This Is the Salary Needed To Be Happy in Every State

Alexandria Bova

August 12, 2020 at 7:40 PM·10 min read

This Is the Salary Needed To Be Happy in Every State

There’s been a long-standing debate on whether money can truly buy happiness. But if it can, how much would it take? It turns out that there is an approximate amount, according to Purdue researchers who conducted a study in 2018 to get a better understanding of how happiness relates to money. The study was done on a global scale, so the number varied worldwide. The researchers also wanted to learn if happiness rises as income level increases and identify the sum where money would no longer affect one’s level of emotional well-being and stability.

Financial stress is a considerable problem among Americans, even for those earning over $100,000 annually. Millennials, in particular, think satisfaction and happiness are directly linked to stability and financial responsibility, according to a Wells Fargo study.

To find out the salary needed to be happy in every state, GOBankingRates analyzed data from the 2018 Purdue University study. The Purdue research team found that individuals would need an income of $60,000-$75,000 for emotional well-being and an income of $95,000 for life evaluation across every continent. The ideal income for life satisfaction in North America is $105,000, which was used as a benchmark for the “salary you need to be happy” category in this particular study. The study is ranked by state from lowest to highest salary needed to be happy.

Each of the salaries is adjusted by cost of living, so the current ranking may not come as a shock. Residents of Southern and Midwestern states may have a better shot at happiness, as they are spending less on annual expenditures than other parts of the country. Meanwhile, many Northeastern states are stacked toward the bottom of the ranking, suggesting it’s particularly difficult to find stability in that region — both emotionally and financially. Check out how much money you need to earn to be happy in your state.

Last updated: Aug. 12, 2020

Mississippi

Salary you need to be happy: $89,040
Salary you need for life evaluation: $80,560
Salary you need for emotional well-being: $50,880-$63,600

Oklahoma

Salary you need to be happy: $90,825
Salary you need for life evaluation: $82,175
Salary you need for emotional well-being: $51,900-$64,875

Arkansas

Salary you need to be happy: $91,455
Salary you need for life evaluation: $82,745
Salary you need for emotional well-being: $52,260-$65,325

Check Out: How These 15 Highly Successful People Stay Happy and Healthy

New Mexico

Salary you need to be happy: $92,610
Salary you need for life evaluation: $83,790
Salary you need for emotional well-being: $52,920-$66,150

Kansas

Salary you need to be happy: $92,925
Salary you need for life evaluation: $84,075
Salary you need for emotional well-being: $53,100-$66,375

Missouri

Salary you need to be happy: $92,925
Salary you need for life evaluation: $84,075
Salary you need for emotional well-being: $53,100-$66,375

Tennessee

Salary you need to be happy: $93,030
Salary you need for life evaluation: $84,170
Salary you need for emotional well-being: $53,160-$66,450

Alabama

Salary you need to be happy: $93,660
Salary you need for life evaluation: $84,740
Salary you need for emotional well-being: $53,520-$66,900

Georgia

Salary you need to be happy: $93,660
Salary you need for life evaluation: $84,740
Salary you need for emotional well-being: $53,520-$66,900

Michigan

Salary you need to be happy: $94,290
Salary you need for life evaluation: $85,310
Salary you need for emotional well-being: $53,880-$67,350

Indiana

Salary you need to be happy: $95,445
Salary you need for life evaluation: $86,355
Salary you need for emotional well-being: $54,540-$68,175

West Virginia

Salary you need to be happy: $95,445
Salary you need for life evaluation: $86,355
Salary you need for emotional well-being: $54,540-$68,175

Nebraska

Salary you need to be happy: $96,180
Salary you need for life evaluation: $87,020
Salary you need for emotional well-being: $54,960-$68,700

Iowa

Salary you need to be happy: $96,495
Salary you need for life evaluation: $87,305
Salary you need for emotional well-being: $55,140-$68,925

Texas

Salary you need to be happy: $96,495
Salary you need for life evaluation: $87,305
Salary you need for emotional well-being: $55,140-$68,925

Ohio

Salary you need to be happy: $97,440
Salary you need for life evaluation: $88,160
Salary you need for emotional well-being: $55,680-$69,600

Kentucky

Salary you need to be happy: $97,755
Salary you need for life evaluation: $88,445
Salary you need for emotional well-being: $55,860-$69,825

Louisiana

Salary you need to be happy: $97,755
Salary you need for life evaluation: $88,445
Salary you need for emotional well-being: $55,860-$69,825

Idaho

Salary you need to be happy: $97,965
Salary you need for life evaluation: $88,635
Salary you need for emotional well-being: $55,980-$69,975

Illinois

Salary you need to be happy: $99,645
Salary you need for life evaluation: $90,155
Salary you need for emotional well-being: $56,940-$71,175

