Cumberland County has been named a 2026 Digital Counties Survey winner by the Center for Digital Government and the National Association of Counties (NACo), placing fifth nationwide among counties with a population of 250,000 – 499,999.

The honor was presented at the NACo Annual Summit, being held July 17-20 in New Orleans. The annual Digital Counties Survey provides recognition of county performance and innovation in using technology to align with county goals, save tax dollars through newfound efficiencies, boost transparency and cybersecurity, encourage citizen engagement and proactively address citizen expectations.

“This national recognition is a testament to Cumberland County’s commitment to using technology to better serve our residents,” said County Manager Clarence Grier in a press release. “By expanding digital access, strengthening cybersecurity and improving online services, our Innovation and Technology Services team is helping make government more accessible, efficient and responsive. I congratulate the entire ITS team on this well-deserved recognition.”

In its awards summary, the Digital Counties Survey highlighted Cumberland County’s prioritization of digital equity.

Digital equity stands high on the priority list for North Carolina’s Cumberland County. Free Wi-Fi that doesn’t require a password flows through the Department of Public Health, Headquarters Library and the Courthouse with the Department of Social Services up next.

Local courts also have undergone a digital makeover via digital displays, a modern option compared with paper-based docket postings that provide immediate access to courtroom information and scheduling. At least 15 displays on all five courthouse floors have reduced foot traffic to court offices by more than 30% while also limiting mistakes, such as people appearing before the wrong judge. The County’s outdoor self-service kiosks, located in the Public Health Center and Department of Social Services, also give access to our court dockets along with departmental directories, information about elected officials and free wireless connections. The kiosks cut down on the need for residents seeking assistance to wait in line at service counters.

The County has made meaningful strides with AI, notably through a policy that calls for developing AI tools in-house. That gives Cumberland officials more control over data, security and privacy while allowing the County to save costs that would otherwise go to government tech suppliers and deploy and scale AI tools relatively quickly. “Zoney,” the County’s AI assistant for zoning and planning staff, is an example of those tools. It can find zoning data via a conversational interface while decreasing the time required for more manual forms of research.

“It has been an honor to represent Cumberland County on the national stage at the NACo convention for the fifth year in a row,” said ITS Director Daniel Rister in a press release. “We don’t take our success for granted and will continue to work hard to help develop and implement a digital presence that will meet the needs of our residents and also help keep Cumberland competitive in the market for economic development and growth.”

This marks Cumberland County’s fifth consecutive year being nationally ranked among top digital counties.