Center for Digital Government Recognizes Top-Performing States in 2026 Digital States Survey

Center for Digital Government Recognizes Top-Performing States in 2026 Digital States Survey

Nearly half of U.S. states earn top recognition; 80% report AI integration, while cybersecurity remains the top IT priority

The Center for Digital Government (CDG), a trusted brand of e.Republic, announced the results of its 2026 Digital States Survey, which highlights digital technology accomplishments of all fifty states over the last 2 years.

The Digital States Survey evaluates how state governments are leveraging technology to improve constituent engagement, increase efficiency, streamline operations, and enhance service delivery. The findings serve as a national benchmark, helping states assess their progress, identify opportunities for improvement, and inform future technology strategies and investments

Top Performers and Notable Gains in 2026
Nearly half of all states were recognized as top performers in the 2026 survey. Eleven states improved since 2024, with Iowa, Nevada, Florida, and Idaho making the most significant gains. View the full 2026 Digital States Survey results on the CDG website.

"Congratulations to all the states for their accomplishments as the pace of change accelerates," said Teri Takai, Chief Programs Officer of the Center for Digital Government. "What stands out in this year's results is how state technology leaders are turning increasingly complex challenges into opportunities to modernize government. The states are adopting new technologies while making strategic investments, strengthening governance, and building the capacity to deliver better, more responsive, and trusted services to the people they serve."

The 2026 Category Award winners are:

• Leadership: New York
• Constituent Digital Experience: Georgia
• Continuous Innovation: Florida
• Data Management and Use: Montana
• Workforce Planning: Washington
• Artificial Intelligence: Massachusetts
• Enterprise Computing and Broadband Expansion: Alabama

The 2026 Core Business Applications Category Award winners are:

• Public Safety, Emergency Management, Criminal Justice and Corrections: Kentucky
• Health and Human Services: New Jersey
• Transportation and Motor Vehicles: Maryland

Cybersecurity and AI Lead an Evolving State IT Landscape
Beyond recognizing individual states, the survey identifies the technology priorities and challenges shaping state government. Cybersecurity remains the top IT priority as states navigate funding constraints, workforce challenges, and the rapid integration of AI.

The findings also highlight the growing complexity of the state CIO role, with 95% of leaders navigating funding constraints and 78% citing enterprise governance and agency alignment challenges. AI is becoming embedded in state IT strategy and governance, with 80% reporting integration across existing technology, data, security, and policy leadership, while nearly 80% are evaluating or piloting AI security platforms.

CDG evaluates survey responses based on criteria that include actions supporting state priorities and policies; improvements to operations and services; hard- and soft-dollar savings and benefits; adoption of innovative approaches and technology solutions; effective collaboration; and demonstrated progress since the last survey.

The 2026 awards will be presented on September 27 during the National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) annual conference in San Diego.

CDG extends its appreciation to the Digital States Program corporate partners underwriting the 2026 survey: Amazon Web Services, Armis/ServiceNow, Cisco, Fortinet, HP Inc., Red Hat, SAP, SHI Public Sector, Socure, Tanium, Tyler Technologies, UiPath, Verizon Enterprise Solutions, Wiz, and Zscaler.

About the Center for Digital Government
The Center for Digital Government (CDG) is a national benchmarking and advisory institute focused on technology policy and best practices in state and local government. Learn more at https://www.govtech.com/cdg.

The Center for Digital Government is a trusted brand of e.Republic.

Media Contact:
Heidi Lorenzen
925-353-8836
[email protected]