Fresno has achieved a bronze medal in the 2025 Policy Assessment conducted by CityHealth, solidifying its position among the top cities in the United States for implementing effective health policies. Released on Monday by CityHealth, an initiative of the de Beaumont Foundation and Kaiser Permanente, this assessment evaluated the health policies of the nation’s 75 largest cities across 12 categories aimed at enhancing community health and equity.
In total, Fresno secured medals in six of the twelve policy categories assessed. Other California cities that also received bronze status include Anaheim, Irvine, Riverside, and Stockton. Nationally, cities such as Austin, Cincinnati, Dallas, Houston, Detroit, and Henderson joined Fresno in this recognition.
Fresno earned silver medals in the categories of complete streets and earned sick leave policies. The city’s complete streets policy was acknowledged for its requirement of compliance and for integrating multiple transportation modes. Nevertheless, it did not meet gold-level criteria in areas of equity measures and community engagement plans.
In the realm of earned sick leave, Fresno benefits from California’s state law mandating that all employers provide paid sick time. This policy allows employees to take leave for family care and recovery from domestic violence, offering a minimum of 40 hours annually, which falls short of the gold standard by eight hours.
Additionally, Fresno received bronze medals in four more areas: flavored tobacco restrictions, greenspace, high-quality accessible pre-K, and safer alcohol sales. The city’s flavored tobacco policy prohibits the sale of certain flavored tobacco products without penalizing youth. Its recognition for greenspace stems from the adoption of goals related to park access and tree canopy coverage, complete with measurable targets.
Despite these achievements, Fresno did not receive medals in five significant policy areas: affordable housing trusts, eco-friendly purchasing, healthy food purchasing, healthy rental housing, and legal support for renters. The city also fell short in smoke-free indoor air initiatives, even though it has implemented some smoking restrictions.
This year, CityHealth awarded medals to a total of 51 cities, with eight receiving gold, 26 earning silver, and 17 achieving bronze. Notably, Chicago joined the gold tier for the first time. According to CityHealth, approximately 47.6 million Americans now reside in cities recognized with overall medals, marking an increase of nearly 4 million since 2024.
The assessment was conducted in partnership with the Center for Public Health Law Research at Temple University’s Beasley School of Law. Cities earn individual medals when their policies meet established criteria across a variety of categories, including housing, transportation, health care access, and environmental health.
