How Much Do IB Residents Give to Charity?

Ever wonder how much your area is giving to charities? A new national study details the generosity in America's communities.

Residents of Imperial Beach gave a median $1,709, or near four percent of their income per household to charity in 2008, according to a study released Monday by The Chronicle of Philanthropy.

The study found people in Imperial Beach give 3.8 percent of income, below California's average of 4.4 percent and a national average of 4.7 percent.

In total, Imperial Beach donated nearly $3 million to charity in 2008. Here's the breakdown by income level: 

• $50,000 - $99,999, 4.3 percent
• $100,000 - $199,999, 3.5 percent
• $200,000 and up, 2.0 percent
• All income levels, 3.8 percent

Metro San Diego ranked 18th, while California ranked first nationally in total giving to charities in 2008, with more than $17 billion donated, according to the study.

Residents in the San Diego area gave a median $2,335 per household, or 4.6 percent of their discretionary income. Statewide, California residents gave a median $2,396 or 4.4 percent of their income.

The study was based on Internal Revenue Service records of Americans who itemized deductions. It gives ZIP-code level detail about the percentage of discretionary income that people gave to charity.

The study found:

• Utah was the No. 1 state in percentage of income given at 10.6 percent, with Salt Lake City as the most giving city. By contrast, residents in Massachusetts and three other New England states give less than 3 percent. New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Jersey and Rhode Island are the least-generous states.
• Lower-income people give a far bigger share of their income to charities than the wealthy.
• Rich people who live in areas with mostly wealthy people give a smaller share of their incomes to charity than rich people in economically diverse areas.
• Regions that are deeply religious give more than those that are not. Two of the top 10 states—Utah and Idaho—have high numbers of Mormons, who tithe more consistently than other churches. The other states in the top 10 are all in the so-called Bible Belt.
• States that voted Republican in the last presidential election are far more likely to be generous to charities than those that voted Democratic. The top eight states in giving, including Georgia, preferred John McCain over Barack Obama.

The Chronicle website also features an interactive map looking at how America gives which offers information on giving habits by race, education and other demographics.

Correction: The original version of this story included information about the giving habits of Imperial Beachians related to age groups. Though The Chronicle of Philanthropy's study details giving habits of people in a set area or income level, it does not get specific about the giving habits of people based on age, race or education demographics. IB Patch apologizes for any confusion this may have caused.