Relationships outweigh almost everything else
Across long-running longitudinal studies, the quality of close relationships is the strongest and most durable predictor of both life satisfaction and physical health in later life — outperforming income, cholesterol and career success. If the first item is your lowest, it is also your highest-leverage one.
Income matters most at the bottom
Financial security shows sharply diminishing returns: it strongly predicts wellbeing while basic needs and buffer are unmet, and then flattens considerably. The security item is deliberately about feeling braced rather than about absolute income, because that is the part that keeps tracking.
FAQ
Is this the Satisfaction With Life Scale?
The two global items are written in that style, but this is a broader educational tool, not the validated five-item SWLS.
My score is low. Is that depression?
Not necessarily — low satisfaction and clinical depression overlap but are distinct. If low mood, anhedonia and sleep changes are present, the PHQ-9 tool is a better next step.
How often should I score it?
Every six months. Life satisfaction is fairly stable, so a ten-point move over a year is real signal.
How this calculator is built
Independently maintained
Written by Sam Doshi and the RevenueLab editorial team. We don't sell the data feeds this tool is built on.
Sourced from primary data
Benchmarks come from public AdSense / Stripe / IRS disclosures and reader-submitted data — never third-party "$X per view" claims. Full methodology.
Last editorial review
Reviewed on a rolling quarterly cycle. Dated reviews are published on the methodology record for each calculator.
Editorial standards
See our editorial policy and disclaimer. Results are estimates, not advice.