How Generous Is Johnston?

Johnston residents gave slightly less to charity by percentage than Rhode Islanders, with those in the lowest income bracket giving the highest proportion of their income in donations.

The Chronicle of Philanthropy's "How America Gives" study reported that Johnston households donated a total of $7.3 million in 2008, based on data collected from federal income tax returns.

That gave Johnston a 2.7 percent contribution rate, just behind the state average of 3.1 percent.

Households reporting income between $50,000 and $99,999 donated 3.6 percent of their income, compared with 2.7 percent by households with income between $100,000 and $199,999 and 2.2 percent by households reporting more than $200,000 in annual income.

Johnston's average contribution worked out to $1,280, $240 less than the average for Providence County and almost $400 less than the state average.

By comparison, nearby North Providence produced $3.2 million in overall donations, a rate of 3.0 percent, with an average charitable deduction of $1,301.

(See chart below.)

Geographic Area Median Discretionary Income Percentage Donated Dollar Amount Donated
Johnston $47,107 2.7 $1,280 No. Prov. $43,857 3.0 $1,301 Providence County $40,067 3.8 $1,520 Rhode Island
$53,181 3.1 $1,666 United States $54,783 4.7 $2,564

The study is based on exact dollar amounts released by the Internal Revenue Service that show the value of charitable deductions claimed by American taxpayers in 2008. 

The Chronicle’s rankings show the percentage of their income that households donated from the money they had left after paying their taxes and covering housing, food, and other essential expenses.

Here's the detailed data, searchable by zip code.