Researchers find how much money you need to be happy in SF, Oakland, San Jose

OAKLAND, Calif. (KTVU) - Several factors influence personal happiness, and wealth has a significant effect on people's satisfaction with life. 

Happiness is subjective and what people need to live their best life varies, however, research shows there is a correlation between that and money. 

Researchers from Purdue University and GoBankingRates found that people living in San Francisco need to bring in an annual salary of $319,935 to be happy. In San Jose, you need to be making $273,000 a year, and in Oakland $211,260 a year. 

The study argued that the optimal amount of money it takes to be happy differs worldwide.

“That might be surprising as what we see on TV and what advertisers tell us we need would indicate that there is no ceiling when it comes to how much money is needed for happiness, but we now see there are some thresholds,” said Andrew T. Jebb, a doctoral student and the lead author of the Purdue University study, in a press release.

Experts were trying to pinpoint the amount where money no longer changed a person's level of emotional well-belling and life evaluation.  

They measured emotional well-being according to a person’s day-to-day emotions, including happy, excited, sad and angry. Life evaluation was defined in terms of overall life satisfaction and was “likely more influenced by higher goals and comparisons to others," the study found. 

On a national level, the ideal salary needed to be happy is $105,000, experts determined.