A new study by financial planner Empower reveals that 59% of Americans believe money can buy happiness, with an estimated cost of $1.2 million. Two-thirds of respondents equate financial happiness with paying bills on time and being debt-free, while just 17% said it’s defined by net worth.
The study surveyed 2,034 Americans over the age of 18 between Aug. 7 and 14, with a margin of error of 2.9 percentage points. Pollsters found that the first word people associate with financial happiness is “freedom,” followed by “security” and “relief.”
The average salary needed to make Americans happy was $284,167 per year, with men’s price point at $381,000 compared to women’s average of $183,000. There was also a significant generational divide, with Millennials listing the highest salary at $525,000 while Generation Z said $128,000 and Boomers said $124,000.
Over 7 in 10 respondents said having more money would solve most of their problems. Nearly a third (32%) said gaining $15,000 would have a meaningful impact on their lives while almost half (42%) said a $25,
