Current:Home > StocksAmericans say money can buy happiness. Here's their price tag.-VaTradeCoin
Americans say money can buy happiness. Here's their price tag.
View Date:2025-01-08 16:42:21
Does happiness have a price? For a majority of Americans, the answer is yes — but it it doesn't come cheap.
About 6 in 10 of Americans believe money can buy happiness, according to a new poll from financial services firm Empower. Yet to achieve happiness through financial means, most people say they'd need a significant raise, as well as a big chunk of money in the bank.
Median household income in the U.S. stands at about $74,000 annually, but respondents told Empower that they'd need to earn roughly $284,000 each year to achieve happiness.
And as for wealth, Americans said they'd need even more in the bank to feel content: $1.2 million, to be exact, the poll found. Many people are wealthier than they were a few years ago, thanks to the rise in real estate and stock market values, yet the median net worth of U.S. households stood at $192,900 in 2022, according to the Federal Reserve.
The findings come at a time when Americans are feeling more stressed by money, partly due to the impact of inflation, which has been elevated for more than a year. Workers, meanwhile, aren't likely to receive the type of raises next year that could put them anywhere near the $284,000 mark, given that the average raise will be about 3.9% in 2024, according to consulting firm Mercer.
Most generations said they believed earning a low six-figure income would bring them happiness, with the notable exception of millennials, who said they would need to earn more than half a million a year to feel joy.
Millennials may have higher financial aspirations because they've experienced significant headwinds in their adult lives, including the Great Recession, when many were entering the workforce, as well as struggles to get a foothold in the housing market amid high mortgage rates and housing costs, Empower said.
About 7 in 10 Americans said that having more money would solve most of their problems, according to the study, which was conducted by The Harris Poll. The group surveyed more than 2,000 American adults between August 7 to August 14, 2023.
Can money buy happiness?
The findings add to research about the intersection of finance and happiness — and may add ammunition to the debate over whether money can buy contentment.
Earlier this year, Nobel Prize-winning economist Daniel Kahneman and fellow researchers dug into the question after earlier academic research had concluded that money could only boost happiness up to a certain point, at about $75,000 in annual income.
The new study from Princeton University's Kahneman found that money actually delivers a continual return on investment — up to earnings of $500,000 per year. Beyond that figure, he and his other researchers concluded, money had little impact.
For many Americans, being happy isn't only about achieving a particular net worth, Empower's research found.
According to the survey, 67% of respondents said being able to pay their bills on time would increase their happiness. In addition, more than half of the poll's participants said having no debt and being able to afford luxurious items without worry would boost their moods, while 45% believe owning a home would make them happier.
- In:
- Economy
- Money
Elizabeth Napolitano is a freelance reporter at CBS MoneyWatch, where she covers business and technology news. She also writes for CoinDesk. Before joining CBS, she interned at NBC News' BizTech Unit and worked on the Associated Press' web scraping team.
veryGood! (5332)
Related
- Inside Dream Kardashian's Sporty 8th Birthday Party
- Autoworkers used to have lifelong health care and pension income. They want it back
- Dolly Parton talks new memoir, Broadway musical and being everybody's 'favorite aunt'
- Belgian officials raise terror alert level after 2 Swedes fatally shot in Brussels
- San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich had mild stroke this month, team says
- South Africa hopes to ease crippling blackouts as major power station recovers
- Pennsylvania prison officials warned of 'escape risk' before Danelo Cavalcante breakout
- Jurors in New Mexico deliver split verdicts in kidnapping and terrorism case
- What does the top five look like and other questions facing the College Football Playoff committee
- Tropical Storm Norma forms off Mexico’s Pacific coast and may threaten resort of Los Cabos
Ranking
- Tampa Bay Rays' Wander Franco arrested again in Dominican Republic, according to reports
- Travis Kelce 'thrilled' to add new F1 investment with Patrick Mahomes to spicy portfolio
- A UNC student group gives away naloxone amid campus overdoses
- What does 'tfw' mean? What to know if you're unsure how to use the term when texting
- Skai Jackson announces pregnancy with first child: 'My heart is so full!'
- It's a pink Halloween. Here are some of the most popular costumes of 2023
- Kansas isn't ranked in preseason women's college basketball poll. Who else got snubbed?
- War between Israel and Hamas raises fears about rising US hostility
Recommendation
-
Ariana Grande's Brunette Hair Transformation Is a Callback to Her Roots
-
'Anatomy of a Fall' autopsies a marriage
-
Instead of coming face-to-face with Michael Cohen, Trump confronts emails and spreadsheets at New York trial
-
China says US moves to limit access to advanced computer chips hurt supply chains, cause huge losses
-
Five best fits for Alex Bregman: Will Astros homegrown star leave as free agent?
-
The NHL had a chance to be decent. And then it missed a wide-open net.
-
Biden will be plunging into Middle East turmoil on his visit to Israel
-
University of Wisconsin leaders to close 2 more branch campuses due to declining enrollment