Pulse

The state of digital experience across every government site ScanGov scans.

Sites: 4824
Last scan: 10/26/2026

What we scan

ScanGov scans the homepage of every government site on our list, 4,824 sites across states, counties, cities, federal agencies, and public higher education. Each scan runs the checks on standards.scangov.org for accessibility, botability, security, usability, and readability. A site counts as fully scanned when its homepage responded and returned page content; sites that did not are listed with their scan status and left out of every figure here.

4,080 of 4,824

Sites fully scanned. We couldn't fully scan 744

C 78

Average overall score of the fully scanned sites

Groups ranked: states, counties, cities, federal, education

10/25/2026

Newest scan. Sites were scanned between 6/20/2026 and this date

How sites are doing

Of 4,080 fully scanned sites, 9% (364) earn an A for overall score, 79% (3,219) a B or C, and 12% (497) a D or F. The average score is 78. The curve shows where scores cluster; the bar shows the share in each grade band.

How U.S. government overall scores are distributed

Smoothed distribution of the 4,080 fully scanned U.S. government sites, score 0 to 100. Height shows how many sites score near each value.

Average

View the data table

How U.S. government overall scores are distributed
Score range	Sites
0 to 9	0
10 to 19	0
20 to 29	0
30 to 39	0
40 to 49	2
50 to 59	50
60 to 69	445
70 to 79	1,910
80 to 89	1,309
90 to 100	364

U.S. government sites by overall grade

Share of the 4,080 fully scanned U.S. government sites in each grade band

All U.S. government sitesA (90 to 100): 9% (364 sites)B to C (70 to 89): 79% (3,219 sites)D to F (below 70): 12% (497 sites)

A (90 to 100)
B to C (70 to 89)
D to F (below 70)

View the data table

U.S. government sites by overall grade
Group	A (90 to 100)	B to C (70 to 89)	D to F (below 70)
All U.S. government sites	9% (364)	79% (3,219)	12% (497)

Groups compared

State sites average 84, the highest of the five groups; county sites average 76, the lowest. The gap is 8 points. Each group name links to its rankings.

Average overall score by group

Mean overall score of each group's fully scanned sites, 0 to 100. All sites: 78.

View the data table

Average overall score by group
Group	Average overall score
States	84	43 sites
Counties	76	2,431 sites
Cities	79	216 sites
Federal	79	693 sites
Education	84	700 sites

Sites by overall grade, by group

Share of each group's fully scanned sites in each grade band. States: 43. Counties: 2,431. Cities: 216. Federal: 693. Education: 700.

StatesA (90 to 100): 28% (12 sites)B to C (70 to 89): 65% (28 sites)D to F (below 70): 7% (3 sites)
CountiesA (90 to 100): 3% (81 sites)B to C (70 to 89): 82% (1,984 sites)D to F (below 70): 15% (366 sites)
CitiesA (90 to 100): 14% (30 sites)B to C (70 to 89): 77% (167 sites)D to F (below 70): 9% (19 sites)
FederalA (90 to 100): 15% (102 sites)B to C (70 to 89): 71% (492 sites)D to F (below 70): 14% (99 sites)
EducationA (90 to 100): 20% (140 sites)B to C (70 to 89): 79% (550 sites)D to F (below 70): 1% (10 sites)

A (90 to 100)
B to C (70 to 89)
D to F (below 70)

View the data table

Sites by overall grade, by group
Group	A (90 to 100)	B to C (70 to 89)	D to F (below 70)
States	28% (12)	65% (28)	7% (3)
Counties	3% (81)	82% (1,984)	15% (366)
Cities	14% (30)	77% (167)	9% (19)
Federal	15% (102)	71% (492)	14% (99)
Education	20% (140)	79% (550)	1% (10)

4 of 5 groups score lowest on usability, and 3 of 5 groups score highest on security. The chart compares every site's average on each indicator with the state group, the group that scores highest overall.

Average score by indicator, all sites

Mean score of the 4,080 fully scanned sites for each indicator, 0 to 100, with the state group's average for comparison.

Accessibility89State sites: 93
Botability76State sites: 75
Security89State sites: 92
Usability51State sites: 68
Readability61State sites: 74

All sites
State sites

View the data table

Average score by indicator, all sites
Indicator	All sites average	State sites average
Accessibility	89	93
Botability	76	75
Security	89	92
Usability	51	68
Readability	61	74

By place

State sites

Each state is colored by the overall grade of its main site. Select a state for its report, or see the state rankings.

Legend: 　 A 　 B-C 　 D-F 　 Not fully scanned / no data

County sites, by state

Each state is shaded by the average overall score of its fully scanned county sites, darker for higher. Select a state for its county rankings, or see the county rankings for every state.

Legend: 7389 Average score, lighter is lower 　 No data

Highest county averages: Hawaii (89), Vermont (82), Nebraska (80). Lowest: Wyoming (73), Oklahoma (73), Kentucky (73).

