STUDY: Melrose Less Charitable Than State, Country
When it comes to philanthropy, Melrose residents give to charitable causes less than the state and country averages, according to a study conducted by "The Chronicle of Philanthropy."
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When it comes to philanthropy, Melrose residents give to charity less than the state and country averages, according to a study released this week.
"The Chronicle of Philanthropy" published their "How America Gives" study which reported that Melrose residents, with a median discretionary income of $63,540, gave a median contribution of $1,698 of their income to charity in 2008—the tax year when the data was gathered.
Meanwhile, the state and country's median contribution was 2.8 percent and 4.7 percent, respectively, compared to Melrose's 2.7 percent. Melrosians contributed a total of $11.2 million, according to the study.
Here's a complete breakdown of the data compiled during the study:
| City/Town |
Total |
Median Contribution |
Median Discretionary Income |
Percent of Income Given |
Ranking |
| Arlington | $11.5 million | $1,721 | $59,651 | 2.9% | 3,337 of 28,725 |
| Lynnfield | $8.2 million | $1,981 | $74,778 | 2.6% | 4,855 of 28,725 |
| Malden | $8.5 million | $1,277 | $40,126 | 3.2% | 4,719 of 28,725 |
| Medford | $13.7 million | $1,398 | $48,929 | 2.9% | 2,792 of 28,725 |
| Melrose | $11.2 million | $1,698 | $63,540 | 2.7% | 3,591 of 28,725 |
| North Reading | $6.8 million | $1,616 | $68,364 | 2.4% | 5,650 of 28,725 |
| Reading | $12.9 million | $1,767 | $70,083 | 2.5% | 3,038 of 28,725 |
| Somerville | $11.4 million | $1,267 | $44,003 | 2.9% | 1,988 of 11,522 |
| Stoneham | $7.4 million | $1,419 | $55,570 | 2.6% | 5,326 of 28,725 |
| Tewksbury | $9.3 million | $1,216 | $56,267 | 2.2% | 4,404 of 28,725 |
| Wakefield | $9.6 million | $1,485 | $60,222 | 2.5% | 4,211 of 28,725 |
| Wilmington | $7.3 million | $1,363 | $61,052 | 2.2% | 5,392 of 28,725 |
| Winchester | $29.9 million | $4,350 | $140,438 | 3.1% | 708 of 28,725 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Quincy Metro Area | $2.5 billion | $1,719 | $60,312 | 2.8% | 10 of 366 |
| Massachusetts | $3.1 billion | $1,652 | $58,099 | 2.8% | 14 of 51 |
| United States | $135.8 billion | $2,564 | $54,783 | 4.7% |
Detailed data is searchable by zip code.
What do you make of the study? Do you give to charities on a regular basis? Let us know by posting a comment in the comments section below.
Jason
10:40 am on Tuesday, August 21, 2012
This includes contributions to churches, which I'm willing to bet is a major factor.
Daniel DeMaina
12:06 pm on Tuesday, August 21, 2012
True Jason. According to The Chronicle of Philanthropy, Utah is the most generous state while Salt Lake City tops the cities list, which they attribute to Mormon tithing rules.
Veronica Meade Kelly
9:44 pm on Tuesday, August 21, 2012
To be fair to Melrosians, I think residents give/volunteer an incredible amount of time to their community -- more than I've seen elsewhere -- and service is heavily stressed in the public schools. I don't think you get a fair representation of our community if you only look at the monetary data.
Elizabeth Christopher
10:43 am on Wednesday, August 22, 2012
I agree with Veronica. The spirit of giving is alive and well in Melrose! There isn't one parent I know who doesn't contribute in some way to sports teams, PTOs, libraries, classrooms, food pantries, animal shelters, science teams - to the benefit of families beyond their own.