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 Health & Wellness category.
Health and wellness form the foundation of every thriving community. From preventive care and mental health to access to affordable food and quality providers, residents' health both reflects and shapes a community's vitality. Strong outcomes in this area aren't only about individual well-being — they're deeply tied to local governments' ability to ensure access, equity, and long-term quality of life.
The Best in Governance Awards for Health & Wellness 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 advancing physical and mental health — combining what residents experience day to day with public health data on outcomes and system performance.
Because Health & Wellness 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.
The communities recognized as Top Performers represent the very best in advancing physical and mental health for the people they serve. 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.