Maine is Wonderfully One of the Most Charitable States

Something I have always believed about Mainers is that we have incredibly giant hearts.

There's no question this is a wonderful state when it comes to giving back and looking out for others. And now, we have proof of that.

WalletHub.com, a personal finance website, recently published a report of the most charitable states in the nation. Surprise, surprise, Maine was very high up the list. The Pine Tree State came in as the 5th most charitable state in the nation. That's quite an impressive ranking.

Maine's overall survey score was a 65.12 out of a possible 100 points. The scoring was based on two major categories: volunteering & service and charitable giving. The categories were broken down into 19 subcategories to make the study as accurate as possible. You can read more about the methodology here.

Maine had a slightly below average ranking for charitable giving at just 32nd overall. However, the state absolutely shined when it came to volunteering & service. Maine finished with a ranking of 2nd overall, only clipped by Wyoming.

These incredible volunteer results include a ranking of 3rd for volunteer hours per capita, and a 4th place ranking for volunteer rate.

As someone who used to work at a Maine nonprofit, I would say these numbers are very accurate. I saw firsthand how amazing Mainers are at wanting to help as much as they can. I would see it from folks who didn't even have connections to the organization. I swear this state is unlike most. Folks just want to look out for their neighbors.

I would also imagine that the 32nd ranking in charitable giving is going to change dramatically over the next year. This is especially considering the amount of money and support that has already gone the way of the many folks directly affected by the horrible mass shooting tragedy in Lewiston. Mainers have absolutely stepped up with funds, food, materials, and all the love imaginable.

Again, nobody should be surprised. This state has one of the largest collective hearts you can find. Maine is one large community, and it really shows.

Four states finished ahead of Maine on the list. They were...

1. Utah
2. Wyoming
3. Minnesota
4. Maryland

As for the least charitable state, that award goes to Arizona. Well, I guess someone has to be last. You can see the full list here.