Wallet Hub issues a report that finds Arkansas is the 7th least charitable state.
It derived the ranking from statistics on volunteer rates, percent of population who claim to have donated time or money, percent of taxpayers who donated to charity, growth in charitable giving between 2006 and 2012 and the number of charities per capita.
It’s a statistic worth remembering when you hear a politician talk about the need to dramatically reduce or even dismantle social welfare programs because churches and other organizations will pick up the slack.
Red states rank slightly higher than blue states on average, the report notes. Giving to churches has long propelled the standing of many Southern states in charitable rankings. Indeed, in studies based solely on IRS reporting, Arkansas typically ranks among the top 10 in giving, expecially as a percentage of our poor income. But in the Wallet Hub rating, based on more factors, Arkansas fails to follow the trend. Louisiana is one rung lower on the ladder than Arkansas.