Utah, Md., W. Va. Top Charity Rankings, Study Says

November 28, 2016 | Read Time: 1 minute

Title: “2016’s Most Charitable States”

Organization: WalletHub

Summary: Residents of Maryland, West Virginia, Vermont, and Utah topped various measures of volunteering and charitable giving in the United States.

When the measures were combined, Utah was ranked the most charitable over all, followed by Minnesota, North Dakota, Maryland, and Oklahoma.

The rankings were compiled by personal-finance company WalletHub, which rated states on 13 measures of generosity. Analysts used data from several sources for the study, including the U.S. Census Bureau, the Corporation for National and Community Service, the National Center for Charitable Statistics, and The Chronicle of Philanthropy. The data is from 2012 to 2016.

Among the findings:

The states with the highest volunteer rates were: Utah, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Nebraska.
States where residents donated the highest percentage of their incomes: Utah, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, and Oklahoma.
States with the highest percentage of the population collecting and distributing food: West Virginia, Kentucky, North Dakota, Oklahoma, and Mississippi.
States with the highest percentage of charities per capita: Vermont, Montana, Massachusetts, Alaska, and Maine.

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About the Author

Timothy Sandoval

Contributor

Sandoval covered nonprofit fundraising for The Chronicle of Philanthropy. He wrote on a variety of subjects including nonprofits’ reactions to the election of Donald Trump, questionable spending at a major veterans charity, and clever Valentine’s Day appeals.

He previously worked as a researcher for The Baltimore Business Journal and as a Reporter for The Carroll County Times in Westminster, Md., and The Gazette in Prince George’s County, Md. He also interned for The Chronicle of Philanthropy’s sister publication, The Chronicle of Higher Education.