2nd Annual Digital Counties Survey - 2004 Results

The Center for Digital Government and National Association of Counties (NACo) are pleased to announce the winners of their 2004 Digital Counties Survey, a national survey sponsored by SAP, a proud supporter of all local governments in the United States.

In April, all counties in the United States were invited to participate in the survey, which consisted of 17 questions that focused on how county governments are applying information technology to effectively deliver services to their citizens. The survey grouped counties into four population categories: 500,000 or more; 250,000-499,999; 150,000-249,999; and less than 150,000.

At the conclusion of the survey, a top-10 ranking was established for each population category. It gives us great pleasure to honor and acknowledge the hard work and effort put forth by all of our nation's top digital county governments. Congratulations to all of them.

Congratulations to the top 10 Digital Counties 2004:

Population 500,000 or more:
1st San Diego County, Calif.
2nd Orange County, Fla.
3rd Alameda County, Calif.
4th Bernalillo County, N.M.
4th Tulsa County, Okla.
5th Snohomish County, Wash.
6th Sacramento County, Calif.
7th Hennepin County, Minn.
8th Wake County, N.C.
9th Fulton County, Ga.
10th Montgomery County, Md.

Population 250,000-499,999:
1st Johnson County, Kan.
1st Prince William County, Va.
2nd Sarasota County, Fla.
3rd Seminole County, Fla.
4th Lee County, Fla.
5th Sedgwick County, Kan.
6th Boulder County, Colo.
7th Loudoun County, Va.
8th Polk County, Iowa
9th Larimer County, Colo.
10th Dutchess County, NY
10th Utah County, Utah

Population Category 150,000-249,999:
1st Roanoke County, Va.
2nd Yakima County, Wash.
3rd Howard County, Md.
4th Clermont County, Ohio
5th Hamilton County, Ind.
6th Racine County, Wis.
7th El Dorado County, Calif.
8th Merced County, Calif.
9th Frederick County, Md.
10th Jackson County, Ore.

Population Category Less than 150,000:
1st Charles County, Md.
2nd Nevada County, Calif.
3rd Stearns County, Minn.
4th Napa County, Calif.
5th Oconee County, Ga.
6th Sutter County, Calif.
7th Olmsted County, Minn.
8th Albemarle County, Va.
9th Delaware County, Ohio
10th Butler County, Iowa

Brief Statisctics

• Eighty-eight percent of all respondents in the top three population categories have an IT strategic plan, and 45 percent of those have updated their plans in the previous two years.
• An average of 19 percent of all counties surveyed provide Web-casting (audio, video or live streaming video) of their county governing body meetings.
• Sixty percent provide meeting agendas or minutes on their Web sites.
• In the top two population categories, more than 50 percent of the counties allow online submission of job applications for 26 percent or more of available county positions.