By Phil Izzo
A new study that shows income after a worker earns $75,000 the measurable effect on happiness of pay increases stops has gained a lot of attention, but that figure may vary widely from city to city.
As our colleague Robert Frank notes on the Wealth Report, $75,000 in New York doesn’t buy as much as the same amount in, say, South Dakota. That got us thinking, if $75,000 is the national average salary level for happiness, what is the variation from city to city?
The list below is an attempt to answer the question, using some back-of-the-envelope math. Based on cost-of-living index values from Kiplinger.com, we calculated what $75,000 would translate into in some of the nation’s largest cities. One note: the number on the Kiplinger chart for New York City was an extreme outlier, so we used a value from a separate Kiplinger report.
No matter which New York figure is used, the city clocks in with the highest level to achieve satisfaction — over $163,000 by our calculation or $300,000 using the more extreme figure. It took the least amount of money to achieve happiness in Fort Smith, Ark., and Pueblo, Colo., at just over $62,000. While New Yorkers might need more to pay their bills, you might argue that they get paid more on average than the rest of the nation. It’s true that New Yorkers on average earn more than most of the U.S., but workers in the city don’t necessarily command the highest salaries in the country.
Happiness Level, by Metro Area
| Metro Area | State | Cost of Living Index | Happiness Threshold |
| Abilene | TX | 86 | $64,500 |
| Akron | OH | 96 | $72,000 |
| Albany | GA | 88 | $66,000 |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy | NY | 100 | $75,000 |
| Albuquerque | NM | 97 | $72,750 |
| Alexandria | LA | 100 | $75,000 |
| Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton | PA-NJ | 100 | $75,000 |
| Altoona | PA | 100 | $75,000 |
| Amarillo | TX | 89 | $66,750 |
| Ames | IA | 97 | $72,750 |
| Anchorage | AK | 125 | $93,750 |
| Anderson | IN | 100 | $75,000 |
| Anderson | SC | 89 | $66,750 |
| Ann Arbor | MI | 100 | $75,000 |
| Anniston-Oxford | AL | 92 | $69,000 |
| Appleton | WI | 97 | $72,750 |
| Asheville | NC | 101 | $75,750 |
| Athens-Clarke County | GA | 100 | $75,000 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta | GA | 94 | $70,500 |
| Atlantic City | NJ | 100 | $75,000 |
| Auburn-Opelika | AL | 98 | $73,500 |
| Augusta-Richmond County | GA-SC | 100 | $75,000 |
| Austin-Round Rock | TX | 94 | $70,500 |
| Bakersfield | CA | 105 | $78,750 |
| Baltimore-Towson | MD | 121 | $90,750 |
| Bangor | ME | 129 | $96,750 |
| Barnstable Town | MA | 129 | $96,750 |
| Baton Rouge | LA | 100 | $75,000 |
| Battle Creek | MI | 100 | $75,000 |
| Bay City | MI | 100 | $75,000 |
| Beaumont-Port Arthur | TX | 95 | $71,250 |
| Bellingham | WA | 114 | $85,500 |
| Bend | OR | 100 | $75,000 |
| Billings | MT | 100 | $75,000 |
| Binghamton | NY | 96 | $72,000 |
| Birmingham-Hoover | AL | 90 | $67,500 |
| Bismarck | ND | 100 | $75,000 |
| Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford | VA | 97 | $72,750 |
| Bloomington | IN | 100 | $75,000 |
| Bloomington-Normal | IL | 97 | $72,750 |
| Boise City-Nampa | ID | 93 | $69,750 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Quincy | MA-NH | 129 | $96,750 |
| Boulder | CO | 124 | $93,000 |
| Bowling Green | KY | 89 | $66,750 |
| Bremerton-Silverdale | WA | 100 | $75,000 |
