Utah ranked most charitable state in U.S., new study finds

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic causing unprecedented financial burdens across the U.S., it hasn’t stopped Americans from donating and participating in charitable activities — especially in Utah. The Beehive State ranked as the most charitable state in the country for 2020, according to a new study from WalletHub. 

The study found that Utah ranked above all the rest when comparing states’ charitable giving with its volunteering and service. Both categories were evaluated using 19 different metrics, such as “volunteer rate” and “share of income donated.” 

Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with 100 representing the most charitable state. The study calculated each state’s weighted average overall to determine which state was the highest. 

Utah ranked first with a total score of 72.7, followed closely by Minnesota with 71.51 points. In third was Maryland (70.08), followed by Oregon (67.84) and Ohio (66.29). 

Utah also topped the list in several other categories.  The state ranked first in the highest volunteer rate, the highest percentage of income donated, the highest percentage of the population who donate money, and the highest percentage of the population who donate their time.

However, the Beehive State came in 49th for the fewest charities per capita.

One age group stands out in the WalletHub survey, which studied the impact of millennial volunteers.  The study found that between the years 2011 to 2015, millennial volunteer rates stayed high, with Utah among the highest in the nation.

That stability helped place the state’s overall volunteering rate among the highest rates in the country.

 

Utah’s spot on the top of the list comes as somewhat of an anomaly, as blue states are more generous than red states, according to WalletHub’s study. The average rank for blue states was 23.20 while red states came in 27.52 — with a lower number indicating a more charitable state.