It has been said that volunteering is essential for a healthy civil society and that it plays a larger part in American life than in many other countries. There’s more to volunteering than altruism. “Doing well by doing good” is a well known expression, and volunteering may help individuals build their social networks and bolster their resumes. (This is how Americans spend their time.)
To determine the states volunteering the most, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the report “Volunteering in America” from AmeriCorps. States were ranked based on the percentage of residents who volunteered their time in the last year. Other data is also from the report.
The No. 1 state for volunteering is Utah, where more than half of residents volunteered in the last year for a total of almost 140 million hours. Meanwhile, more than two-thirds of residents donated at least $25 to charity. These figures reflect the ethos of Mormon volunteerism in a state where more than 60% of residents are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day States.
Utah is followed by Minnesota, where slightly more than 45% of residents volunteered for a total of 137 million hours.
At the other end of the list is Florida, where fewer than 23% of residents volunteered. That may reflect the transient nature of some communities, as many residents of other states and countries spend winters in Florida. (The Sunshine state also attracts many retirees. See where it ranks among the best and worst states for retirees.)
Not far behind Florida is Mississippi, where fewer than 24% volunteered.
Click here to see the states that volunteer the most
50. Florida
> Pct. who volunteer: 22.8%
> Total hours volunteered: 340.7 million
> Value of volunteer hours: $8.2 billion
> Pct. who donated at least $25 to charity last year: 43.2%
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49. Mississippi
> Pct. who volunteer: 23.8%
> Total hours volunteered: 40.7 million
> Value of volunteer hours: $983.9 million
> Pct. who donated at least $25 to charity last year: 46.4%
48. Nevada
> Pct. who volunteer: 24.4%
> Total hours volunteered: 78.0 million
> Value of volunteer hours: $1.8 billion
> Pct. who donated at least $25 to charity last year: 45.6%
47. New York
> Pct. who volunteer: 25.3%
> Total hours volunteered: 295.4 million
> Value of volunteer hours: $7.1 billion
> Pct. who donated at least $25 to charity last year: 48.4%
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46. California
> Pct. who volunteer: 25.4%
> Total hours volunteered: 688.6 million
> Value of volunteer hours: $16.6 billion
> Pct. who donated at least $25 to charity last year: 47.0%
45. Louisiana
> Pct. who volunteer: 25.8%
> Total hours volunteered: 81.1 million
> Value of volunteer hours: $1.9 billion
> Pct. who donated at least $25 to charity last year: 45.3%
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44. New Jersey
> Pct. who volunteer: 26.1%
> Total hours volunteered: 162.7 million
> Value of volunteer hours: $3.9 billion
> Pct. who donated at least $25 to charity last year: 55.8%
43. Georgia
> Pct. who volunteer: 26.5%
> Total hours volunteered: 187.9 million
> Value of volunteer hours: $4.5 billion
> Pct. who donated at least $25 to charity last year: 46.0%
42. New Mexico
> Pct. who volunteer: 27.1%
> Total hours volunteered: 41.1 million
> Value of volunteer hours: $994.3 million
> Pct. who donated at least $25 to charity last year: 44.1%
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41. Alabama
> Pct. who volunteer: 27.4%
> Total hours volunteered: 84.0 million
> Value of volunteer hours: $2.0 billion
> Pct. who donated at least $25 to charity last year: 49.9%
40. Hawaii
> Pct. who volunteer: 28.0%
> Total hours volunteered: 29.1 million
> Value of volunteer hours: $702.6 million
> Pct. who donated at least $25 to charity last year: 50.5%
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37. Illinois
> Pct. who volunteer: 28.1%
> Total hours volunteered: 206.5 million
