Hailey in Top 10 for livability

 Hailey has been named a Top 10 Small Town in 2014 by Livability.com, a national website that ranks quality of life and travel amenities of America’s small to mid-sized cities.

     For this list of cities, editors started by looking at cities with populations under 20,000, then dug into statistics such as cost of living, health-care spending, racial and socioeconomic diversity, adult obesity, crime, civic engagement, air quality and natural amenities, just to name a few of the 41 data points. After narrowing down the list, editors conducted a visual assessment of the cities and found out what visitors had to say about them and what residents liked about living there.

     “Throughout the U.S., we’re seeing a resurgence of emphasis on downtowns in cities of all sizes,” said Livability.com Editor Matt Carmichael. “It’s nice to see in the big cities, certainly, but it’s especially great to see these smaller towns not just holding their own, but also thriving.”

     “Hailey offers residents a laid-back atmosphere with an astonishing amount of outdoor recreational options,” the website said. “In addition to good schools, low crime, low pollution and high community involvement, Hailey has the highest level of employment and the greatest income distribution of any city on our list. Residents can also enjoy outdoor excursions to nearby ski resorts, hiking trails and fishing holes.”

    Los Alamos, N.M., placed first. Hailey placed 10th.