Whether people are focusing on what they’re grateful for, celebrating the holidays or planning year-end charitable donations, there are many reasons this time of year always becomes a season of giving.
As generosity and thankfulness make their final push to the front of people’s minds this year, let’s revisit some key markers of the altruistic behaviors of people of faith.
In this article, we’ll look to the Barna FaithView database to find where the most generous practicing Christians live. The lists below rank the top 10 giving markets in America, both in terms of nonprofit and church contributions. Note that the number listed beside each location represents the average annual giving of a practicing Christian from that area and that church contributions are included in the nonprofit average.
Nonprofit giving:
- Pocatello / Idaho Falls / Jackson, ID: $17,977
- Las Vegas, NV: $10,410
- Victoria, TX: $10,375
- Ottumwa, Kirksville, IA: $10,000
- Jonesboro, AR: $7,999
- Twin Falls, ID: $7,636
- North Platte, NE: $6,764
- Lake Charles, LA: $6,200
- Salisbury, MD: $6,125
- Wheeling / Steubenville, WV: $5,735
Wondering why Pocatello / Idaho Falls / Jackson, ID (leading both lists) are so generous? This article explains why southeast Idaho has higher giving averages than the rest of the nation.
Church giving:
- Pocatello / Idaho Falls / Jackson, ID: $15,601
- Ottumwa / Kirksville, IA: $9,600
- Victoria, TX: $8,984
- Jonesboro, AR: $7,999
- Las Vegas, NV: $5,379
- North Platte, NE: $5,235
- Scottsbluff / Cheyenne, NE: $5,000
- Wheeling / Steubenville, WV: $4,663
- Selma / Montgomery, AL: $4,544
- Nashville, TN: $4,433
Where does your city fall on the generosity scale? Subscribe to Barna FaithView to discover this and other relevant data points about your area.
© Barna Group, 2019
Photo by Jakob Owens on Unsplash