Despite the bleak pictures being painted in the headlines over people's relative financial preparedness (or lack thereof) for retirement, the goal at the end of one's career or working life is generally expected to be something people look forward to with anticipation. A time of happiness, if you will. With that end in mind, Kiplinger took a look at all 50 states to see which ones might afford retirees happiness once they've left the daily grind for good. Needless to say, people are made happy by a wide range of factors, and what suits one will not suit another. In fact, plenty has been written about what makes people happy, and the elements of happiness span a broad spectrum. A CNBC report actually makes some suggestions on things not to do to achieve happiness. Among its suggestions? Don't retire early. As counterintuitive as that may sound, the report points to studies that find that people "mentally retire" when they physically retire, and the loss of mental acuity could stem at least partially from the loss of a routine of social interaction and the responsibilities and obligations of going to a job every day. Another hint: rent, don't buy. While some people might not feel as secure in not owning their own home, there's no denying that the maintenance and upkeep of a home can be wearing—not just physically, but financially. Skipping the whole home ownership thing in retirement can lift a load of responsibilities from your shoulders for everything from mowing the lawn to shoveling the snow and fixing the roof, leaving you free to enjoy your time instead of devoting it to figuring out how to get the snowblower started after it's sat in the garage all summer. Moving away from the kids and grandkids could make some older retirees ecstatic, but leave others crying into their beer—and those who move to vacation destinations (think Hawaii, or the Rockies in snow season) could find themselves unwilling and unwitting hosts for visits from family and friends they weren't even that close to when they lived among them. Other more gregarious types might be thrilled to have a constant stream of houseguests dropping in to sample the pleasures of their new locales. But on a more practical note, what Kiplinger reviewed to determine which places would make retirees happier included "community" and "physical" components of the Gallup-Sharecare Well-Being Index, which "is based specifically on residents' feelings about five elements of well-being: 'purpose' (liking what you do and being motivated to achieve goals), 'social' (having supportive relationships and love), 'financial' (managing your budget to feel secure), 'community' (liking where you live) and 'physical' (being in good health). The higher the score," Kiplinger points out, "on a scale of 0 to 100, the happier residents indicate they are about where and how they are living their lives." It also included, where available, such day-to-day necessities as living costs, safety, median incomes and poverty rates for retirement-age residents and the availability of recreational and health care facilities. Peruse the slideshow above and you'll find the 10 cities Kiplinger chose as having the highest overall score on the Index. Have a look and see if you think you could be happy in any of them. READ MORE: |

• Top 11 best states for retirement on a fixed income
• 10 states with the most workers lacking access to retirement plans
• How are today's retirees doing? 10 insights into finances, quality of life