxable income
- Additional Vermont state income taxes
- Several thousand dollars in charitable contributions
He also consistently checks the box to direct a small portion of his taxes toward public financing of elections, which lines up with his views on campaign finance.
Is Bernie Sanders in the Top 1%?
Whether Sanders is part of the “1%” depends on whether you’re looking at income or net worth, and in which year.
By Income
To be in the top 1% by income in recent years, a household usually needs to make around $787,000 or more per year.
- In years like 2017, when Sanders reportedly earned about $850,000 from books alone, his total income would likely have put him in the top 1% of earners.
- In years with much lower book royalties, his income falls well below that 1% cutoff.
By Net Worth
By wealth, Sanders is a millionaire, but still nowhere near the billionaire class he targets in his speeches.
Historically:
- A 2013 analysis put his net worth at about $330,000, making him one of the less wealthy U.S. senators at that time.
- The median senator then was worth around $2.8 million, and politicians like Hillary Clinton or Jeb Bush were earning many millions per year at their peak.
Some critics, especially on the right, have tried to claim Sanders is secretly worth $8 million or more. He has dismissed those higher numbers as “phony.”
The more credible, data‑based estimates paint a different picture: Sanders is well‑off by middle‑class standards, but still relatively modestly wealthy compared to many long‑serving national politicians and far below the billionaire class.
The Bottom Line on Bernie Sanders’ Net Worth
When you add up everything—book royalties, government salaries, pensions, real estate, and savings—most serious estimates put Bernie Sanders’ net worth at about $2.5 million to $3 million.
He became a millionaire primarily through:
- Decades of public service pay and pensions
- Several successful political books
- Two appreciated homes in Vermont
That places him comfortably above the typical American household and, in some peak years, even in the top 1% of earners. But his wealth is still tiny compared to the billionaires and ultra‑rich individuals he focuses on in his political agenda—and his proposed tax policies would likely apply to people with fortunes in, or above, the range he himself has reached if their wealth grows large enough.
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