CivicPlus Research Reveals the Digital Trust Gap in Local Government
Multi-year study of 34,151 U.S. adult residents finds digital experiences do not create trust on their own but
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MANHATTAN, Kan., Oct. 20, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — CivicPlus®, a public sector SaaS leader, today released The State of Resident Trust in Local Government, its latest Resident Satisfaction and Trust (RSAT) report, identifying the Digital Trust Gap: the divide between residents who experience local government as accessible, responsive, and easy to engage with, and those who do not. The report draws on 34,151 responses across eight waves of the CivicPlus RSAT survey, conducted from 2022 through 2025. It is one of the largest resident trust research efforts CivicPlus has conducted to date.
Among its findings: 76% of residents say government transparency is important, but only 43% are highly satisfied with the accuracy and honesty of the information they receive.
Residents’ trust in local leaders has risen since 2022. But trust is not the whole story. The report finds that the real divide, the Digital Trust Gap, sits between what residents expect from local government and what they actually experience, and that gap is increasingly where trust is earned or lost. It surfaces wherever residents interact with their local government, from the website they use to pay a bill to the public notices and updates they rely on.
Other key findings in The State of Resident Trust in Local Government report include:
- Trust and satisfaction: Satisfaction is rising but still trails trust. 54% of residents are extremely or very satisfied with local government, up from 48% in 2022, while 82% trust local leaders completely or somewhat.
- Website quality: 62% say a municipality’s website reflects the quality of its leadership, but only 44% find their own very or extremely easy to navigate. Among residents who find it easy, 94% report more trust than distrust in local leaders, compared with 48% of those who find it difficult.
- AI sentiment: 55% are extremely or very concerned about privacy if local government uses AI, yet residents are still more open than opposed and want to know if AI use is useful, fair, and properly guarded.
“Residents do not need government to be perfect. They need to reach government easily, understand what is happening, and see the follow-through,” said CivicPlus Vice President of Market Research Brenden Elwood. “The encouraging news is that these are all things leaders can act on now. Digital experience will not create trust on its own, but it does influence trust levels. Leaders should start with clearer communication and easier navigation. Every improvement residents can see narrows the Digital Trust Gap.”
The report also looks at technology adoption, communication, civic engagement, and federal budget uncertainty while examining accessibility as both a compliance requirement and a trust signal. It closes with practical steps for local leaders, including prioritizing navigation and core tasks, modernizing communication channels, and building feedback loops that show residents what happened next.
Today’s report is the first of a three-part research series. Upcoming reports will profile six resident segments and detail the CivicPlus Resident Digital Trust Index, a benchmarking framework for tracking trust and satisfaction over time.
The State of Resident Trust in Local Government is available now.
Report Methodology
The findings in this report are based on the CivicPlus Resident Satisfaction and Trust (RSAT) survey, conducted twice each year since 2022. The survey uses an online panel of U.S. adults, quota-screened for age and gender, to examine how people interact with and evaluate their local governments.
Across eight survey waves conducted between 2022 and 2025, the dataset includes 34,151 responses. Survey questions examine resident satisfaction with local services, trust in local leadership, communication experiences, civic engagement, and the usability of digital government services.
About CivicPlus
Thousands of high-performing civic leaders rely on CivicPlus® as their trusted partner for impact-led government. With CivicPlus, leaders can finally overcome the perpetual tradeoff between the demand for better services and the realities of operational resources, leveraging the unique Civic Impact Platform to deliver both unmatched end-to-end automated efficiency and truly unified, delightful resident experiences.
Backed by over 25 years of experience and leveraging the insights of more than 950 team members, our solutions are chosen by over 13,000 organizations and are used daily by over 340 million people in the U.S. and Canada. For more information, please visit civicplus.com.
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