Bridgewater Gives About 2.9% of Income to Charity

“The Chronicle of Philanthropy” published a study Monday on how generous Americans are—and Bridgewater ranks 1,084 out of 28,725.

The study is based on Internal Revenue Service records of those who itemized deductions. It was a six-month long data research study, and ranks the generosity of all 50 states, all 366 metropolitan areas and every zip code in America.

According to the study, Bridgewater residents have total contributions of $24.3 million, with a median contribution of $2,140 in a median discretionary income of $74,607.

That, according to the study, amounts to 2.9 percent of income given.

In comparison, the average percentage in the United States is 4.7 percent given, or about $2,564 for an average income of $54,783.

In New Jersey, the average is 3.7 percent, or $2,181 out of $59,113.

And in Somerset County, the average is 4 percent, or $2,366 out of $59,578.

The study found that, in Bridgewater alone, people ages 45 to 64 give the highest percentage of their incomes to nonprofits, about 29.9 percent. After that, those under 20 give 27.7 percent, those 30 to 44 give 20.6 percent, those 65 and older give 14.2 percent and those 20 to 29 years give 7.6 percent.

In total, the findings, according to the study, found that throughout the country lower-income people give bigger shares of their discretionary incomes to charities than wealthier people. And those who make between $50,000 and $75,000 gave an average of 7.6 percent of their discretionary incomes, as opposed to 4.2 percent for people who make $100,000 or more.

In addition, the study found that cities in the Northeast, which is considered the least religious region of the country, makes up the bottom rungs of sending discretionary income to charity. New Jersey is one of the least generous states, along with New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

Also found in Bridgewater is the fact that those earning between $50,000 and $99,999 give 5.7 percent of their income, with average contributions of $1,517. Those earning between $100,000 and $199,999 per year give about 2.7 percent of their incomes, with an average contribution of $2,221.

Finally, those with an income of $200,000 and higher give about 2.2 percent of their income, or about $4,935.

For more information on the study, click here.

What do you think of these findings, Bridgewater? Do residents appear to be more or less charitable than you thought?