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk | CT | 129 | $96,750 |
| Brownsville-Harlingen | TX | 86 | $64,500 |
| Brunswick | GA | 100 | $75,000 |
| Buffalo-Niagara Falls | NY | 93 | $69,750 |
| Burlington | NC | 97 | $72,750 |
| Burlington-South Burlington | VT | 129 | $96,750 |
| Canton-Massillon | OH | 100 | $75,000 |
| Cape Coral-Fort Myers | FL | 98 | $73,500 |
| Carson City | NV | 100 | $75,000 |
| Casper | WY | 100 | $75,000 |
| Cedar Rapids | IA | 92 | $69,000 |
| Champaign-Urbana | IL | 98 | $73,500 |
| Charleston | WV | 92 | $69,000 |
| Charleston-North Charleston | SC | 97 | $72,750 |
| Charlotte-Gastonia-Concord | NC-SC | 92 | $69,000 |
| Charlottesville | VA | 106 | $79,500 |
| Chattanooga | TN-GA | 88 | $66,000 |
| Cheyenne | WY | 100 | $75,000 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Joliet | IL-IN-WI | 113 | $84,750 |
| Chico | CA | 100 | $75,000 |
| Cincinnati-Middletown | OH-KY-IN | 89 | $66,750 |
| Clarksville | TN-KY | 88 | $66,000 |
| Cleveland | TN | 91 | $68,250 |
| Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor | OH | 99 | $74,250 |
| Coeur d’Alene | ID | 100 | $75,000 |
| College Station-Bryan | TX | 100 | $75,000 |
| Colorado Springs | CO | 91 | $68,250 |
| Columbia | MO | 91 | $68,250 |
| Columbia | SC | 95 | $71,250 |
| Columbus | GA-AL | 100 | $75,000 |
| Columbus | IN | 100 | $75,000 |
| Columbus | OH | 94 | $70,500 |
| Corpus Christi | TX | 93 | $69,750 |
| Corvallis | OR | 100 | $75,000 |
| Cumberland | MD-WV | 100 | $75,000 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | TX | 92 | $69,000 |
| Dalton | GA | 100 | $75,000 |
| Danbury | CT | 129 | $96,750 |
| Danville | IL | 89 | $66,750 |
| Danville | VA | 100 | $75,000 |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island | IA-IL | 96 | $72,000 |
| Dayton | OH | 93 | $69,750 |
| Decatur | AL | 88 | $66,000 |
| Decatur | IL | 93 | $69,750 |
| Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach | FL | 100 | $75,000 |
| Denver-Aurora | CO | 101 | $75,750 |
| Des Moines-West Des Moines | IA | 90 | $67,500 |
| Detroit-Warren-Livonia | MI | 100 | $75,000 |
| Dothan | AL | 85 | $63,750 |
| Dover | DE | 97 | $72,750 |
| Dubuque | IA | 96 | $72,000 |
| Duluth | MN-WI | 100 | $75,000 |
| Durham | NC | 94 | $70,500 |
| Eau Claire | WI | 93 | $69,750 |
| El Centro | CA | 100 | $75,000 |
| El Paso | TX | 90 | $67,500 |
| Elizabethtown | KY | 100 | $75,000 |
| Elkhart-Goshen | IN | 100 | $75,000 |
| Elmira | NY | 100 | $75,000 |
| Erie | PA | 100 | $75,000 |
| Eugene-Springfield | OR | 111 | $83,250 |
| Evansville | IN-KY | 95 | $71,250 |
| Fairbanks | AK | 134 | $100,500 |
| Fargo | ND-MN | 92 | $69,000 |
| Farmington | NM | 96 | $72,000 |
| Fayetteville | NC | 97 | $72,750 |
| Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers | AR-MO | 89 | $66,750 |
| Flagstaff | AZ | 116 | $87,000 |
| Flint | MI | 100 | $75,000 |
| Florence | SC | 90 | $67,500 |
| Florence-Muscle Shoals | AL | 88 | $66,000 |
| Fond du Lac | WI | 100 | $75,000 |
| Fort Collins-Loveland | CO | 91 | $68,250 |
| Fort Smith | AR-OK | 83 | $62,250 |
| Fort Walton Beach-Crestview-Destin | FL | 100 | $75,000 |
| Fort Wayne | IN | 93 | $69,750 |
| Fresno | CA | 119 | $89,250 |
| Gadsden | AL | 86 | $64,500 |
| Gainesville | FL | 99 | $74,250 |
| Gainesville | GA | 100 | $75,000 |
| Glens Falls | NY | 109 | $81,750 |
| Goldsboro | NC | 100 | $75,000 |
| Grand Forks | ND-MN | 100 | $75,000 |
| Grand Junction | CO | 99 | $74,250 |