County sites in the three most populous states

Every county in California, Texas, and Florida, colored by its site's overall grade. Each state has its own page with the full county ranking.

Where sites fail

For each indicator, the five checks that fully scanned sites fail most often. A site can fail more than one check, and each check links to its standard and how to fix it.

Accessibility

Meet WCAG standards so every type of user can use your website. The most common accessibility failure is Links have a discernible name: 41% (1,668 of 4,080 sites) fail it.

Most common accessibility failures among U.S. government sites

Share of the 4,080 fully scanned U.S. government sites failing each check. A site can fail more than one check. Each check links to its standard and how to fix it.

Links have a discernible name41% (1,668 of 4,080 sites)
Heading elements appear in a sequentially-descending order34% (1,372 of 4,080 sites)
Background and foreground colors have a sufficient contrast ratio33% (1,354 of 4,080 sites)
Touch targets have sufficient size and spacing22% (904 of 4,080 sites)
Document has a main landmark21% (869 of 4,080 sites)

View the data table

Most common accessibility failures among U.S. government sites
Check	Share failing	Sites failing
Links have a discernible name	41%	1,668
Heading elements appear in a sequentially-descending order	34%	1,372
Background and foreground colors have a sufficient contrast ratio	33%	1,354
Touch targets have sufficient size and spacing	22%	904
Document has a main landmark	21%	869

What each accessibility check means

Links have a discernible name. Links have unique, descriptive text so users know where they go. Screen reader users cannot identify or interact with elements.
Heading elements appear in a sequentially-descending order. Page headings follow a logical order without skipping levels. Keyboard users cannot efficiently navigate your site.
Background and foreground colors have a sufficient contrast ratio. Text and background colors meet minimum contrast ratios. Users with low vision cannot read your text.
Touch targets have sufficient size and spacing. Buttons and interactive elements are large enough to tap easily on touch screens. Users with motor disabilities struggle to tap small buttons.
Document has a main landmark. The page has exactly one main content area so screen readers can navigate to it. Screen reader users cannot skip directly to main content.

Accessibility: Standards · Guidance · Project ScanGov rankings · How ScanGov helps

Botability

Help AI and search engines discover, crawl, and index your website. The most common botability failure is GovernmentOrganization Schema.org type: 81% (3,312 of 4,080 sites) fail it.

Most common botability failures among U.S. government sites

Share of the 4,080 fully scanned U.S. government sites failing each check. A site can fail more than one check. Each check links to its standard and how to fix it.

GovernmentOrganization Schema.org type81% (3,312 of 4,080 sites)
Sitemap status30% (1,229 of 4,080 sites)
Sitemap XML30% (1,229 of 4,080 sites)
Link text30% (1,205 of 4,080 sites)
Sitemap in robots.txt25% (1,040 of 4,080 sites)

View the data table

Most common botability failures among U.S. government sites
Check	Share failing	Sites failing
GovernmentOrganization Schema.org type	81%	3,312
Sitemap status	30%	1,229
Sitemap XML	30%	1,229
Link text	30%	1,205
Sitemap in robots.txt	25%	1,040

What each botability check means

GovernmentOrganization Schema.org type. Homepage is marked up as an official government organization. Systems cannot verify you are an official government site.
Sitemap status. The sitemap file loads and returns a successful response. Search engines cannot find all your pages.
Sitemap XML. The sitemap file uses the required XML format. Search engines cannot read your sitemap.
Link text. Links use descriptive text that tells users and search engines where they go. Users cannot tell where links go.
Sitemap in robots.txt. The robots.txt file links to the sitemap. Search engines take longer to find your pages.

Botability: Standards · Guidance · Project ScanGov rankings · How ScanGov helps

Security

Secure your site and protect users with proper security practices. The most common security failure is Errors in the console: 39% (1,600 of 4,080 sites) fail it.

Most common security failures among U.S. government sites

Share of the 4,080 fully scanned U.S. government sites failing each check. A site can fail more than one check. Each check links to its standard and how to fix it.

Errors in the console39% (1,600 of 4,080 sites)
Sponsored top-level domain (sTLD)32% (1,293 of 4,080 sites)
Security.txt7% (283 of 4,080 sites)
X-Content-Type-Options4% (151 of 4,080 sites)
Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS)1% (26 of 4,080 sites)

View the data table

Most common security failures among U.S. government sites
Check	Share failing	Sites failing
Errors in the console	39%	1,600
Sponsored top-level domain (sTLD)	32%	1,293
Security.txt	7%	283
X-Content-Type-Options	4%	151
Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS)	1%	26

What each security check means

Errors in the console. The page loads without JavaScript or network errors. Site may have hidden bugs that break features.
Sponsored top-level domain (sTLD). The site uses a government-issued domain (.gov, .edu, or .mil). People cannot tell if your site is real government.
Security.txt. The site has a security.txt file so researchers know how to report issues. Security researchers cannot report problems to you.
X-Content-Type-Options. The site tells browsers not to guess the type of files it serves. Browsers might run dangerous files by mistake.
Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS). The site uses HTTPS to encrypt data between the server and users. Hackers can see and steal personal information.

