9 places in the US where people are happier, living longer, and least likely to run out of money

Colorado is the best place in America to spend your golden years.

That's according to U.S. News & World Report, whose latest study ranked the top states for folks 65 and older.

In 2016, Americans older than 65 accounted for about 15% of the total US population.

By 2050, that share is expected to grow to 20%, thanks to increased life expectancy and population growth, and states are being forced to adapt programs that cater to the senior population.

To find out which states are prioritizing the needs of residents over 65, U.S. News evaluated a dozen different metrics, including life expectancy, physical and mental health, cost of living, and the cost and quality of medicare and nursing homes.

Below are the top nine US states for aging, according to U.S. News. States are scored relative to each other across 12 factors that average into one overall score. For each state, we've included individual scores for cost of living, life expectancy, positive mental health, and overall quality of health.

All scores are out of 100, with 100 being the highest possible rank.