 |
Contents |
|
Age Bracket |
|
U.S. Region |
|
Income Bracket |
|
Contributions Category |
|
Full
Report (printer friendly PDF) |
U.S. Region Highlights
What region of the U.S. gave most to charity?
- People in the South gave the highest portion of after-tax income to charitable contributions in 2005.
- The Midwest was second, and the West was third.
- The Northeast was fourth.
- The difference between the Northeast and
each of the other three regions was statistically
significant at the .05 level. The differences
among the other three regions were not statistically
significant.
Does that mean people in the South gave
the most money to charity?
People in the West gave the most to charitable
contributions, measured in dollars. However, the
West also had the highest level of income. Therefore,
the dollars given represented a smaller portion
of income in the West than in the South.
Is it likely that people in the South
give more because it is less expensive to live
there?
It is not less expensive to live in the South
when both income and expenditure categories are
taken into account.
The Consumer Expenditure Survey measured after-tax income and additional living expenditure categories not including Cash Contributions for Charitable Giving. Regional expenditures as a portion of regional income were as follows:
- West: 82%
- Midwest: 81%
- South: 81%
- Northeast: 77%
Is the fact that the South is highest,
and the Northeast lowest, unique to 2005?
A review of Consumer Expenditure Survey data for
the 1987-2005 period found that the South had
the highest average level of giving for charitable
contributions as a portion of income for that
period, and the Northeast had the lowest.
Table 35: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics,
Consumer Expenditure Survey,
Cash Contributions for Charitable Giving by Region
of Residence, 2005
| Item | All consumer units |
Northeast | Midwest | South | West | |||
| Number
of consumer units (in thousands) |
117,356 | 22,356 | 27,005 | 42,120 | 25,875 | |||
| Consumer unit characteristics: | ||||||||
| Income after taxes | $56,304 | $60,908 | $54,280 | $51,046 | $62,999 | |||
| Average
Annual Expenditures Cash Contributions for Charitable Giving Cash contributions to: |
||||||||
| charities and other organizations | $200.26 | $203.13 | $214.07 | $176.69 | $221.75 | |||
| church, religious organizations | 706.81 | 453.84 | 784.16 | 816.81 | 665.61 | |||
| educational institutions | 37.46 | 32.78 | 53.77 | 22.49 | 48.83 | |||
| Gifts to non-CU members of stocks, bonds, and mutual funds | 34.18 | 28.86 | 16.80 | 61.71 | 12.09 | |||
| Total (calculated) | $978.71 | $718.61 | $1,068.80 | $1,077.70 | $948.28 | |||
| Calculated: % of income after Taxes Cash contributions to: |
||||||||
| charities and other organizations | 0.36% | 0.33% | 0.39% | 0.35% | 0.35% | |||
| church, religious organizations | 1.26% | 0.75% | 1.44% | 1.60% | 1.06% | |||
| educational institutions | 0.07% | 0.05% | 0.10% | 0.04% | 0.08% | |||
| Gifts to non-CU members of stocks, bonds, and mutual funds | 0.06% | 0.05% | 0.03% | 0.12% | 0.02% | |||
| Total | 1.7% | 1.2% | 2.0% | 2.1% | 1.5% | |||
Details in the above
table may not compute to the numbers shown due
to rounding.
Source: empty tomb, inc. 2007 analysis of U.S.
