Coastal Living: Hilo Ranked Fourth ‘Happiest Seaside Town’

Lili’uokalani Park, Hilo. File photo by Chris Yoakum.

The results are in! Hilo has been ranked fourth on Time Inc.’s Coastal Living “Top Ten Happiest Seaside Towns in America.”

In January 2016, Coastal Living announced the ten finalists of the fifth annual list. Hilo was the only Hawai’i locale included on the list.

Rankings were determined by a public online voting period that ran through Jan. 25.

Stuart, Fla. ranked as the Happiest Seaside Town, followed by Rehoboth Beach, Del. and Sturgeon Bay, Wis.

“America’s Happiest Seaside Town of 2016 is on Florida’s Treasure Coast, and that location could not be more appropriate,” said Coastal Living Editor Steele Marcoux. “Stuart is an Old Florida–style treasure that stood out as the top among a special list of dreamy towns by the sea. All ten of these locales truly embody blissful beach life.”

The ten finalists announced in January were determined through publication editors who reviewed over 300 destination that were either nominated through social media or that were previously Coastal Living Dream Towns.

Using Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index, percentage of sunny days, air quality, healthiness of beaches, commute times, crime rating, walkability, standards of living and financial well-being of locals, geographic diversity, and editor assessment of “coastal vibe,” each town was determined to be finalists.

The Coastal Living 2016 Top Ten Happiest Seaside Towns in America, in Ranked Order:

#1 Stuart, Florida

#2 Rehoboth Beach, Delaware

#3 Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin

#4 Hilo, Hawai’i

#5 Fairhope, Alabama

#6 Sullivan’s Island, South Carolina

#7 Capitola, California

#8 Seaside, Oregon

#9 Portland, Maine

#10 Hermosa Beach, California