Wyoming is famous for its wide-open spaces, natural beauty, majestic mountains and ancient forests.
But it could also be known for its residents' generosity.
WalletHub, the online personal finance outlet,recently analyzed all 50 states' charitable givingusing 17 metrics, including volunteerism, percentage of income donated and charities per capita.
Among thefive states with the highest household incomes, only Maryland and Colorado made the top 10 in the most-charitable-states list (other wealthy states included California, 37 on WalletHub's list; New Jersey, 35; Washington, 14; and Alaska, 12). Wyoming was followed by (in order) Utah, Maryland, Minnesota, Virginia, Colorado, Delaware, Maine, Pennsylvania and Oregon.
WalletHub says the Cowboy State topped its list partly because its people spend a lot of their time and energy giving back. Wyoming residents average about 29 hours of volunteer time each year, fifth-most in the United States. About 34% of its people volunteer.
But they also open their wallets, donating on average about 4% of their adjusted gross income, the highest percentage in the country. More than 40% of the people in Wyoming also do fundraising work or sell items to donate the proceeds to charity, WalletHub reported. The state also takes care of those in need: It has the second-most food banks per capita, and 82% of its homeless population is in shelters.
"The most charitable states aren't just the places where people give the largest raw amounts of money," wrote Chip Lupo, a WalletHub analyst. "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.
"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."
Utah: Tops in volunteerism
In Utah, people give of their time and talents more than anywhere else in the country, with a volunteer rate of about 47%, an average of about 46 hours a year. More than 68% of Utah residents say they've helped friends and neighbors by babysitting, house sitting or lending tools.
Utahans are also known to donate money to charity, about 3.5% of their adjusted gross income, second only to Wyoming.
Utah was tops in volunteering, followed by Vermont. Minnesota and Nebraska tied for third. Wyoming and Utah tied for the top spot in percentage of income donated, followed by Arkansas, Georgia and New York.
What charity means: It's more than money
There are factors that can affect how charitable a state is, said Rick Cohen, chief operating officer for theNational Council of Nonprofits.
A large donor or donors might influence a state's overall giving percentage, he said. A state's overall income levels might have an effect, as well −a surprising one.
"People who've received assistance in the past are often the most generous because they know how much it means, and they want to pay it forward," Cohen said.
North Dakota, Indiana and Ohio were the top three states for collecting and distributing food. Four states − Delaware, Vermont, Montana and Wyoming − tied for the most charitable organizations per capita.
"We see those who've been beneficiaries even 20 years in the past" giving a lot, he said. "They know the power of a nonprofit. And they know that even if they can't give $1,000, and they can only give $10, that $10 still has an impact, and it has an additive effect when a lot of people are giving."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Ranking lists the most charitable states in the US