| Grand Rapids-Wyoming | MI | 96 | $72,000 |
| Great Falls | MT | 100 | $75,000 |
| Greeley | CO | 100 | $75,000 |
| Green Bay | WI | 95 | $71,250 |
| Greensboro-High Point | NC | 100 | $75,000 |
| Greenville | NC | 96 | $72,000 |
| Greenville | SC | 89 | $66,750 |
| Gulfport-Biloxi | MS | 100 | $75,000 |
| Hagerstown-Martinsburg | MD-WV | 84 | $63,000 |
| Hanford-Corcoran | CA | 100 | $75,000 |
| Harrisburg-Carlisle | PA | 100 | $75,000 |
| Harrisonburg | VA | 99 | $74,250 |
| Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford | CT | 129 | $96,750 |
| Hattiesburg | MS | 92 | $69,000 |
| Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton | NC | 93 | $69,750 |
| Hinesville-Fort Stewart | GA | 100 | $75,000 |
| Holland-Grand Haven | MI | 100 | $75,000 |
| Honolulu | HI | 165 | $123,750 |
| Hot Springs | AR | 91 | $68,250 |
| Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux | LA | 100 | $75,000 |
| Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown | TX | 89 | $66,750 |
| Huntington-Ashland | WV-KY-OH | 100 | $75,000 |
| Huntsville | AL | 91 | $68,250 |
| Idaho Falls | ID | 100 | $75,000 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel | IN | 88 | $66,000 |
| Iowa City | IA | 93 | $69,750 |
| Ithaca | NY | 103 | $77,250 |
| Jackson | MI | 100 | $75,000 |
| Jackson | MS | 95 | $71,250 |
| Jackson | TN | 90 | $67,500 |
| Jacksonville | FL | 94 | $70,500 |
| Jacksonville | NC | 92 | $69,000 |
| Janesville | WI | 95 | $71,250 |
| Jefferson City | MO | 89 | $66,750 |
| Johnson City | TN | 88 | $66,000 |
| Johnstown | PA | 94 | $70,500 |
| Jonesboro | AR | 85 | $63,750 |
| Joplin | MO | 87 | $65,250 |
| Kalamazoo-Portage | MI | 94 | $70,500 |
| Kankakee-Bradley | IL | 100 | $75,000 |
| Kansas City | MO-KS | 95 | $71,250 |
| Kennewick-Richland-Pasco | WA | 88 | $66,000 |
| Killeen-Temple-Fort Hood | TX | 90 | $67,500 |
| Kingsport-Bristol-Bristol | TN-VA | 100 | $75,000 |
| Kingston | NY | 100 | $75,000 |
| Knoxville | TN | 89 | $66,750 |
| Kokomo | IN | 100 | $75,000 |
| La Crosse | WI-MN | 100 | $75,000 |
| Lafayette | IN | 94 | $70,500 |
| Lafayette | LA | 98 | $73,500 |
| Lake Charles | LA | 93 | $69,750 |
| Lakeland | FL | 100 | $75,000 |
| Lancaster | PA | 100 | $75,000 |
| Lansing-East Lansing | MI | 100 | $75,000 |
| Laredo | TX | 100 | $75,000 |
| Las Cruces | NM | 101 | $75,750 |
| Las Vegas-Paradise | NV | 100 | $75,000 |
| Lawrence | KS | 93 | $69,750 |
| Lawton | OK | 86 | $64,500 |
| Lebanon | PA | 100 | $75,000 |
| Leominster-Fitchburg-Gardner | MA | 129 | $96,750 |
| Lewiston | ID-WA | 100 | $75,000 |
| Lewiston-Auburn | ME | 129 | $96,750 |
| Lexington-Fayette | KY | 95 | $71,250 |
| Lima | OH | 93 | $69,750 |
| Lincoln | NE | 100 | $75,000 |
| Little Rock-North Little Rock | AR | 87 | $65,250 |
| Logan | UT-ID | 98 | $73,500 |
| Longview | TX | 100 | $75,000 |
| Longview | WA | 100 | $75,000 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana | CA | 142 | $106,500 |
| Louisville-Jefferson County | KY-IN | 89 | $66,750 |
| Lubbock | TX | 87 | $65,250 |
| Lynchburg | VA | 96 | $72,000 |
| Macon | GA | 100 | $75,000 |
| Madera | CA | 100 | $75,000 |
| Madison | WI | 100 | $75,000 |
| Manchester | NH | 129 | $96,750 |
| Mansfield | OH | 100 | $75,000 |
| McAllen-Edinburg-Mission | TX | 86 | $64,500 |
| Medford | OR | 100 | $75,000 |
| Memphis | TN-MS-AR | 86 | $64,500 |
| Merced | CA | 100 | $75,000 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Miami Beach | FL | 120 | $90,000 |
