How much money does it take before earning more no longer makes people happier? Researchers call this threshold the satiation point, and it varies considerably across the United States.
This graphic, via Visual Capitalist's Niccolo Conte, ranks 50 of the most populous U.S. cities by the annual income at which self-reported life evaluation stops improving, using data from Remitly.
Remitly adapted Purdue University‘s income satiation research by adjusting it for purchasing power and inflation, then scaling the U.S. figure to each metro using Numbeo’s cost-of-living index.
Coastal U.S. Cities Have the Highest Price of Happiness
Nationally, happiness levels off at an estimated annual income of $134,827. In New York City, the threshold rises to $195,969, or 45.3% above the national figure.
New York is followed by Honolulu ($192,441) and San Francisco ($191,266). In all three cities, the estimated income threshold exceeds $190,000 a year.
The table below shows the price of happiness in each of the 50 cities and how each compares with the $134,827 U.S. average:
Rank City State Price of Happiness vs. U.S. Average 1 New York NY $195,969 +45.3% 2 Honolulu HI $192,441 +42.7% 3 San Francisco
