Here’s How Much Money You Need to Make to Be Happy in Louisiana

Money can't buy happiness, right?  It's such a difficult question to answer.  On one hand, money can't buy the kind of joy you get from fulfilling relationships with friends and family.  On the other, it's hard to picture yourself crying in a new boat and/or car. I'm sure it happens, but with all kidding aside - wouldn't you be happier if you made the kind of money to knock out a few financial hurdles?

To that end, GoBankingRates.com took data from a 2018 Purdue University study on money and happiness and adjusted the global numbers by the average cost of living in each state in America to determine what you need to make annually to be "happy."  It's important to understand what the data means by happy.  In this study, it is defined as a point where "money would no longer affect one’s level of emotional well-being and stability."

In Louisiana, that point is $97,755 per year.  The crunched data also revealed the income required for "life evaluation," (AKA the point where you could make important decisions like your career and where you live based on planning, not desperation) and "emotional well-being" (which is the ability to make ends meet without worrying if you will make it until the next paycheck). Annually, those numbers are $88,445 and $55,860-$69,825 respectively.

Topping the list was the island state of Hawaii at $201,000.  The cheapest place to be happy in the U.S. being Mississippi at $89,000 a year.