According to a Gallup survey mentioned in the
Wall Street Journal, once you are making $75K/year, any further increases in your wealth don't make you any happier.
The study, which analyzed Gallup surveys of 450,000 Americans in 2008 and 2009, suggested that there were two forms of happiness: day-to-day contentment (emotional well-being) and overall “life assessment,” which means broader satisfaction with one’s place in the world. While a higher income didn’t have much impact on day-to-day contentment, it did boost people’s “life assessment.” Now we have more details from the study, conducted by the Princeton economist Angus Deaton and famed psychologist Daniel Kahneman. It turns out there is a specific dollar number, or income plateau, after which more money has no measurable effect on day-to-day contentment. The magic income: $75,000 a year. As people earn more money, their day-to-day happiness rises. Until you hit $75,000. After that, it is just more stuff, with no gain in happiness.
You have to wonder how many of the surveyed live in New York City.
Labels: Gallup, surveys
According to a Gallup survey mentioned in the Wall Street Journal, once you are making $75K/year, any further increases in your wealth don't make you any happier. 