| Michigan City-La Porte | IN | 100 | $75,000 |
| Midland | TX | 91 | $68,250 |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis | WI | 102 | $76,500 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington | MN-WI | 114 | $85,500 |
| Missoula | MT | 101 | $75,750 |
| Mobile | AL | 90 | $67,500 |
| Modesto | CA | 100 | $75,000 |
| Monroe | LA | 97 | $72,750 |
| Monroe | MI | 100 | $75,000 |
| Montgomery | AL | 96 | $72,000 |
| Morgantown | WV | 100 | $75,000 |
| Morristown | TN | 88 | $66,000 |
| Mount Vernon-Anacortes | WA | 100 | $75,000 |
| Muncie | IN | 100 | $75,000 |
| Muskegon-Norton Shores | MI | 100 | $75,000 |
| Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach | SC | 91 | $68,250 |
| Napa | CA | 100 | $75,000 |
| Naples-Marco Island | FL | 100 | $75,000 |
| Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro | TN | 88 | $66,000 |
| New Bedford | MA | 129 | $96,750 |
| New Haven | CT | 129 | $96,750 |
| New Orleans-Metairie-Kenner | LA | 106 | $79,500 |
| New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island* | NY-NJ-PA | 218 | $163,500 |
| Niles-Benton Harbor | MI | 100 | $75,000 |
| Norwich-New London | CT-RI | 129 | $96,750 |
| Ocala | FL | 100 | $75,000 |
| Ocean City | NJ | 100 | $75,000 |
| Odessa | TX | 89 | $66,750 |
| Ogden-Clearfield | UT | 100 | $75,000 |
| Oklahoma City | OK | 89 | $66,750 |
| Olympia | WA | 105 | $78,750 |
| Omaha-Council Bluffs | NE-IA | 89 | $66,750 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee | FL | 98 | $73,500 |
| Oshkosh-Neenah | WI | 100 | $75,000 |
| Owensboro | KY | 100 | $75,000 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura | CA | 100 | $75,000 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville | FL | 100 | $75,000 |
| Panama City-Lynn Haven | FL | 105 | $78,750 |
| Parkersburg-Marietta-Vienna | WV-OH | 100 | $75,000 |
| Pascagoula | MS | 100 | $75,000 |
| Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent | FL | 100 | $75,000 |
| Peoria | IL | 100 | $75,000 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington | PA-NJ-DE-MD | 103 | $77,250 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale | AZ | 100 | $75,000 |
| Pine Bluff | AR | 100 | $75,000 |
| Pittsburgh | PA | 92 | $69,000 |
| Pittsfield | MA | 129 | $96,750 |
| Pocatello | ID | 100 | $75,000 |
| Port St. Lucie-Fort Pierce | FL | 100 | $75,000 |
| Portland-South Portland-Biddeford | ME | 129 | $96,750 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Beaverton | OR-WA | 117 | $87,750 |
| Portsmouth | NH-ME | 129 | $96,750 |
| Poughkeepsie-Newburgh-Middletown | NY | 100 | $75,000 |
| Prescott | AZ | 105 | $78,750 |
| Providence-Fall River-Warwick | RI-MA | 129 | $96,750 |
| Provo-Orem | UT | 100 | $75,000 |
| Pueblo | CO | 83 | $62,250 |
| Punta Gorda | FL | 100 | $75,000 |
| Racine | WI | 100 | $75,000 |
| Raleigh-Cary | NC | 100 | $75,000 |
| Rapid City | SD | 100 | $75,000 |
| Reading | PA | 100 | $75,000 |
| Redding | CA | 100 | $75,000 |
| Reno-Sparks | NV | 108 | $81,000 |
| Richmond | VA | 105 | $78,750 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | CA | 123 | $92,250 |
| Roanoke | VA | 93 | $69,750 |
| Rochester | MN | 98 | $73,500 |
| Rochester | NY | 99 | $74,250 |
| Rochester-Dover | NH-ME | 129 | $96,750 |
| Rockford | IL | 91 | $68,250 |
| Rocky Mount | NC | 100 | $75,000 |
| Rome | GA | 100 | $75,000 |
| Sacramento–Arden-Arcade–Roseville | CA | 115 | $86,250 |
