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Whether people are reflecting on what they’re grateful for, celebrating the holidays or planning year-end charitable donations, there are many reasons this time of year becomes a season of giving. As generosity and thankfulness push their way to the front of people’s minds, 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 currently 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) is 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.
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About the Research
The data in this study were analyzed by DMA. The label “DMA” stands for Designated Market Area and represents a unique geographic area that also serves as a commonly accepted media market as defined by The Neilsen Company. DMAs have been configured so that the entire U.S. is assigned to one – and only one – of 210 DMAs in the country and are based on the television viewing habits of the residents in each county. While there are 210 DMAs, this table contains data for the top 50 markets.
Photo by Jakob Owens on Unsplash
About Barna
Barna research is a private, non-partisan, for-profit organization under the umbrella of the Issachar Companies. Located in Ventura, California, Barna Group has been conducting and analyzing primary research to understand cultural trends related to values, beliefs, attitudes and behaviors since 1984.
© Barna Group, 2019