Which US states give the most to charity?
A sourced, ranked look at the most charitable states by share of income donated, drawing on WalletHub's 2025 index, IRS Statistics of Income, and Giving USA 2025, with a clear note on methodology.
Last updated July 2026 by Fatih
Quick answer
Wyoming is the most charitable state in WalletHub's 2025 ranking, with residents giving close to 4% of adjusted gross income, followed by Utah at about 3.5%. Maryland, Minnesota, and Virginia complete the top five. Rankings shift with the method: IRS data covers only taxpayers who itemize, so it misses the many households that give but take the standard deduction.
Key takeaways
- Utah has the highest volunteer rate in the country, near 47%.
- Among itemizers, Wyoming filers deducted an average of $12,991 (IRS Statistics of Income, tax year 2016).
- Americans gave a record $592.50 billion in 2024 (Giving USA 2025).
Who this is for: Nonprofit and development teams benchmarking giving by geography; Journalists and editors citing state-level generosity rankings; Researchers and policy analysts studying philanthropy; Faith leaders and congregations comparing regional giving
Wyoming is the most charitable state by share of income, with residents donating close to 4% of adjusted gross income on average, the highest rate in the country, according to WalletHub's 2025 Most Charitable States analysis. Utah ranks second at roughly 3.5% of AGI.
After Wyoming and Utah, WalletHub's composite index places Maryland, Minnesota, and Virginia in the top five. The ranking blends giving and volunteering metrics, with share of income donated carrying double weight.
These figures sit inside a record national total: Americans gave an estimated $592.50 billion to charity in 2024, per Giving USA 2025.
What IRS data shows, and its limits
Among tax filers who itemize, Wyoming itemizers deducted the most at an average of $12,991, ahead of Arkansas ($10,935) and Utah ($10,165), per IRS Statistics of Income (tax year 2016, compiled by the Tax Foundation). Roughly 37 million taxpayers claimed an itemized charitable deduction that year.
Methodology matters: IRS deduction data captures only itemizers, so it undercounts the many households that give but take the standard deduction, a gap that widened after the 2017 standard-deduction increase. Index rankings like WalletHub's instead combine survey, volunteering, and giving indicators, so the two approaches answer slightly different questions.
The national giving backdrop
Giving USA 2025, researched by the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, reports Americans gave an estimated $592.50 billion in 2024, a record in current dollars (up 6.3%, or 3.3% adjusted for inflation). Individuals accounted for $392.45 billion, about 66% of all giving.
Religion remained the largest single recipient category at $146.54 billion, roughly 23% of total giving in 2024, though that share has fallen steadily from about 62% in 1984. The most charitable states, led by Utah, tend to have high rates of religious participation.
Reading the rankings, and a Givebear angle
Because the top states cluster around high religious engagement and strong volunteering, much of the giving runs through congregations, community funds, and local events rather than one-off online gifts. That favors tools that make repeat, in-person, and faith-based giving easy.
For organizations in those communities, the practical takeaway is to make in-person and recurring giving easy, for example with a lobby kiosk and a monthly option, rather than relying on a single online appeal. Givebear provides both.
Sources
WalletHub, Most Charitable States (2025 analysis, data collected October 2025); Tax Foundation, Average Charitable Deduction by State, using IRS Statistics of Income (tax year 2016).
Giving USA 2025, researched by the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy (2024 giving data); IRS Statistics of Income, individual itemized charitable contributions.
Practical use cases
- Cite the top-ranked states with inline attribution to WalletHub 2025
- Pair the index ranking with IRS SOI deduction data to show two methodologies
- Frame state generosity against the $592.50B national Giving USA 2025 total
- Use the religion share-of-giving figures to contextualize faith-based donations
Key features
- Wyoming leads at nearly 4% of adjusted gross income donated; Utah follows near 3.5% (WalletHub, 2025)
- WalletHub's 2025 top five: Wyoming, Utah, Maryland, Minnesota, Virginia (WalletHub, 2025)
- By IRS SOI tax year 2016 data, Wyoming itemizers deducted the most, averaging $12,991 per filer (Tax Foundation, using IRS SOI)
- About 37 million taxpayers claimed an itemized charitable deduction nationally (IRS Statistics of Income, via Tax Foundation)
- US charitable giving reached a record $592.50 billion in 2024, up 6.3% in current dollars (Giving USA 2025)
- Religion received $146.54 billion in 2024, about 23% of all giving, down from 62% in 1984 (Giving USA 2025)
Common questions
Which state is the most charitable?
How is 'most charitable' measured?
Why does Utah rank so high?
How much do Americans give to charity overall?
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