| Saginaw-Saginaw Township North | MI | 100 | $75,000 |
| Salem | OR | 100 | $75,000 |
| Salinas | CA | 100 | $75,000 |
| Salisbury | MD | 100 | $75,000 |
| Salt Lake City | UT | 98 | $73,500 |
| San Angelo | TX | 90 | $67,500 |
| San Antonio | TX | 93 | $69,750 |
| San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos | CA | 132 | $99,000 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | CA | 137 | $102,750 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara | CA | 158 | $118,500 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles | CA | 100 | $75,000 |
| Sandusky | OH | 100 | $75,000 |
| Santa Barbara-Santa Maria | CA | 100 | $75,000 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville | CA | 100 | $75,000 |
| Santa Fe | NM | 100 | $75,000 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma | CA | 100 | $75,000 |
| Sarasota-Bradenton-Venice | FL | 97 | $72,750 |
| Savannah | GA | 90 | $67,500 |
| Scranton–Wilkes-Barre | PA | 100 | $75,000 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue | WA | 114 | $85,500 |
| Sebastian-Vero Beach | FL | 101 | $75,750 |
| Sheboygan | WI | 97 | $72,750 |
| Sherman-Denison | TX | 100 | $75,000 |
| Shreveport-Bossier City | LA | 93 | $69,750 |
| Sioux City | IA-NE-SD | 100 | $75,000 |
| Sioux Falls | SD | 100 | $75,000 |
| South Bend-Mishawaka | IN-MI | 90 | $67,500 |
| Spartanburg | SC | 100 | $75,000 |
| Spokane | WA | 91 | $68,250 |
| Springfield | IL | 86 | $64,500 |
| Springfield | MA-CT | 129 | $96,750 |
| Springfield | MO | 89 | $66,750 |
| Springfield | OH | 100 | $75,000 |
| St. Cloud | MN | 99 | $74,250 |
| St. George | UT | 97 | $72,750 |
| St. Joseph | MO-KS | 92 | $69,000 |
| St. Louis | MO-IL | 87 | $65,250 |
| State College | PA | 100 | $75,000 |
| Stockton | CA | 100 | $75,000 |
| Sumter | SC | 93 | $69,750 |
| Syracuse | NY | 98 | $73,500 |
| Tallahassee | FL | 100 | $75,000 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater | FL | 99 | $74,250 |
| Terre Haute | IN | 89 | $66,750 |
| Texarkana-Texarkana | TX-AR | 100 | $75,000 |
| Toledo | OH | 100 | $75,000 |
| Topeka | KS | 88 | $66,000 |
| Trenton-Ewing | NJ | 100 | $75,000 |
| Tucson | AZ | 97 | $72,750 |
| Tulsa | OK | 85 | $63,750 |
| Tuscaloosa | AL | 92 | $69,000 |
| Tyler | TX | 94 | $70,500 |
| Utica-Rome | NY | 100 | $75,000 |
| Valdosta | GA | 90 | $67,500 |
| Vallejo-Fairfield | CA | 100 | $75,000 |
| Victoria | TX | 100 | $75,000 |
| Vineland-Millville-Bridgeton | NJ | 100 | $75,000 |
| Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News | VA-NC | 110 | $82,500 |
| Visalia-Porterville | CA | 100 | $75,000 |
| Waco | TX | 87 | $65,250 |
| Warner Robins | GA | 100 | $75,000 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria | DC-VA-MD-WV | 138 | $103,500 |
| Waterbury | CT | 129 | $96,750 |
| Waterloo-Cedar Falls | IA | 89 | $66,750 |
| Wausau | WI | 96 | $72,000 |
| Weirton-Steubenville | WV-OH | 100 | $75,000 |
| Wenatchee | WA | 100 | $75,000 |
| Wheeling | WV-OH | 100 | $75,000 |
| Wichita Falls | TX | 100 | $75,000 |
| Wichita | KS | 90 | $67,500 |
| Williamsport | PA | 98 | $73,500 |
| Wilmington | NC | 98 | $73,500 |
| Winchester | VA-WV | 103 | $77,250 |
| Winston-Salem | NC | 90 | $67,500 |
| Worcester | MA-CT | 129 | $96,750 |
| Yakima | WA | 99 | $74,250 |
| York-Hanover | PA | 98 | $73,500 |
| Youngstown-Warren-Boardman | OH-PA | 93 | $69,750 |
| Yuba City | CA | 100 | $75,000 |
| Yuma | AZ | 103 | $77,250 |
