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 2020, the average charitable contribution in the Mid-Hudson Valley region was about $10,000, below the $12,000 state (excluding NYC) and $15,900 national average. Residents in Columbia County had the highest average charitable contribution in the region at just below $12,900 followed by Dutchess County at $10,600 and the lowest was Sullivan County at $7,000 in 2020.
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 2021 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 | 2020 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Region | $3,450 | $3,541 | $3,630 | $3,847 | $4,031 | $4,007 | $4,226 | $8,030 | $8,543 | $9,958 |
| Columbia County | $4,073 | $4,903 | $4,740 | $6,021 | $5,982 | $4,728 | $5,910 | $11,650 | $15,275 | $12,854 |
| Dutchess County | $3,701 | $3,640 | $3,863 | $3,881 | $3,961 | $4,004 | $3,905 | $7,672 | $8,081 | $10,568 |
| Greene County | $2,965 | $3,080 | $2,930 | $3,007 | $2,979 | $3,147 | $3,431 | $6,576 | $6,802 | $7,946 |
| Orange County | $3,517 | $3,707 | $3,751 | $4,032 | $4,386 | $4,495 | $4,793 | $9,011 | $9,501 | $10,500 |
| Putnam County | $3,260 | $3,308 | $3,491 | $3,703 | $3,754 | $3,562 | $4,115 | $7,086 | $7,100 | $8,528 |
| Sullivan County | $3,010 | $3,192 | $3,151 | $3,287 | $3,840 | $3,447 | $3,371 | $6,060 | $6,850 | $6,980 |
| Ulster County | $3,038 | $2,962 | $2,975 | $3,142 | $3,227 | $3,373 | $3,503 | $6,795 | $7,189 | $8,924 |
| NYS (excluding NYC) | $4,510 | $4,976 | $4,823 | $5,164 | $5,277 | $5,619 | $5,698 | $11,437 | $10,904 | $11,966 |
| U.S. | $5,500 | $6,066 | $6,135 | $6,535 | $6,779 | $7,018 | $7,303 | $14,023 | $13,724 | $15,934 |
| 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Region | $642,854,910 | $649,969,687 | $656,567,509 | $683,679,140 | $724,015,350 | $719,141,308 | $763,802,215 | $511,639,902 | $514,982,588 | $530,884,936 |
| Columbia County | $33,549,160 | $38,831,393 | $36,686,572 | $46,183,802 | $45,704,902 | $36,122,635 | $45,094,971 | $26,911,718 | $34,827,144 | $28,151,204 |
| Dutchess County | $190,119,536 | $185,115,349 | $193,475,723 | $190,352,945 | $195,598,870 | $198,418,770 | $195,419,646 | $137,407,420 | $138,108,774 | $157,993,504 |
| Greene County | $16,077,095 | $16,198,434 | $14,972,402 | $14,762,014 | $14,744,512 | $15,547,579 | $16,982,054 | $8,548,644 | $8,298,991 | $9,217,614 |
| Orange County | $218,681,496 | $228,106,996 | $228,971,203 | $244,459,726 | $269,153,374 | $274,255,415 | $296,654,224 | $207,804,780 | $205,402,673 | $199,718,808 |
| Putnam County | $74,176,771 | $74,800,768 | $78,362,006 | $81,691,842 | $84,473,697 | $80,779,446 | $93,078,505 | $65,123,790 | $61,555,618 | $64,301,338 |
| Sullivan County | $28,914,919 | $29,878,292 | $28,360,558 | $28,725,091 | $33,561,286 | $29,502,127 | $29,060,294 | $14,605,642 | $15,893,150 | $14,030,582 |
| Ulster County | $81,335,933 | $77,038,454 | $75,739,044 | $77,503,720 | $80,778,709 | $84,515,336 | $87,512,521 | $51,237,909 | $50,896,238 | $57,471,886 |
| NYS (excluding NYC) | $7,977,978,200 | $8,706,567,975 | $8,312,656,158 | $8,777,049,046 | $9,022,865,307 | $9,595,780,573 | $9,793,268,357 | $7,189,932,939 | $6,528,970,835 | $6,300,844,279 |
| U.S. | $209,070,062,723 | $226,984,637,841 | $224,556,987,002 | $236,273,639,620 | $248,352,099,791 | $260,229,044,413 | $276,908,039,145 | $207,971,861,433 | $195,515,632,559 | $201,824,043,943 |
| INDICATORS | TREND | STATE |
|---|
Children & Youth
Community Engagement
Demographics
Economy
Education
Financial Stability
Health
Housing
Public Safety
