Hilo is the fourth-happiest seaside town in America, according to Coastal Living Magazine. ADVERTISING Hilo is the fourth-happiest seaside town in America, according to Coastal Living Magazine. The ranking, released Wednesday, came after weeks of public online voting in January
Hilo is the fourth-happiest seaside town in America, according to Coastal Living Magazine.
The ranking, released Wednesday, came after weeks of public online voting in January as part of the Birmingham, Ala.-based magazine’s yearly “happiest seaside towns” contest. Hilo was among the top 10 happiest towns that were put up for a vote, whittled down from a pool of more than 300.
A Hawaii town has never made it to No. 1, Coastal Living Editor Steel Marcoux said in a statement in January, but Hawaii towns have been finalists four out of the past five years.
Maui’s Lahaina and Paia were finalists in previous contests. Haleiwa on Oahu ranked eighth last year.
The magazine uses air quality, percentage of sunny days, commute times, crime rates, standard of living and walk-ability, among other factors, to make its choices. It also considers towns’ rankings on the Gallup-Healthways annual well-being index. Gallup ranked Hawaii the No. 2 state in the nation recently for well-being.
Marcoux said Hilo represented “that Hawaiian ideal: a charming town with museums, boutiques and a renowned hula festival surrounded by a dramatic tropical paradise.”
Voters picked Stuart, Fla., as America’s No. 1 happiest town for 2016. Rehoboth Beach, Del., came in at No. 2, followed by Sturgeon Bay, Wis.
Coastal Living did not release how many votes were cast. The full list will be featured in its May issue, which hits newsstands April 15.
