Each year, Polco is proud to celebrate local governments with the Best in Governance Awards — the nation's only awards program honoring communities for both resident experience and measurable outcomes. These awards shine a light on the jurisdictions that stand out as the most effective, innovative, and community-centered across the country, as measured through national data.
We're continuing our series recognizing the Top Performers across essential areas of community livability. Today, we're spotlighting the Community Design category.
About the Community Design Category
Housing and design are central to livability. From neighborhood layouts to affordability and the character of public spaces, these factors influence how connected and resilient a community can be. This year's honorees are leaders in building places where residents want to live, work, and thrive.
The Best in Governance Awards draw on two complementary lenses: resident feedback from the National Community Survey (The NCS) and national indicators from Polco's Government Performance Action & Lab (GPAL) platform. Together, these measures provide a powerful picture of how communities are performing and improving in one of the most essential aspects of livability.
Because Community Design is measured through both lenses, this year's honorees are recognized across three groups: Community Impact — Excellence highlights the top performers on measurable, public-data outcomes; Voice of the People — Excellence recognizes the communities with the highest resident ratings nationwide; and Voice of the People — Transformation celebrates those that achieved the biggest improvements in resident ratings over time.
2026 Top Performers: Community Design
Community Impact — Excellence
- City of Edina, Minnesota
- Town of Palm Beach, Florida
- Wyoming County, Pennsylvania
Voice of the People — Excellence
- City of Clive, Iowa
- City of Marion, Iowa
- City of Naperville, Illinois
- City of Plymouth, Minnesota
- City of Shoreview, Minnesota
Voice of the People — Transformation
- City of Bozeman, Montana
- City of Buckeye, Arizona
- Honolulu County, Hawaii
- City of San Marcos, Texas
- City of South Lake Tahoe, California
What's Next
The communities recognized as Top Performers represent the very best in designing places where residents want to live, work, and thrive. The National Champions in each category will be announced in October.
Congratulations to all of this year's Top Performers. We're honored to showcase your leadership in building stronger, smarter, and more connected communities. Visit our awards page for more information about Polco's Best in Governance Awards.
