'Red' States More Philanthropic than 'Blue' States Says Study

The spirit of charity is strongest in states which tend to vote conservatively, and weakest where liberal voters hold sway, according to a new study by the the Chronicle of Philanthropy.

The results of the six-month "How America Gives" survey — which covered all 50 states and the District of Columbia, 366 metropolitan areas, and all ZIP codes — used IRS data to rank the percentage of household income donated to nonprofits.

Locally, New York was the 18th most giving state, and New York City ranked 21st amongst major cities.

Closer to home, Carroll Gardens residents who live within the 11231 ZIP code gave 4.1 percent of their income per household, according to Philanthropy.com. Those living within the 11217 borders gave 4.8 percent, and those falling under ZIP code 11201 gave 4.5 percent per household.

The study also concluded:

• The South is the most generous region of the country with seven of the top ten states, and New England the least with six states in the bottom ten.
• Utah was the top-ranked state with 10.6 percent of household income given to charity, with New Hampshire coming in last at 2.5 percent.
• Salt Lake City, UT, ranked first amongst cities, with Providence, RI, 50th.

The researchers concluded that religion played a prominent role in the willingness to give, with Utah and Idaho's large Mormon populations responsible for their high percentage of giving.

Also, lower-income households tended to be much more giving than wealthy ones. Those with incomes between $50,000 and $75,000 donated an average of 7.6 percent, while those making more than $100,000 giving only 4.2 percent.