North Carolina

Salary you need to be happy: $99,750
Salary you need for life evaluation: $90,250
Salary you need for emotional well-being: $57,000-$71,250

Wisconsin

Salary you need to be happy: $101,220
Salary you need for life evaluation: $91,580
Salary you need for emotional well-being: $57,840-$72,300

South Carolina

Salary you need to be happy: $101,325
Salary you need for life evaluation: $91,675
Salary you need for emotional well-being: $57,900-$72,375

Utah

Salary you need to be happy: $102,270
Salary you need for life evaluation: $92,530
Salary you need for emotional well-being: $58,440-$73,050

North Dakota

Salary you need to be happy: $102,690
Salary you need for life evaluation: $92,910
Salary you need for emotional well-being: $58,680-$73,350

Florida

Salary you need to be happy: $103,110
Salary you need for life evaluation: $93,290
Salary you need for emotional well-being: $58,920-$73,650

Arizona

Salary you need to be happy: $104,580
Salary you need for life evaluation: $94,620
Salary you need for emotional well-being: $59,760-$74,700

See: Why Happy People Earn More Money

South Dakota

Salary you need to be happy: $105,735
Salary you need for life evaluation: $95,665
Salary you need for emotional well-being: $60,420-$75,525

Virginia

Salary you need to be happy: $106,470
Salary you need for life evaluation: $96,330
Salary you need for emotional well-being: $60,840-$76,050

Minnesota

Salary you need to be happy: $106,575
Salary you need for life evaluation: $96,425
Salary you need for emotional well-being: $60,900-$76,125

Wyoming

Salary you need to be happy: $106,785
Salary you need for life evaluation: $96,615
Salary you need for emotional well-being: $61,020-$76,275

Pennsylvania

Salary you need to be happy: $107,520
Salary you need for life evaluation: $97,280
Salary you need for emotional well-being: $61,440-$76,800

Colorado

Salary you need to be happy: $110,040
Salary you need for life evaluation: $99,560
Salary you need for emotional well-being: $62,880-$78,600

Montana

Salary you need to be happy: $111,615
Salary you need for life evaluation: $100,985
Salary you need for emotional well-being: $63,780-$79,725

Delaware

Salary you need to be happy: $113,295
Salary you need for life evaluation: $102,505
Salary you need for emotional well-being: $64,740-$80,925

Nevada

Salary you need to be happy: $113,820
Salary you need for life evaluation: $102,980
Salary you need for emotional well-being: $65,040-$81,300

New Hampshire

Salary you need to be happy: $113,925
Salary you need for life evaluation: $103,075
Salary you need for emotional well-being: $65,100-$81,375

Washington

Salary you need to be happy: $115,605
Salary you need for life evaluation: $104,595
Salary you need for emotional well-being: $66,060-$82,575

Vermont

Salary you need to be happy: $120,015
Salary you need for life evaluation: $108,585
Salary you need for emotional well-being: $68,580-$85,725

Maine

Salary you need to be happy: $122,430
Salary you need for life evaluation: $110,770
Salary you need for emotional well-being: $69,960-$87,450

Rhode Island

Salary you need to be happy: $124,635
Salary you need for life evaluation: $112,765
Salary you need for emotional well-being: $71,220-$89,025

New Jersey

Salary you need to be happy: $129,885
Salary you need for life evaluation: $117,515
Salary you need for emotional well-being: $74,220-$92,775

Connecticut

Salary you need to be happy: $132,825
Salary you need for life evaluation: $120,175
Salary you need for emotional well-being: $75,900-$94,875

Maryland

Salary you need to be happy: $133,980
Salary you need for life evaluation: $121,220
Salary you need for emotional well-being: $76,560-$95,700

Alaska

Salary you need to be happy: $134,715
Salary you need for life evaluation: $121,885
Salary you need for emotional well-being: $76,980-$96,225

Massachusetts

Salary you need to be happy: $136,605
Salary you need for life evaluation: $123,595
Salary you need for emotional well-being: $78,060-$97,575

Oregon

Salary you need to be happy: $140,700
Salary you need for life evaluation: $127,300
Salary you need for emotional well-being: $80,400-$100,500

New York

Salary you need to be happy: $144,165
Salary you need for life evaluation: $130,435
Salary you need for emotional well-being: $82,380-$102,975

California

Salary you need to be happy: $144,585
Salary you need for life evaluation: $130,815
Salary you need for emotional well-being: $82,620-$103,275

Hawaii

Salary you need to be happy: $201,390
Salary you need for life evaluation: $182,210
Salary you need for emotional well-being: $115,080-$143,850

More From GOBankingRates

Methodology: GOBankingRates determined the cost-of-living-adjusted minimum salary needed to be “happy” based on various income satiation levels, identified by Purdue University researchers. Global income satiation levels were defined as: $95,000 for “life evaluation” and $60,000-$75,000 for “emotional well-being.” In North America, the income satiation level is $105,000 for “life evaluation,” according to Purdue. To get a state-by-state breakdown, we factored in each city’s cost-of-living index, sourced from the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center: Composite Cost of Living Index 2019. All data was compiled on and is up to date as of Feb. 11, 2020.

