The home is the key.  A large portion of most folks' net worth is their home equity.

So, say he's following the Dave Ramsey plan, stopped contributing to his K, and has a 1-2M home (this is the heavily bloated federal money DC area/MD after all) that he has just finished paying for.

That changes the equation big time.  Or, OTOH, say he's taken out equity to put a kid or kids through overpriced schools and doesn't have much equity - oof.  That would be the other side of the coin.  Heavy debt like that may also explain the lack of equity - which would place him alongside most "normal" folks who carry debt.

---