In this three-part series, we'll take a closer look at these efforts and the impact made.
Alameda County, Calif.
Place: 3rd
Category: 1 Million or More
A regular in the top ranks of the Digital Counties Survey, Alameda County has once again cemented a leadership spot with its IT initiatives. The county government’s attention to delivering secure, responsive and accessible government services earned the Information Technology Department (ITD) a third-place spot in its population category.
A major focus for ITD has been the thoughtful and strategic implementation of AI to enable faster analysis and data processing, such as real-time audio and video translation. During the first 10 days of that use case, 700 audio and video files were processed — a feat that would have taken an employee much longer to accomplish. In a similar vein, the county has deployed an AI tool, Wordly.ai, to provide real-time translation and captioning during Board of Supervisors meetings. Since going live, the platform has translated more than 18 meetings and more than 4,600 minutes of content. Another AI proof of concept has also been pointed toward analyzing out-of-county conviction records within the county’s Criminal Records Information Management System. ITD’s work this last year also included the creation of a registration portal for the county’s Social Services Agency. That site, which ran between October and December, connected 253 people to support services.
When it comes to securing county systems, Alameda County takes an aggressive approach. ITD uses a centralized continuous monitoring platform to manage and patch its more than 10,000 endpoints, and the Security Information and Event Management/Security Operations Center has helped block more than half a million phishing attempts in 2025 alone.
Beyond these efforts, the county plans to expand in several areas, including more capabilities within the Sheriff’s Real-Time Information Center, employee onboarding and offboarding automation, expanded cybersecurity, and network modernization, among other initiatives.
San Diego County, Calif.
Place: 6th
Category: 1 Million or More
For the second consecutive year, California’s second-largest county by population finished sixth in its category. Last year, the survey lauded San Diego for its citizen-centric approach to service, as well as for the commitment it displayed to planning for the future. This year, San Diego has taken its work in both areas even further. What stands out the most, perhaps, is the county establishing a new digital experience team with its office of technology. This team is focused on bringing a user-centered approach to the county’s digital operations, and it’s already making a difference. The team has helped create new standards around readability, usability and search functionalities, and they are now training other staff to meet these standards. The team also has an equity and accessibility focus that is laudable. This is just part of the deepening commitment to user centricity that continues to form IT work in San Diego. Another effort is a new engagement hub aimed at bolstering citizen engagement. This commitment extends to other county departments too, both in terms of internal and public-facing operations. One example of the latter is how child protective services started using two-way text messaging to engage with those it serves. Meanwhile, San Diego also automated its distribution of child welfare reports and orders to private systems, which eliminates the need to print more than 50,000 total reports. This move — which also reduces labor expenditures — saves the county an estimated $75,000 a year. These are just some examples of the work being done in San Diego. The list goes on, but throughout, the county showed a deep commitment to both user-centric practices and planning for its future.
San Bernardino County, Calif
Place: 7th
Category: 1 Million or More
The nation’s largest county by land area, measuring more than 20,000 square miles, San Bernardino County in Southern California snagged seventh place in the largest population category this year. While a new IT strategic plan is in progress, the county is working toward enterprise software solutions complemented by a mature IT governance model. An ambitious partnership with human resources to update job classifications is bearing fruit for IT, which has made dozens of hires this year — both employees and contractors. In addition, 60 internal staff members got promoted into new roles, boosted by a robust training program. Recent accomplishments in the constituent communication realm include a new website, reflecting a consistent look and feel across the county’s more than 40 departments. The site features a new universal events calendar, as well as access to a monthly video roundup of county news called News Now. The county is committed to fostering a data-driven organization, with a recent project offering proof: Using ArcGIS tools in partnership with the Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Innovation Hub, the Department of Public Works experimented with real-time GPS data from snowplows to better manage operations during snowstorms. In other vehicular innovations necessitated by the county’s vast geography, officials have a customized Field Service Vehicle that comfortably serves staff needs while enabling more efficient field work on first responder radios, and the Assessor-Recorder Clerk has a tech-equipped RV that extends services like vital records and marriage licenses into communities.
*The Digital Counties Survey is conducted by the Center for Digital Government, part of e.Republic, Industry Insider — California's parent company.
