New data reveals which states give the most to charity

Americans are giving billions of dollars to charity and volunteering millions of hours each year, but new data suggests which states are going above and beyond when it comes to helping others.

A new report from WalletHub ranked all 50 states based on 17 measures of charitable behavior, including volunteer rates, hours spent volunteering, charitable donations, food banks per capita and support for people experiencing homelessness.

Utah ranked as most charitable state

Big picture view:

Utah ranked as the most charitable state in the country, followed by Wyoming and Minnesota.

Utah had the nation's highest volunteer rate, with roughly 47% of residents volunteering. Its residents also contributed more than 45 volunteer hours per capita, the most in the country.

Residents also demonstrated a willingness to help their neighbors. More than 68% reported doing favors such as house-sitting, watching children or lending tools at least once during the previous year.

Utah also ranked first for charitable donations as a percentage of adjusted gross income, with families giving an average of about 3%. The state had the third-highest percentage of taxpayers who donated to charity.

Dig Deeper: Meanwhile, Wyoming came in second, with residents volunteering an average of about 28 hours annually, the fifth-highest total nationwide. Roughly 34% of residents said they volunteer, giving the state the 14th-highest volunteer rate.

Minnesota rounded out the top three, with more than 40% of its population volunteering, the third-highest rate in the country. Residents said they volunteered an average of 24 hours per year.

What they're saying:

"The share of the population giving and the percentage of their individual income that they’re willing to use to help others are big factors in showing how charitable people are," Chip Lupo, a WalletHub analyst, said. "In addition, many people can’t afford to give much money, especially due to the influence of inflation, but they generously donate their time, which is just as important."

US donors gave $617 billion to charity in 2025

Why you should care:

The findings come as Americans continue to contribute substantial amounts to charitable causes. U.S. donors gave more than $617 billion to charity in 2025, with nearly 64% of that money coming directly from individuals, according to Giving USA.

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The latest World Giving Index shows that the United States ranks 47th among 105 countries in terms of the share of income donated. Nearly 76 million Americans also volunteer, collectively contributing about 5 billion hours annually. Those efforts are valued at more than $167 billion.

The study also found that blue states tend to be more generous than red states, according to WalletHub's analysis.

The Source: The information for this story was provided by WalletHub, which used data collected as of October 12, 2026 from the U.S. Census Bureau, Harbor Compliance, US Department of Housing and Urban Development, The Internal Revenue Service, Feeding America, Windows USA, AmeriCorps, GreatNonprofits and Google Ads. This story was reported from Los Angeles.