Wyoming Named America’s Most Generous State, WalletHub Finds

The original story by Tamara Chibe for KOTA.

Wyoming just snagged a pretty feel-good crown: WalletHub ranked the Cowboy State No. 1 in the country for charity, judging both how much people give and how much time they put in.

The ranking lands at a time when generosity is already in the spotlight. The latest World Giving Index puts the United States as the sixth most generous country globally, and WalletHub zoomed in to see where that giving spirit shows up the most at home — state by state.

WalletHub’s numbers suggest Wyomingites don’t just talk community — they show up for it.

• Volunteer time: about 29 hours per person per year;
• Charitable donations: roughly 4% of adjusted gross income.

That combination pushed Wyoming ahead of every other state, blending “write a check” generosity with “roll up your sleeves” energy.

Wyoming may have taken the overall title, but the next two states brought their own strengths:

• Utah ranked second, and it’s basically the volunteer capital of the US — with nearly 47% of residents volunteering and more than 46 hours per capita.
• Maryland came in third, thanks in large part to how many people donate: over 16% of taxpayers gave money, plus strong performance in charitable income and access to highly rated nonprofits.

Here’s WalletHub’s full top tier:

1. Wyoming;
2. Utah;
3. Maryland;
4. Minnesota;
5. Virginia;
6. Colorado;
7. Delaware;
8. Maine;
9. Pennsylvania;
10. Oregon.

At the other end of the list, WalletHub ranked New Mexico last, with Nevada, Mississippi, Alabama, and Rhode Island also near the bottom.

WalletHub scored states using two big buckets — Volunteering & Service and Charitable Giving — worth 50 points each, across 17 separate metrics. The data came from sources including the US Census Bureau, IRS, AmeriCorps, Feeding America, and Google Ads, and was current as of October 2025.

Americans donated more than $592 billion in 2024, and logged nearly 5 billion volunteer hours, according to the figures cited in the report. WalletHub’s takeaway: the country gives — but where you live can make a big difference in how giving looks.

And in Wyoming, apparently, it looks like pitching in — and doing it a lot.