By MOLLY DAVIDSON / Staff Writer

Shelby County will close out 2015 as one of the top counties in Alabama. The county took second on a list of best counties in the state complied by national ranking website, Niche.com.

A high ranking indicates a county provides a “high quality of life to its residents,” the Niche.com website reads.

Each county was graded in 10 categories: Things to do, commute, education, community investment and involvement, housing, jobs, crime and safety, health and fitness, outdoor activities and weather. Counties then received an overall ranking based on these categories, with things to do, commute and education carrying the most weight and weather the least.

Niche.com noted Shelby County’s high level of community involvement, strong public schools, low crime rates, accessible health care and overall wellbeing of residents.

The county was also recognized as a good area to purchase a home, according to Niche.com.

Shelby County’s lowest mark came in ease of commute.

Shelby County ranked just below Madison County, which topped the 2015 Best Counties in Alabama list.

Neighboring Jefferson, St. Clair, Talladega, Chilton and Bibb counties ranked 10th, 16th, 24th, 33rd and 35th, respectively. Coosa County did not receive a ranking.

According to Niche.com’s methodology, rankings were compiled from “federal, state and local government datasets,” along with community reviews about area schools and proprietary Niche data.

To view the entire 2015 Best Counties in Alabama list, visit local.niche.com/rankings/counties/best-counties/s/alabama/.