How Much Money Do You Need to Make in Louisiana to Be “Happy”?

SHREVEPORT, LA - If you have buckets full of cash, can you buy happiness? That question has been asked for hundreds of years. I guess it depends on your overall definition of happiness. For me money is really not what brings happiness. But it can give you the means to do some great things.

A recent Purdue study along with GOBankingRates says how much you make can contribute to how satisfied you are with your life and how you are holding up emotionally.

One of the critical points mentioned in this survey is that people with more money can take care of things like education and health care without stressing out about it.

“Globally, we find that satiation occurs at $95,000 for life evaluation and $60,000 to $75,000 for emotional well-being,” said the study’s authors in the journal. However, the study also found that the ideal income for life satisfaction in North America is $105,000, as reported by Inc.

This survey put together a list of how much money you need to make in every state to be happy. They checked out the cost of living and  unemployment rates. $105,000 was used as the benchmark for the study.

What States Were at the Top and Bottom of the List?

Mississippi is the cheapest place to live to be happy. The minimum salary to make to be happy in the Magnolia State is $88,725. The cost of living is low in Mississippi and you can make those dollars last a lot longer.

Hawaii is on the other end of the scale. You have to make $195,300 to be happy Aloha State. The cost of living in Hawaii is extremely high.

How Much Do You Have to Make in Louisiana to Be Happy?

The data shows you need to make $98,175 to be happy in Louisiana. The cost of living in Louisiana is 6.5% lower than the national average.

What’s the Number for Our Neighbors?

In Arkansas, the number is $95,235 while the number is $97,230 in Texas.