'Peak Life Satisfaction': How Old Do You Have To Be To Feel Happy?

ACROSS AMERICA — If you live in Maryland, your life may be close to perfection by the time you’re 37. In Vermont, you might not get there until you’re 63. When it comes to reaching “peak life satisfaction,” geography seems to matter.

The technology platform Mixbook, which powers storytelling with photo books, surveyed 3,442 people age 65 and older, asking when they felt the most happiness with their lives, jobs, friends, family and relationships.

The results may make you feel a whole lot better about your own life.

Three in four respondents said that if they had to choose between love and wealth, they’d choose love. And talk about counting your riches: More than half (52 percent) said the COVID-19 pandemic increased their satisfaction with life.

The survey also found that 79 percent of respondents are happy with their careers so far. And then there’s this: 58 percent said they were happy with personal relationships formed throughout their lives, but they’ve got enough friends.

When asked what gives them the most happiness and satisfaction:

• 34 percent of respondents said their relationships;
• 18 percent said their health;
• 15 percent said their romantic partner;
• 14 percent said their career;
• 11 percent said their homes.

Nationally, peak life satisfaction comes around age 44, according to the analysis. By that time, the average American has a family, an established career, a stable home and a decent enough income to allow for an occasional splurge for luxuries, entertainment and travel.

“While what drives our satisfaction may vary, our relationships with friends and family, and our time together, are at the core of human happiness,” Leslie Albertson, Mixbook’s marketing director, said in a news release.