Finding your “person” usually comes with requirements like humor, emotional intelligence, and physical attraction. But lately, a fat wallet seems to be topping the list.
A new survey of 2,000 Americans, commissioned by consumer finance app Current and conducted by Talker Research, found that the average respondent believes a person needs to earn $106,417 a year before true love is within reach. Baby boomers were the only generation to set that bar below six figures. Everyone else pushed it higher.
The generational split here isn’t one to be dismissed. Seventy-eight percent of Gen Z respondents said a partner’s salary will determine whether they can find true love, compared with 32% of baby boomers. And 40% of Gen Z said their own finances have personally kept them from finding love, against 11% of boomers. For younger daters living through an affordability crisis, financial security and romantic prospects have become nearly inseparable.
The real-life numbers show where we’re at in today’s economy. Thirty-one percent of respondents said they’re going on fewer dates in 2026. Half would go on more if they could afford it. Men reported the affordability pinch more than women, 60% versus 46%, which makes some sense given that 49% of respondents still believe the man should cover the first date — a view 59% of men shared, compared to 42% of women.
The Top Reasons Couples Break Up Over Money
Among the 15% of respondents who have ended a relationship over money, the $106,417 number was beside the point. Constant borrowing came up in 30% of those breakups. General financial irresponsibility was cited by 27%. Another 23% pointed to a partner with no long-term plan. A 2025 LendingTree study backs this up, finding that 23% of Americans have ended relationships over financial incompatibility — and spending habits did far more damage than income ever did.
Fidelity’s 2024 Couples and Money Study found that 45% of partners argue about money at least occasionally, and 1 in 4 identify it as their greatest relationship challenge. The through line across all of this data is at least consistent: what people say they want is a six-figure earner. What actually ends relationships is someone who borrows constantly, spends recklessly, and has no plan for next year, let alone the next decade.
Erin Bruehl, VP of Communications at Current, explained: “Everyone is worthy of finding love and happiness, and showing up as a thoughtful, responsible partner will always matter more than the number in your bank account.”
The post How Much Money Do You Need to Find True Love? Americans Have a Very Specific Number. appeared first on VICE.