BLS CE, 2005
Table 36: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics,
Consumer Expenditure Survey,
Cash Contributions for Charitable Giving as Percent
of Income after Taxes, 1987-2005
| Year | All consumer units |
Northeast | Midwest | South | West |
| 1987 | 1.46% | 0.86% | 1.53% | 1.76% | 1.56% |
| 1988 | 1.40% | 0.83% | 1.43% | 1.68% | 1.52% |
| 1989 | 1.56% | 1.04% | 1.55% | 2.01% | 1.47% |
| 1990 | 1.43% | 1.03% | 1.40% | 1.69% | 1.50% |
| 1991 | 1.58% | 1.11% | 1.69% | 1.74% | 1.72% |
| 1992 | 1.58% | 1.26% | 1.78% | 1.78% | 1.42% |
| 1993 | 1.46% | 0.98% | 1.57% | 1.57% | 1.68% |
| 1994 | 1.44% | 1.30% | 1.42% | 1.73% | 1.20% |
| 1995 | 1.50% | 1.06% | 1.41% | 1.66% | 1.79% |
| 1996 | 1.42% | 0.93% | 1.57% | 1.75% | 1.23% |
| 1997 | 1.39% | 0.88% | 1.41% | 1.70% | 1.41% |
| 1998 | 1.41% | 0.89% | 1.42% | 1.68% | 1.50% |
| 1999 | 1.58% | 1.03% | 1.59% | 1.83% | 1.75% |
| 2000 | 1.46% | 0.95% | 1.93% | 1.42% | 1.50% |
| 2001 | 1.53% | 1.14% | 1.66% | 1.72% | 1.48% |
| 2002 | 1.55% | 1.14% | 1.69% | 1.64% | 1.65% |
| 2003 | 1.57% | 0.99% | 1.75% | 1.82% | 1.57% |
| 2004 | 1.47% | 0.84% | 1.93% | 1.53% | 1.52% |
| 2005 | 1.68% | 1.13% | 1.94% | 1.99% | 1.49% |
| Average for the 1987-2005 Period | 1.5% | 1.0% | 1.6% | 1.7% | 1.5% |
Source: empty tomb, inc.
2007 analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Consumer
Expenditure Survey, 1987-2005
Table 37: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics,
Consumer Expenditure Survey,
Expenditures as Percent of Income, by Region of
Residence, 2005
| Item | All consumer units |
Northeast | Midwest | South | West | |||
| Number
of consumer units (in thousands) |
117,356 | 22,356 | 27,005 | 42,120 | 25,875 | |||
| Consumer unit characteristics: | ||||||||
| Income after taxes | $56,304 | $60,908 | $54,280 | $51,046 | $62,999 | |||
| Average
Annual Expenditures Seven Major Categories |
||||||||
| Food | $5,931.28 | $6,494.99 | $5,753.92 | $5,490.77 | $6,339.44 | |||
| Housing | 15,167.04 | 16,420.76 | 14,150.70 | 13,402.39 | 18,016.16 | |||
| Apparel and services | 1,885.90 | 2,035.96 | 1,750.40 | 1,836.22 | 1,975.46 | |||
| Transportation | 8,344.21 | 7,731.95 | 7,752.81 | 7,989.91 | 10,067.78 | |||
| Health Care | 2,664.27 | 2,581.06 | 2,840.62 | 2,605.67 | 2,647.14 | |||
| Entertainment | 2,387.91 | 2,263.45 | 2,384.11 | 2,111.77 | 2,949.87 | |||
| Personal insurance and pensions | 5,203.91 | 5,353.27 | 5,212.38 | 4,759.89 | 5,788.79 | |||
| Other Expenses* | 4,824.31 | 5,039.18 | 5,182.17 | 4,307.77 | 5,106.28 | |||
| Total Expenditures (calculated) | $46,408.80 | $47,920.60 | $45,027.11 | $42,504.37 | $52,890.92 | |||
| Charitable Giving | $978.71 | $718.61 | $1,068.80 | $1,077.70 | $948.28 | |||
| Total Expenditures Less Charitable Giving | $45,430.09 | $47,201.99 | $43,958.31 | $41,426.67 | $51,942.64 | |||
| Calculated: Average Annual Expenditures Seven Major Categories % of Income after Taxes |
81% | 77% | 81% | 81% | 82% | |||
Details in the above table may not compute to the numbers shown due to rounding.
*Other expenses include:
“Alcoholic beverages; Personal care products
and services; Reading; Education; Tobacco products
and smoking supplies; Miscellaneous; Cash contributions.”
“Cash contributions” includes: “Support
for college students; Alimony expenditures;
Child support expenditures; 'Charitable giving'
(Cash contributions to charities and other organizations;
Cash contributions to church, religious organizations;
Cash contributions to educational institutions;
Gift to non-CU members of stocks, bonds, and
mutual funds); Cash contribution to political
organizations."
Source: empty tomb, inc. 2007 analysis of U.S.
Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure
Survey, 2005