Portland earned one of only eight 2025 CityHealth gold medals awarded to cities across the United States for implementing policies that promote health equity and address key public health concerns across the most marginalized communities.
This marks the third consecutive year Portland has achieved a gold medal rating. The Board of County Commissioners was briefed about the first gold medal award in March 2024 by the Health Department and Kaiser Permanente.
“This gold medal distinction is a testament to the dedication of our Health Department and our partners in the City of Portland," said Chair Jessica Vega Pederson. “Achieving major public health milestones — like our flavored tobacco restrictions — takes years of community engagement and cross-sector collaboration. Our focus remains on building a community that prioritizes health and wellness through policy, from Preschool for All to clean air.”
In Portland, many of the evaluated policy areas represent a mix of City- and County-level policies. Multnomah County’s restriction of flavored tobacco sales, which was passed by the Board of County Commissioners in December 2022, was key among the recent policy initiatives pushing the region from silver to a gold medal rating.
“Portland is proud to have earned CityHealth’s Gold designation,” said Mayor Keith Wilson. “This recognition underscores our ongoing work to make housing, parks, and streets healthier and more equitable.”
The CityHealth initiative, a collaboration between the de Beaumont Foundation and Kaiser Permanente, annually rates the nation’s largest cities. It awards gold, silver or bronze medals across different policy areas designed to improve quality of life, address health disparities and inspire healthy choices.
“This award is a chance to celebrate and to thank our staff and the Board of County Commissioners for the important, longer-term prevention work, while acknowledging there’s more that needs to be done,” said Health Department Director Rachael Banks. “The upstream work can’t fall off while we also address urgent needs on the street.”
In 2025, Portland earned six gold medals, in the following policy areas:
- Flavored tobacco restriction
- Affordable housing trusts
- Complete streets
- Eco-friendly purchasing
- Smoke-free indoor air
- Greenspace
Portland also earned a silver medal for earned sick leave policies and two bronze medals for healthy rental housing and high-quality, accessible Pre-K.
In addition to Portland, seven other cities qualified for an overall gold recognition by earning at least five gold medals across 12 individual policy areas: Boston, Chicago, Denver, Minneapolis, New Orleans, San Antonio and St. Louis.
CityHealth’s latest full report rated 46 of America’s largest cities. More information regarding the 12 policies measured can be found on CityHealth’s website.
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CityHealth, an initiative of the de Beaumont Foundation and Kaiser Permanente, works to advance a package of proven policy solutions that will help millions of people live longer, better lives in vibrant, prosperous communities. CityHealth regularly evaluates cities on the number and strength of their policies. Find out more at cityhealth.org.