A recent study from financial technology company SmartAsset found Clark County is among the most generous counties in Washington.
In Clark County, 33.5 percent of residents made charitable contributions with contributions averaging 1.7 percent of their yearly income, according to the study. According to U.S. Census Bureau data, Clark County residents’ per capita personal income was $65,522 in 2022.
The study ranked Clark County fourth among Washington counties.
Analyzing data from the IRS, researchers calculated how much money people donate out of their net income, along with the number of people in each county who make charitable donations.
“We then divided each county’s total charitable donations by its total net income to see the amount of money residents in each county have donated relative to their income,” SmartAsset editor Patrick Villanova wrote about the study.
Top 10 generous counties
Rankings of the top 10 most generous counties in Washington, along with per capita personal income in 2022:
County Per capita personal income
- King $113,819
- San Juan $89,744
- Snohomish $69,010
- Clark $65,522
- Island $65,564
- Kitsap $68,198
- Pierce $59,986
- Jefferson $62,898
- Whatcom $58,993
- Skagit $62,915
SOURCES: SmartAsset rankings and U.S. Census Bureau data
Next, researchers measured the total individual tax returns with charitable donations and divided that by the number of individual tax returns in each county, which yielded the percentage of people in each county who make charitable donations.
Nationally, charitable giving declined in 2022, according to a report from Giving USA. Total giving fell 3.4 percent that year to $499.3 billion. The decline came at a time when many nonprofits, especially those providing essential services, reported an increase in requests for help, the report said.
For local nonprofits, however, generosity still thrives.
The Community Foundation for Southwest Washington has received unwavering generosity from Clark County residents throughout the years, President Matt Morton said.
“The study does not surprise us at all. It just confirms what the Community Foundation has known for the last 40 years,” Morton said. “Our nonprofit ecosystem has been a part of this community for years. It’s rare to have a community that so well leans into its values and this organization has been a catalyst for that. If it weren’t for the individuals who have been so generous in this region, we would have a completely different outlook.”
