WalletHub names top 10 most caring cities in America
A little bit of neighborly love can go a long way, so if you’re looking for a travel destination or new home where the residents make it a priority to care for one another, WalletHub has you covered.
A new study has named the most caring cities in America, ranking 100 cities based on how well they demonstrate care in three areas: community, vulnerable populations and the workforce. Several major cities made the top 10, including Boston, New York City and Portland, and several others were included in the top 20, such as Pittsburgh, San Francisco and Denver.
The list did not include cities from every state, as only the top 100 most-populated cities were included in the study. A previous WalletHub study named Utah and Wyoming the most charitable states in America, but neither was included in this survey.
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What makes a city caring?
Researchers looked at a number of factors to determine levels of care, including crime and poverty rates, civic engagement, percent of income donated to charity and the percentage of the population that worked in caring fields, such as social services, medicine or education.
WalletHub asked several experts on sociology and criminology to weigh in on the survey, addressing a number of topics, including how local government can encourage citizens to be more caring and whether foster care replacing orphanages in the United States is a good trend.
10 most caring cities in the United States
1. Madison, Wisconsin
The most caring city in America has a love for charitable giving, according to WalletHub. Madison residents search for the term “charitable donations” on Google more than those in any other city and have a high percentage of online donations per capita. The city also ranks first for doctors and EMTs per capita and fourth for pet shelters and rescue services.
2. Boston, Massachusetts
Boston ranked first for “caring in the workplace” and stood out for caring for the environment, which comes as no surprise — it’s the home of the United States’ oldest public park.
3. Virginia Beach, Virginia
The residents of Virginia Beach log more volunteering hours than any other population in the survey. Although it may have a reputation as a party city, it actually has one of the lowest crime rates in the country.
4. New York, New York
The Big Apple scored the lowest on carpooling, but thanks to its high scores in other areas, especially caring in the workforce, it secured a spot in the top five.
5. San Diego, California
Although San Diego ranks No. 96 for the percentage of income donated to charity, it scored first in “caring for the vulnerable,” making it the only Western city in the top five.
6. Chesapeake, Virginia
Chesapeake residents recorded one of the highest numbers of volunteering hours, placing it fifth in “caring for the community” and sixth overall.
7. Colorado Springs, Colorado
This mountainous city cares for the vulnerable members of its population, which brought it into the top 10 despite having slightly poorer rankings in the other two categories.
8. Fremont, California
Fremont stands out for having the nation’s lowest child poverty rate, 11.5 times lower than the nation’s highest child poverty rate in Cleveland, Ohio.
9. Portland, Oregon
Acts of service are common in this Pacific Northwest city: A high percentage of Portland’s population reported doing favors for neighbors, and residents log some of the highest reporting hours per capita.
10. Scottsdale, Arizona
Scottsdale ranked third in caring for the community and fifth in caring for the vulnerable. Had it not been for its dismal No. 89 ranking in caring in the workforce, it might have made the top five.
