There is now a way to see if a city measures up to your quality of life.
City Health rated the 40-largest cities in the country based on nine policies.
Kansas City got a bronze medal.
One of the reasons is because of the “Tobacco 21” initiative, which raises the legal limit to sell tobacco products to anyone from 18 to 21 years old.
Joe Reardon from the KC Chamber of Commerce was pleasantly surprised when multiple cities got on board. He said, “We thought by this time, we may have had six or seven cities that would endorse this and change their law but to say it's 22. One and a half million in short order.
City Health believes such high marks help cities keep and attract high-quality talent.
Kansas City also received gold for being proactive in alcohol sales control and clean indoor air.
KC won silver for access to high-quality pre-kindergarten - a policy that focuses on the benefit from early childhood education.
Reardon said, “Turn the page is a great initiative. The Chamber is taking on early childhood as one of our big five, and I think we're on the right path to think of the health of a community by way of our youngest children too."
Reardon admits there is room to improve. Kansas City was not recognized for policies involving paid sick leave, affordable housing and complete streets.
Overall, KC’s bronze is an accomplishment. Twenty one of the 40 cities did not even have strong enough policies to warrant any medal.
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