Survey Says People Need To Make More Than $200K Salary To Be Happy In LA

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They say money can’t buy happiness. But that might not be true in Los Angeles, California, where the high cost of living makes it impossible to make ends meet without a very high salary. In a recent survey, respondents said they needed an income of at least $200,000 a year to be happy in L.A.

“That might be surprising as what we see on TV and what advertisers tell us we need would indicate that there is no ceiling when it comes to how much money is needed for happiness, but we now see there are some thresholds,” said Andrew T. Jebb, a researcher at Purdue University who led the study.

Researchers found that respondents who made below the income threshold experienced regular feelings of stress and depression due to their financial situation. And Los Angeles residents aren’t alone–in other parts of California, the annual salary required for happiness is much higher.

“The survey also found that in Long Beach, you need to make $188,055 to be happy, in Fresno, you need to make $113,190, in San Diego, you need to make $186,375 and you need to make a whopping $319,935 annually to be happy in San Francisco,” Fox 11 Los Angeles reported. “Nationally, the study says that the ideal salary needed to be happy is roughly $105,000, they say that’s generally enough to make people feel comfortable and happy enough to explore bigger goals.”