Security: Standards · Guidance · Project ScanGov rankings · How ScanGov helps

Usability

Optimize content structure so users quickly find what they need. The most common usability failure is Open Graph image alt: 94% (3,828 of 4,080 sites) fail it.

Most common usability failures among U.S. government sites

Share of the 4,080 fully scanned U.S. government sites failing each check. A site can fail more than one check. Each check links to its standard and how to fix it.

Open Graph image alt94% (3,828 of 4,080 sites)
Open Graph site name72% (2,940 of 4,080 sites)
Largest Contentful Paint (LCP)69% (2,834 of 4,080 sites)
Open Graph description68% (2,771 of 4,080 sites)
Open Graph type67% (2,729 of 4,080 sites)

View the data table

Most common usability failures among U.S. government sites
Check	Share failing	Sites failing
Open Graph image alt	94%	3,828
Open Graph site name	72%	2,940
Largest Contentful Paint (LCP)	69%	2,834
Open Graph description	68%	2,771
Open Graph type	67%	2,729

What each usability check means

Open Graph image alt. The social media preview image has alt text for screen readers. Screen readers cannot describe shared images.
Open Graph site name. The site has a name for social media and browser display. Site name missing in social media shares.
Largest Contentful Paint (LCP). The page's main content loads within 2.5 seconds. Users wait too long and leave your page.
Open Graph description. The page has a description for social media previews. Shared links have no description on social media.
Open Graph type. The page declares its content type for social media cards. Social media shows wrong content type.

Usability: Standards · Guidance · Project ScanGov rankings · How ScanGov helps

Readability

Write content at a reading level most users can understand. The most common readability failure is Reading level: 36% (1,487 of 4,080 sites) fail it.

Most common readability failures among U.S. government sites

Share of the 4,080 fully scanned U.S. government sites failing each check. A site can fail more than one check. Each check links to its standard and how to fix it.

Reading level36% (1,487 of 4,080 sites)

View the data table

Most common readability failures among U.S. government sites
Check	Share failing	Sites failing
Reading level	36%	1,487

What each readability check means

Reading level. Page text reads at or below a 7th grade level so most users can understand it. Users struggle to understand your content.

Readability: Standards · Guidance · Project ScanGov rankings · How ScanGov helps

Where to go next

States rankings: 43 fully scanned of 51 sites.
Counties rankings: 2,431 fully scanned of 2,832 sites, with a page for every state.
Cities rankings: 216 fully scanned of 267 sites.
Federal rankings: 693 fully scanned of 866 sites.
Education rankings: 700 fully scanned of 812 sites.
County rankings by state: a map and table of all 48 states with county sites.
County websites not on a .gov domain: 1,092 of 2,431 fully scanned county sites, on a county map with every site listed.
County websites with sitemap problems: 1,088 of 2,410 fully scanned county sites, on a county map with every site listed.
County websites with robots.txt problems: 599 of 2,410 fully scanned county sites, on a county map with every site listed.
County websites that need JavaScript to show their content: 39 of 2,431 fully scanned county sites, on a county map with every site listed.
County websites missing Open Graph tags: 2,173 of 2,431 fully scanned county sites, on a county map with every site listed.
Changelog: what changed in the latest scans.
Scan status: why some sites could not be fully scanned.

About this data

ScanGov scans the homepage of every government site on our list. Scores come from the checks in the ScanGov standards. Sites were scanned between 6/20/2026 and 10/25/2026. Each site's report shows its own scan date. A site counts as fully scanned when its homepage loaded and sent us its page content. Averages, grade shares, failure rates, and ranks use fully scanned sites only. We could not fully scan 744 sites. They did not respond, blocked the scanner, or sent no page content. They appear in the table without grades, with their scan status, and are left out of every figure. Grades follow the ScanGov grade scale. Rank follows the ScanGov ranking method. The full dataset, with every county's raw results, is in the ScanGov data repository.

Pulse

What we scan

How sites are doing

How U.S. government overall scores are distributed

U.S. government sites by overall grade

Groups compared

Average overall score by group

Sites by overall grade, by group

Average score by indicator, all sites

By place

State sites

County sites, by state

County sites in the three most populous states

California counties by overall grade

Texas counties by overall grade

Florida counties by overall grade

Where sites fail

Accessibility

Most common accessibility failures among U.S. government sites

Botability

Most common botability failures among U.S. government sites

Security

Most common security failures among U.S. government sites

Usability

Most common usability failures among U.S. government sites

Readability

Most common readability failures among U.S. government sites

Where to go next

About this data