The Indicators
Contributions to charitable organizations, measured as an average per tax return with itemized contributions.
Charitable giving supports a wide 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.
In 2019, the average charitable contribution in the Mid-Hudson Valley region was about $8,200, below the $10,400 state (excluding NYC) and $13,100 national average. Residents in Columbia County had the highest average charitable contribution in the region at just below $14,600 followed by Orange County at $9,100 and the lowest was Greene and Sullivan counties at $6,500 in 2019.
Due to the change in tax laws, standard deductions nearly doubled for all filers for 2018 and therefore comparisons to prior years are not comparable.
Figures are in constant 2019 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. For 2018, the standard deduction has nearly doubled for all filers. No county or state data are available on charitable contributions by taxpayers who take the standard deduction.
| 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Region | $3,295 | $3,382 | $3,467 | $3,674 | $3,850 | $3,827 | $4,037 | $7,669 | $8,160 |
| Columbia County | $3,890 | $4,683 | $4,527 | $5,751 | $5,714 | $4,516 | $5,645 | $11,127 | $14,590 |
| Dutchess County | $3,535 | $3,477 | $3,689 | $3,707 | $3,783 | $3,824 | $3,730 | $7,328 | $7,719 |
| Greene County | $2,832 | $2,941 | $2,799 | $2,872 | $2,845 | $3,006 | $3,277 | $6,281 | $6,497 |
| Orange County | $3,359 | $3,540 | $3,583 | $3,851 | $4,190 | $4,293 | $4,578 | $8,607 | $9,074 |
| Putnam County | $3,114 | $3,160 | $3,334 | $3,537 | $3,586 | $3,402 | $3,930 | $6,768 | $6,781 |
| Sullivan County | $2,875 | $3,049 | $3,010 | $3,139 | $3,668 | $3,292 | $3,220 | $5,788 | $6,543 |
| Ulster County | $2,901 | $2,829 | $2,841 | $3,001 | $3,082 | $3,221 | $3,346 | $6,491 | $6,866 |
| NYS (excluding NYC) | $4,307 | $4,752 | $4,606 | $4,932 | $5,040 | $5,367 | $5,442 | $10,924 | $10,415 |
| U.S. | $5,254 | $5,794 | $5,860 | $6,242 | $6,475 | $6,703 | $6,975 | $13,393 | $13,109 |
| 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Region | $614,008,643 | $620,804,165 | $627,105,929 | $653,001,003 | $691,527,242 | $686,871,909 | $729,528,786 | $488,681,532 | $491,874,225 |
| Columbia County | $32,043,738 | $37,088,946 | $35,040,368 | $44,111,437 | $43,654,025 | $34,501,735 | $43,071,463 | $25,704,132 | $33,264,376 |
| Dutchess County | $181,588,468 | $176,808,830 | $184,794,056 | $181,811,404 | $186,821,933 | $189,515,297 | $186,650,751 | $131,241,657 | $131,911,540 |
| Greene County | $15,355,681 | $15,471,576 | $14,300,558 | $14,099,611 | $14,082,895 | $14,849,926 | $16,220,033 | $8,165,048 | $7,926,597 |
| Orange County | $208,868,792 | $217,871,350 | $218,696,778 | $233,490,299 | $257,075,890 | $261,948,992 | $283,342,718 | $198,480,138 | $196,185,818 |
| Putnam County | $70,848,302 | $71,444,299 | $74,845,737 | $78,026,155 | $80,683,183 | $77,154,701 | $88,901,874 | $62,201,547 | $58,793,487 |
| Sullivan County | $27,617,445 | $28,537,589 | $27,087,960 | $27,436,135 | $32,055,320 | $28,178,304 | $27,756,297 | $13,950,256 | $15,179,991 |
| Ulster County | $77,686,217 | $73,581,575 | $72,340,473 | $74,025,963 | $77,153,997 | $80,722,953 | $83,585,648 | $48,938,755 | $48,612,415 |
| NYS (excluding NYC) | $7,619,989,357 | $8,315,885,759 | $7,939,649,603 | $8,383,204,195 | $8,617,990,157 | $9,165,197,498 | $9,353,823,585 | $6,867,305,361 | $6,236,002,033 |
| U.S. | $199,688,644,512 | $216,799,354,556 | $214,480,637,572 | $225,671,539,077 | $237,208,013,061 | $248,552,013,926 | $264,482,586,704 | $198,639,721,849 | $186,742,430,447 |
| INDICATORS | TREND | STATE |
|---|---|
| Average Charitable Giving | Increasing |
| Voter Registration Rate | Increasing |
| Voter Participation Rate | Increasing |
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