Nature at the Center: Snoqualmie’s Commitment to Environmental Excellence

In 2025, the City of Snoqualmie, Washington was named a National Champion for Excellence in the Natural Environment as part of Polco’s Best in Governance Awards. This honor is reserved for communities whose residents give some of the highest scores in the nation on The National Community Survey (The NCS). These awards highlight local governments that excel at protecting and enhancing the natural assets that shape daily life, as experienced and reported directly by residents themselves.

Snoqualmie stood out among hundreds of communities surveyed nationwide over the past 18 months. Residents rated the quality of the natural environment, air quality, cleanliness, and access to outdoor amenities at levels that exceed or far exceed national benchmarks. Their responses reflect a community where nature is not simply preserved, but intentionally woven into everyday living.

The Community Context

Snoqualmie is a growing city in the Snoqualmie Valley east of Seattle, surrounded by forests, rivers, and mountain landscapes that define both its character and its appeal. As the community grows, residents place a high value on environmental stewardship and access to natural spaces as essential components of quality of life.

City leaders have treated the natural environment as a core community asset, recognizing that clean air, well-maintained open space, and strong environmental protections directly support health, recreation, and long-term sustainability. The National Community Survey provided an opportunity to confirm whether residents felt that commitment reflected in their day-to-day experience.

The Data-Driven Insight

Results from the 2025 National Community Survey show that Snoqualmie ranks among the strongest-performing communities in the nation for natural environment measures.

Residents reported:

• 98% positive ratings for the quality of the natural environment, rated much higher than the national benchmark.
• Nearly universal approval of air quality and city cleanliness, both scoring higher than national and regional comparison communities.
• 96% positive ratings for the availability of paths and walking trails, highlighting how natural amenities are integrated into daily life and mobility.
• Open space and city parks rated positively by more than 85% of residents.

Across these measures, Snoqualmie consistently outperformed comparison communities, demonstrating exceptional resident satisfaction with environmental conditions and access.

Why Snoqualmie Stood Out

While many communities struggle to balance growth with environmental protection, Snoqualmie distinguished itself through sustained excellence. Among the hundreds of jurisdictions administering the NCS during the same period, Snoqualmie’s natural environment scores ranked at the very top of the national distribution.

Just as important, the natural environment is one of the most important facets of livability for Snoqualmie residents, and the city’s quality ratings closely match that high level of importance. This alignment between resident priorities and lived experience is a clear indicator of effective, values-driven governance.

Why This Matters

A strong natural environment supports physical health, mental well-being, economic vitality, and community pride. In Snoqualmie, residents experience environmental quality through clean air, scenic surroundings, accessible parks, and a connected network of trails that invite daily use.

These outcomes are not abstract goals. They are tangible, everyday experiences that residents recognize, value, and consistently rate among the best in the nation.

The Outcome

Snoqualmie’s results demonstrate what excellence in the natural environment looks like when stewardship is prioritized, measured, and maintained over time. By using Polco’s National Community Survey to benchmark performance and validate outcomes, the city has clear, resident-driven evidence that its environmental approach is working.

This combination of benchmark-leading performance, resident-validated success, and strong alignment between values and outcomes makes Snoqualmie, Washington a standout Best in Governance Award winner for Excellence in the Natural Environment.