Pennsylvania Ranks Eighth Among Most Charitable States

A WalletHub study comparing all 50 states across 17 metrics places Pennsylvania eighth nationally for charitable activity.

Updated on Nov. 9, 2026 in Philanthropy

Bold flat-color editorial illustration of rounded coins rising in a staircase beside wrapped bread on a cream field, with soft green hills behind. — WalletHub ranked Pennsylvania eighth nationally among the 50 states for charitable activity across 17 metrics, including volunteering, service, and charitable giving. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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WalletHub ranked Pennsylvania as the eighth-most charitable state in a study comparing the 50 states across 17 key metrics. The analysis weighed volunteering, service and charitable giving.

Why it matters

The ranking offers Pennsylvania residents a benchmark for how their charitable participation compares nationally. It highlights both strengths in fundraising and neighborly support and areas such as volunteering where the state trails.

Pennsylvania ranks 12th for Volunteering & Service and 17th for Charitable Giving, with residents donating about 1% of adjusted gross income, the 12th-lowest share nationally. Volunteer hours sit at about 19 per person annually, ranking 34th among states.

The players

WalletHub

WalletHub is a personal finance website that publishes comparative rankings and studies on consumer financial topics.

The details

The study, released by WalletHub, compared the 50 states across two categories: Volunteering & Service and Charitable Giving. Metrics included volunteer rate, share of income donated, food banks per capita, and the share of homeless people who are sheltered.

November 9, 2026: WalletHub published its study ranking Pennsylvania's charitable activity.

Philanthropy Landscape

The WalletHub study follows its series of multi-metric state rankings that measure civic participation against a common national baseline. Placing Pennsylvania eighth among the 50 states gives residents a comparative reference point for charitable behavior across the country.

Pennsylvania residents can use the ranking to gauge local giving and volunteering against other states. Those looking to increase their impact may consider volunteer hours or donations, where the state's rankings show room for growth.

The takeaway

Small acts of giving and volunteering add up across a state, and tracking those patterns over time helps show where communities are strongest. Residents who want to get involved can start with a single local volunteer commitment this season.