> Value of volunteer hours: $4.9 billion
> Pct. who donated at least $25 to charity last year: 55.1%
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37. Kentucky
> Pct. who volunteer: 28.1%
> Total hours volunteered: 96.6 million
> Value of volunteer hours: $2.3 billion
> Pct. who donated at least $25 to charity last year: 50.9%
37. West Virginia
> Pct. who volunteer: 28.1%
> Total hours volunteered: 36.8 million
> Value of volunteer hours: $888.4 million
> Pct. who donated at least $25 to charity last year: 48.4%
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36. Texas
> Pct. who volunteer: 28.4%
> Total hours volunteered: 563.3 million
> Value of volunteer hours: $13.5 billion
> Pct. who donated at least $25 to charity last year: 49.3%
35. Michigan
> Pct. who volunteer: 29.4%
> Total hours volunteered: 185.9 million
> Value of volunteer hours: $4.4 billion
> Pct. who donated at least $25 to charity last year: 49.3%
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33. Arizona
> Pct. who volunteer: 30.0%
> Total hours volunteered: 160.9 million
> Value of volunteer hours: $3.8 billion
> Pct. who donated at least $25 to charity last year: 52.0%
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33. Arkansas
> Pct. who volunteer: 30.0%
> Total hours volunteered: 72.9 million
> Value of volunteer hours: $1.7 billion
> Pct. who donated at least $25 to charity last year: 48.9%
32. Rhode Island
> Pct. who volunteer: 30.7%
> Total hours volunteered: 22.0 million
> Value of volunteer hours: $532.3 million
> Pct. who donated at least $25 to charity last year: 60.6%
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31. South Carolina
> Pct. who volunteer: 30.8%
> Total hours volunteered: 109.0 million
> Value of volunteer hours: $2.6 billion
> Pct. who donated at least $25 to charity last year: 51.8%
30. Tennessee
> Pct. who volunteer: 31.3%
> Total hours volunteered: 137.7 million
> Value of volunteer hours: $3.3 billion
> Pct. who donated at least $25 to charity last year: 56.8%
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28. Connecticut
> Pct. who volunteer: 31.8%
> Total hours volunteered: 71.5 million
> Value of volunteer hours: $1.7 billion
> Pct. who donated at least $25 to charity last year: 53.0%
28. Delaware
> Pct. who volunteer: 31.8%
> Total hours volunteered: 24.4 million
> Value of volunteer hours: $589.4 million
> Pct. who donated at least $25 to charity last year: 61.5%
27. Missouri
> Pct. who volunteer: 31.9%
> Total hours volunteered: 133.0 million
> Value of volunteer hours: $3.2 billion
> Pct. who donated at least $25 to charity last year: 55.2%
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26. Oklahoma
> Pct. who volunteer: 32.0%
> Total hours volunteered: 94.5 million
> Value of volunteer hours: $2.2 billion
> Pct. who donated at least $25 to charity last year: 53.8%
25. Colorado
> Pct. who volunteer: 32.4%
> Total hours volunteered: 121.8 million
> Value of volunteer hours: $2.9 billion
> Pct. who donated at least $25 to charity last year: 55.5%
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24. Massachusetts
> Pct. who volunteer: 32.6%
> Total hours volunteered: 141.3 million
> Value of volunteer hours: $3.4 billion
> Pct. who donated at least $25 to charity last year: 58.0%
23. Wyoming
> Pct. who volunteer: 32.7%
> Total hours volunteered: 13.2 million
> Value of volunteer hours: $320.2 million
> Pct. who donated at least $25 to charity last year: 47.2%
22. Ohio
> Pct. who volunteer: 33.2%
> Total hours volunteered: 278.0 million
> Value of volunteer hours: $6.7 billion
> Pct. who donated at least $25 to charity last year: 59.3%
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21. Virginia
> Pct. who volunteer: 34.0%
> Total hours volunteered: 231.7 million
> Value of volunteer hours: $5.5 billion
> Pct. who donated at least $25 to charity last year: 52.5%
20. Pennsylvania
> Pct. who volunteer: 34.2%
> Total hours volunteered: 341.0 million
> Value of volunteer hours: $8.2 billion
> Pct. who donated at least $25 to charity last year: 59.8%
