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Top 10 Stories of 2025: Long Beach Becomes First in Nation to be Named No. 1 Digital City Five Years in a Row
By Staff Writer
Published on Thu, Dec 18, 2025
As 2025 comes to a close, we’re celebrating the stories that moved Long Beach forward this year. From major project milestones to community-centered investments, it’s been a year of progress that continues to shape Long Beach as a great place to live, work and play.
2025 marked a major milestone that underscores the City’s leadership in innovation and digital service delivery. For the fifth consecutive year, Long Beach has been ranked No. 1 in the Center for Digital Government’s annual Digital Cities Survey, becoming the first city in the nation to hold the top spot five years in a row.
The Digital Cities Survey recognizes cities that use technology to create more connected, efficient and inclusive communities. Evaluated among cities with populations between 250,000 and 499,999, Long Beach once again led the nation—while also maintaining a remarkable 15-year streak in the Top 10 for its population category.
This year’s top ranking reflects the City’s continued investment in people-centered technology, equity and community engagement. Key initiatives contributing to the designation include:
- TID28, a four-year technology roadmap designed to prepare Long Beach for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games while advancing long-term City goals.
- A permanent online emergency information hub, created in response to the January 2025 wildfires, providing real-time updates on air quality, service impacts and evacuations.
- New webpages to help residents navigate evolving federal policies, including funding updates and immigration-related information.
- Pitch Long Beach!, which invited innovative ideas—such as high-tech public restrooms—to address real-world community challenges.
- Community workshops focused on data privacy, digital safety and how the City responsibly uses technology.
- The Long Beach Collaboratory, pairing residents with City staff to co-design solutions to local issues.
- Expanded professional development and cybersecurity training for City staff to strengthen digital resilience.
- Enhanced digital inclusion efforts, including multilingual resources, a new digital enrollment hotline, and updated guides and maps to help residents access internet service, devices and online learning opportunities.
Together, these efforts highlight how Long Beach continues to use technology not just to modernize services, but to strengthen trust, expand access and improve quality of life. As the City looks ahead, its national leadership in digital innovation remains a key part of what sets Long Beach apart.
