Americans donated nearly $500 billion in 2022.
WalletHub released its report on the Most Caring Cities in America after identifying the most compassionate cities by comparing the 100 largest American cities across 38 key metrics. Data includes the share of sheltered homeless, volunteer hours per capita and the share of income donated to charity.
The most caring cities in America are Madison, Wis., Boston, Virginia Beach, New York City, San Diego, Chesapeake, Colorado Springs, Col., Fremont, Calif., Portland, Oregon and Scottsdale, Ariz.
Pittsburgh is No. 12, San Francisco ranks No. 14, Denver is No. 15, followed by Seattle at No. 16.
The personal finance website’s report revealed insights such as Memphis having the highest share of income donated to charity, which is 2.5 times higher than in Honolulu, the city with the lowest. The most volunteer hours per capita are in Baltimore, which is 5.8 times more than in Jacksonville, Florida, the city with the fewest. However, the highest share of residents who do favors for their neighbors was found in Jacksonville, a 1.8 times higher rate than in Orlando, the city with the lowest.
The highest share of sheltered homeless is in Milwaukee, which is 4.2 times higher than in San Jose. Fremont has the lowest child-poverty rate, which is 11.5 times lower than Cleveland’s rate.
“Being a caring city requires a partnership between the city’s government and its residents. The government can implement high-level measures like sheltering the homeless, reducing crime and protecting workers. Residents show that they care for their neighbors by donating time and money, being environmentally friendly and taking jobs that help others,” WalletHub Analyst Cassandra Happe said.
When the weather outside gets frosty and the holiday spirit hits, it helps to live in a city where people care about each other.
“Madison, WI is the most caring city, in large part due to a high interest in charitable giving. Madison residents search for ‘charitable donations’ on Google more than people in any other city, and they rank highly when it comes to online donations per capita,” Happe said. “People in Madison don’t just give of their money – they also are willing to dedicate their time to careers that help others. The city ranks first in the nation for both doctors and EMTs per 100,000 residents, and fourth for pet shelters and rescue services (per the square root of the population).”
Each of the most caring cities has its own unique strengths. For example, Boston has the highest per-capita online giving and is the most energy-efficient city in the country. Virginia Beach ranks first when it comes to volunteering hours, while New York City provides paid family leave to employees, and San Diego is a city with a “Built for Zero” community – a movement that aims to end homelessness.
“Being a caring city requires a partnership between the city’s government and its residents,” Happe said. “The government can implement high-level measures like sheltering the homeless, reducing crime and protecting workers. Residents show that they care for their neighbors by donating time and money, being environmentally friendly and taking jobs that help others.”
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Rebecca Barnabi