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19. Indiana
> Pct. who volunteer: 34.9%
> Total hours volunteered: 166.5 million
> Value of volunteer hours: $4.0 billion
> Pct. who donated at least $25 to charity last year: 54.5%
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18. North Carolina
> Pct. who volunteer: 35.1%
> Total hours volunteered: 265.3 million
> Value of volunteer hours: $6.4 billion
> Pct. who donated at least $25 to charity last year: 54.7%
16. New Hampshire
> Pct. who volunteer: 35.7%
> Total hours volunteered: 36.6 million
> Value of volunteer hours: $884.4 million
> Pct. who donated at least $25 to charity last year: 65.6%
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16. Washington
> Pct. who volunteer: 35.7%
> Total hours volunteered: 202.2 million
> Value of volunteer hours: $4.8 billion
> Pct. who donated at least $25 to charity last year: 55.7%
15. Vermont
> Pct. who volunteer: 36.0%
> Total hours volunteered: 16.1 million
> Value of volunteer hours: $390.1 million
> Pct. who donated at least $25 to charity last year: 53.6%
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13. Maryland
> Pct. who volunteer: 36.3%
> Total hours volunteered: 181.9 million
> Value of volunteer hours: $4.3 billion
> Pct. who donated at least $25 to charity last year: 58.3%
13. South Dakota
> Pct. who volunteer: 36.3%
> Total hours volunteered: 18.9 million
> Value of volunteer hours: $457.8 million
> Pct. who donated at least $25 to charity last year: 52.2%
12. Kansas
> Pct. who volunteer: 36.5%
> Total hours volunteered: 61.1 million
> Value of volunteer hours: $1.4 billion
> Pct. who donated at least $25 to charity last year: 65.1%
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10. North Dakota
> Pct. who volunteer: 37.4%
> Total hours volunteered: 15.6 million
> Value of volunteer hours: $377.8 million
> Pct. who donated at least $25 to charity last year: 62.6%
10. Wisconsin
> Pct. who volunteer: 37.4%
> Total hours volunteered: 164.3 million
> Value of volunteer hours: $3.9 billion
> Pct. who donated at least $25 to charity last year: 57.1%
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9. Idaho
> Pct. who volunteer: 37.9%
> Total hours volunteered: 48.6 million
> Value of volunteer hours: $1.1 billion
> Pct. who donated at least $25 to charity last year: 55.5%
8. Maine
> Pct. who volunteer: 38.7%
> Total hours volunteered: 39.2 million
> Value of volunteer hours: $947.6 million
> Pct. who donated at least $25 to charity last year: 55.6%
7. Montana
> Pct. who volunteer: 38.8%
> Total hours volunteered: 28.8 million
> Value of volunteer hours: $696.2 million
> Pct. who donated at least $25 to charity last year: 53.5%
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6. Nebraska
> Pct. who volunteer: 40.2%
> Total hours volunteered: 53.8 million
> Value of volunteer hours: $1.2 billion
> Pct. who donated at least $25 to charity last year: 58.8%
5. Alaska
> Pct. who volunteer: 40.6%
> Total hours volunteered: 24.6 million
> Value of volunteer hours: $594.7 million
> Pct. who donated at least $25 to charity last year: 54.9%
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4. Iowa
> Pct. who volunteer: 41.5%
> Total hours volunteered: 56.2 million
> Value of volunteer hours: $1.3 billion
> Pct. who donated at least $25 to charity last year: 53.5%
3. Oregon
> Pct. who volunteer: 43.2%
> Total hours volunteered: 177.7 million
> Value of volunteer hours: $4.2 billion
> Pct. who donated at least $25 to charity last year: 62.2%
2. Minnesota
> Pct. who volunteer: 45.1%
> Total hours volunteered: 137.2 million
> Value of volunteer hours: $3.3 billion
> Pct. who donated at least $25 to charity last year: 64.7%
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1. Utah
> Pct. who volunteer: 51.0%
> Total hours volunteered: 133.9 million
> Value of volunteer hours: $3.2 billion
> Pct. who donated at least $25 to charity last year: 66.9%
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