Community
Average Charitable Giving

Maintaining


Average Charitable Giving

What does this measure?

Contributions to charitable organizations, measured as an average per tax return with itemized contributions.

Why is this important?

Charitable giving supports a variety of organizations, including those that provide essential services to the community and people in need. The level of giving shows residents' willingness to invest in programs and organizations serving the community.

How does our county compare?

In 2021, the average charitable contribution in Lancaster County was $28,700, above the average for Pennsylvania ($19,500) and the U.S. ($22,500).

Although the average contribution per person appears to have doubled from prior years, this is primarily due to a change in tax law that altered the number and type of filers itemizing charitable contributions. This makes 2018, and any subsequent years, not directly comparable to prior years.

The average charitable contribution in 2021 was higher in Lancaster than in any surrounding county, including Berks ($15,800), Chester ($22,900), Cumberland ($19,000), Dauphin ($16,200), Lebanon ($23,500) and York ($16,300) counties.

Notes about the data

Figures are in constant 2022 dollars. These figures reflect contributions listed on tax returns with itemized deductions, which researchers estimate cover about 80% of all charitable giving nationally. High-income taxpayers are much more likely to file tax returns with itemized deductions than those with lower incomes. No county or state data are available on charitable contributions by taxpayers who take the standard deduction.

Average Charitable Giving
20112012201320142015201620172018201920202021
Pennsylvania$5,083$5,449$5,394$5,740$5,878$6,147$6,284$12,776$13,041$15,754$19,461
Lancaster County$6,444$6,978$6,996$7,559$8,084$8,140$8,329$18,181$20,614$22,489$28,666
York County$4,479$4,493$4,674$4,854$5,050$5,196$5,709$14,746$10,964$15,566$16,286
Dauphin County$4,734$4,981$4,985$5,152$5,639$5,451$5,517$11,511$12,249$13,791$16,216
Lebanon County$5,255$5,516$5,780$6,021$6,480$6,286$6,369$14,585$15,009$18,629$23,529
Chester County$5,634$6,433$6,056$6,404$6,795$6,758$7,673$11,664$12,050$14,498$22,874
Cumberland County$4,883$5,227$5,239$5,449$5,392$5,580$5,713$11,460$11,495$13,028$19,043
Berks County$3,971$4,252$4,308$5,109$4,595$4,669$5,003$12,162$12,313$13,629$15,806

Source: Internal Revenue Service
Notes: Figures are in constant 2022 dollars.




Total Charitable Giving
20112012201320142015201620172018201920202021
Pennsylvania$7,835,979,796$8,263,968,472$7,967,807,088$8,326,777,464$8,518,146,322$8,941,034,770$9,150,360,262$5,902,826,654$5,663,899,974$5,946,865,481$6,884,816,608
Lancaster County$438,439,315$467,589,764$457,181,338$485,493,600$518,772,188$528,857,278$544,612,664$357,432,396$389,195,881$388,613,039$482,738,726
York County$261,703,220$256,347,496$258,043,729$263,836,513$272,227,418$282,256,296$309,784,248$215,882,696$147,797,889$183,681,830$184,848,834
Dauphin County$161,457,963$165,265,170$158,510,100$158,778,590$171,808,267$164,846,534$165,579,547$95,885,837$94,810,069$92,673,160$103,297,052
Lebanon County$77,758,053$79,321,010$81,272,606$82,914,961$89,297,824$89,135,236$91,652,879$51,922,379$50,880,396$55,329,572$68,469,411
Chester County$574,990,138$656,146,853$610,626,190$638,918,171$682,912,703$686,636,400$781,910,118$499,903,974$488,754,237$512,956,727$733,791,074
Cumberland County$166,790,933$176,622,418$173,259,870$175,691,155$174,332,081$181,006,716$185,107,392$106,231,619$100,462,683$100,578,354$134,635,124
Berks County$203,125,122$213,553,232$210,930,139$244,154,841$219,934,831$224,508,613$240,756,256$148,614,714$139,628,042$132,611,859$143,514,029

Source: Internal Revenue Service
Notes: Figures are in constant 2022 dollars.




INDICATORS TREND
Prekindergarten Participation Increasing
Student Performance on Grade 3 English Not Applicable
Student Performance on Grade 8 Math Not Applicable
High School Cohort Graduation Rate Increasing
Per-Student Spending Maintaining
Students Receiving Special Education Services Increasing
Rate of Foster Care Admissions Maintaining
Disengaged Youth Maintaining
Single-Parent Families by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Plans of High School Graduates Not Applicable
Enrollment in Local Colleges Decreasing
College Graduation Rates Decreasing
Brain Drain/Gain Increasing
Education Levels of Adults by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Average Charitable Giving Maintaining
Voter Registration Rate Not Applicable
Voter Participation Rate Increasing
Age of Housing Stock Not Applicable
Violent Crime Rate Maintaining
Incarceration Rate Decreasing
Incarceration Rate by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Population Density Increasing
Air Quality Decreasing
Water Use Decreasing
Waterways Impaired by Pollution Not Applicable
Change in Population Increasing
Change in Population by Age and Gender Not Applicable
Population by Age Not Applicable
Population by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
People with Disabilities Maintaining
Foreign-Born Population Increasing
Language Diversity Increasing
Change in Total Jobs Increasing
Change in Employment by Sector Not Applicable
Sector Share of Total Jobs Not Applicable
Workers by Occupation Not Applicable
Change in Labor Force Maintaining
People Entering/Leaving County/Region for Work Not Applicable
Average Salary by Sector Not Applicable
Change in Average Salary Since 2000 Increasing
Female to Male Earnings Ratio Maintaining
Employer Size Not Applicable
Change in Number of Businesses by Sector Increasing
Change in Total Agricultural Sales Increasing
Spending for Local Government Maintaining
Spending for School Districts Maintaining
Children Living in Poverty Decreasing
Children in Poverty by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
People Living in Poverty Decreasing
People Living in Poverty, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Veterans Living in Poverty Maintaining
Working Poor Decreasing
Median Household Income by Household Type Not Applicable
Median Household Income Maintaining
Median Household Income, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Living Wage Not Applicable
Unemployment Rate by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Households Receiving SNAP by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Household Receiving Temporary Assistance Maintaining
Students Eligible for Free/Reduced Price Lunch Increasing
Median Home Value Maintaining
Occupied Housing Units Maintaining
Homeownership Rate, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Cost of Homeownership by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Median Rent Maintaining
Cost of Renting Increasing
Households Without Vehicles Maintaining
Means of Transportation to Work, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
People Without Health Insurance Decreasing
Early Prenatal Care by Mother's Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Health Status Decreasing
Prevalence of Mental Illness Maintaining
Adults Who are Overweight or Obese Not Applicable
Mortality Rates Decreasing
Mortality Rate, by Race/Ethnicity Increasing
Fatal Drug Overdoses Increasing
Cancer Incidence Decreasing
Households With Internet Access Increasing
High-Tech Jobs Increasing
STEM Graduates Increasing
Science and Engineering Research and Development Maintaining
Single-Parent Families by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Education Levels of Adults by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Incarceration Rate by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Population by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Children in Poverty by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
People Living in Poverty, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Median Household Income, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Unemployment Rate by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Households Receiving SNAP by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Homeownership Rate, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Cost of Homeownership by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Early Prenatal Care by Mother's Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable


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