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: This Is the Salary Needed To Be Happy in Every State

Politico
Amid decline, coal seeks new champions in Washington
The industry's most influential bipartisan backers are leaving, but others will take their place — at least among the GOP.
13m ago
AFP
Nestle sales slump on weak North America demand for frozen food
Swiss food giant Nestle reported slimmer sales than expected in the first quarter on Thursday, weighed down by weak demand for frozen pizza and snacks in North America."Weakness in the US centered around frozen pizza and snacks, where we saw a combination of soft consumer demand, intense price competition and a reduction in retailer inventories in the quarter," Manz said.
23m ago
Associated Press
Japan announces plans to launch upgraded observation satellites on new flagship rocket's 3rd flight
Japan’s space agency announced Friday a plan to launch a major upgrade to its satellite imaging system, as a new flagship rocket is put to the test for a third time. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency that an H3 rocket will be launched from the Tanegashima Space Center, on a southwestern Japanese island, early afternoon on June 30, with a launch window that runs through the end of July. The rocket will be carrying an Advanced Land Observation Satellite, ALOS-4, tasked primarily with Earth observation and data collection for disaster response and mapmaking, as well as with monitoring military activity, such as missile launches, with an infrared sensor developed by the Defense Ministry.
32m ago
AFP
Yen falls further as Bank of Japan stands pat on rates
The Bank of Japan kept its ultra-low interest rates unchanged Friday and stopped short of signalling another hike, pushing the yen to a fresh 34-year low against the dollar.- Global outlier - The BoJ has been a global outlier in sticking to an ultra-loose policy while other central banks pushed rates up as they fought against surging inflation -- causing a wide differential that saw investors push into other currencies.
40m ago
Reuters
Kenya Airways accuses Congo of harassment over detained staff
Kenya Airways on Friday accused the authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo of harassment over the continued detention of two of the airline's staff for alleged customs violations despite a court ordering their release. Officers from Congo's military intelligence detained the pair on April 19 for allegedly failing to complete customs documentation related to valuable cargo that was meant to be transported a week earlier, the airline said in a statement. The airline workers have been granted only one short visit by Kenya's embassy staff, Kenya's national carrier said.
44m ago
AFP
China warns Blinken against US pressure in top-level talks
China's foreign minister warned Antony Blinken on Friday that US pressure could trigger a "downward spiral", as the visiting secretary of state raised concerns on issues including support for Russia.Blinken raised concern with Wang about China's support for Russia, which has rapidly rebuilt its military base two years into its invasion of Ukraine, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said.
54m ago
AFP
Asian markets mixed as strong US tech earnings offset poor data
Markets were mixed on Friday after forecast-topping earnings from Microsoft and Alphabet helped soothe worries that a tech-fuelled rally may have been overdone, while the yen hit a fresh 34-year low after the Bank of Japan stood pat on interest rates.The rally has been helped by blockbuster reports from heavyweights Microsoft and Alphabet, which topped estimates, while the latter also announced its first dividend.
56m ago
USA TODAY
Arbor Day: How a Nebraska editor and Richard Nixon, separated by a century, gave trees a day
When is Arbor Day? President Richard Nixon established the day on the last Friday in April but that was nearly 100 years after the movement began.
1h ago
Reuters
Huawei's smart car tech offers automakers route to China sales
It's taken Huawei just four years to become a force in smart car technology, navigating the devastation of trade sanctions on its smartphones business while simultaneously developing a driver assistance system that is the darling of the Beijing auto show. Huawei Technologies has two huge booths at this week's event, and there are at least seven Chinese automakers touting its Qiankun installed in their cars as the most sophisticated advanced driving assistance system (ADAS) to date. Even Germany's Volkswagen will equip its China-made, China-bound Audi Q6L e-tron with Qiankun upon the car's 2025 launch, in Huawei's first deal with a foreign automaker, two people with knowledge of the matter told Reuters.
1h ago
AFP
Clean energy drives massive BHP takeover bid
BHP's multi-billion-dollar bid to buy rival Anglo American promises to be the largest mining merger deal in decades, and one driven by the race for cleaner energy and green metals.Analysts say the rationale behind BHP's near US$40 billion bid can be summed up in one word: copper.
1h ago
Associated Press
The Latest | Officials say Egypt sending cease-fire delegation to Israel
