Alabama city named one of the happiest seaside towns in America

The ranking comes from Coastal Living magazine’s fifth annual list of happiest seaside towns. An online vote placed Fairhope as the fifth happiest seaside town, with Stuart, Florida coming in at number one.

Here’s what Coastal Living has to say about Fairhope:

“Located on what’s known as the Eastern Shore of Mobile Bay, this gracious Gulf town has long been a destination for artists, writers (including Fannie Flagg and Rick Bragg), and vacationers. The historic downtown blooms—not just with independent cafés, bars, and shopping, but also literally: Colorful blossoms line the sidewalks, decorate street crossings, hang in baskets suspended from light posts, overflow from planters in front of shops, and even adorn the tops of trash receptacles.”

Also highlighted are Fairhope’s Municipal Pier and Beachfront Park and the city’s Mardi Gras celebrations. The town is also home to one of Alabama’s largest public events, the Fairhope Arts and Crafts Festival, which drew more than 300,000 visitors last year.

This is the first year Fairhope has made Costal Living’s top ten list, and it is the first Alabama city to be named one of America’s happiest seaside towns. Fairhope is one of three Southern cities to make the list this year, along with Stuart, Florida and Sullivan’s Island, South Carolina.

Here is the full list of the top ten happiest seaside towns in America:

10. Hermosa Beach, California
9. Portland, Maine
8. Seaside, Oregon
7. Capitola, California
6. Sullivan’s Island, South Carolina
5. Fairhope, Alabama
4. Hilo, Hawaii
3. Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin
2. Rehoboth Beach, Delaware
1. Stuart, Florida

To pick the finalists, Coastal Living reviewed over 300 coastal cities, some of which had been named Coastal Living Dream Towns, and others that were nominated on social media. The judges also researched the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index, percentage of sunny days, air quality, healthiness of beaches, crime ratings, walkability, standard of living, and “costal vibe” of each town. After the finalists were announced, online voting determined the ranking of the top ten.