Delaware ranks among the most charitable states (original) (raw)

June 9, 2026, 4:55 a.m. ET

Delaware has cracked the nation’s top 10 states, according to new rankings.

The personal finance site WalletHub analyzed 17 categories, including volunteerism, the share of income residents donate, and participation in fundraisers.

Delaware ranked seventh-most charitable overall, tying with three other states for the most charitable organizations per capita.

It also ranked eighth for volunteering and service and 18th for charitable giving.

Delaware, along with Maryland, Virginia, and Pennsylvania, makes up a generous quartet of mid-Atlantic states that finished in WalletHub's top 10.

Wyoming ranked first despite having a middle-of-the-pack GDP per capita and being the nation’s least populous state. One researcher said that’s because population and wealth don’t necessarily correlate with generosity.

"The share of the population contributing and the percentage of their individual incomes they’re willing to use to help others are big factors in showing how charitable people are," Chris Lupo, an analyst for WalletHub, wrote. "In addition, many people can’t afford to give much money, especially due to the influence of inflation, but they generously donate their time, which is just as important.”

That is reflected in the WalletHub rankings. Several wealthy states, like California and New Jersey, finished squarely in the bottom half.

Despite disparities between states, the United States is near the top of the global leaderboard in generosity — it ranks sixth of all countries in the latest World Giving Index.

Jackson Cooper is an intern reporter for Delaware Online/The News Journal. He can be reached at jcooper@delawareonline.com.