Egypt is sending a high-level delegation to Israel in the hope of reaching a cease-fire agreement with Hamas in Gaza, while warning a possible new Israeli offensive focused on the southern city of Rafah on the border with Egypt could have catastrophic consequences for regional stability, two officials said Friday. While in Israel, Kamel plans to make clear that Egypt “will not tolerate” Israel’s deployments of troops along Gaza’s borders with Egypt, an Egyptian official said, speaking on condition of anonymity to freely discuss the mission.
1h ago
Associated Press
Corals bred in a zoo have joined Europe's largest reef. This is offering scientists hope
On Monday, divers with gloved hands gently nestled the self-bred corals from the World Coral Conservatory project among their cousins in Europe’s largest coral reef at the Burgers’ Zoo in the Netherlands. It’s among several projects worldwide seeking to address the decline of coral reef populations, which are suffering from bleaching caused by rising sea temperatures. Corals are central to marine ecosystems, and while these projects won’t stem the tide of damage from human-caused climate change, they are seen as part of broader solutions.
1h ago
Associated Press
Stock market today: Global benchmarks mostly climb despite worries about US economy
Global shares mostly rose Friday despite worries about the economic outlook and inflation in the U.S. and the rest of the world. The Bank of Japan ended a policy meeting with no major changes, keeping its benchmark interest rate in a range of 0 to 0.1%. In March, it raised the key rate from minus 0.1%, citing signs that inflation had reached the central bank’s target of about 2%.
2h ago
AFP
China's EV execs bullish on Western pressure at Beijing car show
Electric vehicle executives at a top car show in China were bullish on prospects for growth, despite a gruelling price war and mounting Western pressure on the industry.And even as firms face down a cut-throat price war at home and mounting regulatory pressure overseas, executives and attendees were upbeat.
2h ago
Reuters
Smaller towns in South Korea bear brunt of doctors’ shortage
Seoul, the capital, boasts top-level hospitals, but smaller cities are starved of doctors in a trend experts say will only get worse as the population ages at one of the world's fastest rates, while birthrates are the lowest in the world. "Our artificial kidney room was closed for almost two years because we didn't have a doctor and we couldn't find one … but this is a national phenomenon," said Cho Seung-yeon, director of the Incheon Medical Center in the port city. The shortage is at the heart of government plans to add thousands of medical school students from next year that face stiff opposition from trainee doctors and some medical groups who doubt it will improve poor working conditions.
2h ago
AFP
Miner Anglo American rejects BHP's $38.8 billion takeover bid
British mining giant Anglo American on Friday rejected a blockbuster $38.8-billion takeover bid from Australian rival BHP, slamming it as "highly unattractive" and "opportunistic"."The proposed structure is also highly unattractive, creating substantial uncertainty and execution risk borne almost entirely by Anglo American, its shareholders and its other stakeholders."
2h ago
Associated Press
Muslim groups claim double standards in police handling of two high-profile stabbings in Sydney
Muslim groups in Australia on Friday criticized the disparity in the police response to two stabbing attacks in Sydney this month, saying it had created a perception of a double standard and further alienated the country's minority Muslim community. The Australian National Imams Council said an attack at a Bondi Junction shopping center was “quickly deemed a mental health issue” while the stabbing of a Christian bishop at a Sydney church two days later was “classified as a terrorist act almost immediately.”
2h ago
CNN
Choose between stability and ‘downward spiral’ China’s foreign minister tells Blinken during Beijing trip
China and the US face a choice between stability and a “downward spiral,” Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told counterpart Antony Blinken on Friday in Beijing, as the American diplomat kicked off a day of meetings with top Chinese officials.
3h ago
Associated Press
Paramedic sentencing in Elijah McClain's death caps trials that led to 3 convictions
Almost five years after Elijah McClain died following a police stop in which he was put in a neck hold and injected with the powerful sedative ketamine, three of the five Denver-area responders prosecuted in the Black man's death have been convicted. Experts say the convictions would have been unheard of before 2020, when George Floyd's murder sparked a nationwide reckoning over racist policing and deaths in police custody. Previously, she has said the two acquitted Aurora police officers, as well as other firefighters and police on the scene, were complicit in her 23-year-old son’s murder and that they escaped justice.
4h ago
AFP
Philippine settlement submerged by dam reappears due to drought
A centuries-old settlement submerged by the construction of a dam in the northern Philippines in the 1970s has reappeared as water levels drop due to a drought affecting swathes of the country.Hundreds of residents of the submerged villages and farms where the dam is located were moved by the government to higher ground.
4h ago