Study Reports City Residents Less Generous Than Average American

The percentage of the income East Providence residents give to charity is less than the county and country averages, according to a study released this week. However, the city is on par with state averages.

The Chronicle of Philanthropy's "How America Gives" study reported that East Providence residents, with a median discretionary income of $44,739, had a median contribution of 3 percent, or $1,336, of their income to charity in 2008, the tax year for which data was collected.

By way of comparison, the county, state, and country's median contribution was 3.8 percent, 3.1 percent and 4.7 percent, respectively. (See chart below.)

The study is based on exact dollar amounts released by the Internal Revenue Service that show the value of charitable deductions claimed by American taxpayers in 2008. 

The Chronicle’s rankings show the percentage of their income that households donated from the money they had left after paying their taxes and covering housing, food, and other essential expenses.

Detailed data is searchable by zip code.