A look at recent tax returns has found that folks in Southern states--despite lower per capita income--are far more giving than their Yankee counterparts in wealthy places like New Hampshire and Rhode Island:
For the last three of five years, New Hampshire has been at the bottom of the "Generosity Index," which compares what residents of each state earn and how much they give. New Hampshire surrendered the miserly title to Rhode Island the other two years.
New Hampshire residents donated $462 million, an average of about $2,400 per taxpayer, according to The Catalogue for Philanthropy (search). That looks especially stingy considering the state's relative wealth. Its average income of $51,000 is eighth-highest in the country, while its average giving ranks 48th.
By comparison, Mississippi (search), the most generous state, had an average income of $34,000 -- the lowest in the country. But residents still gave enough to match the national average of $3,500 a person.
Why might this be?
New Hampshire's New England neighbors -- Rhode Island, Vermont, Connecticut and Maine -- are all among the 20 least generous states.
By comparison, Bible Belt states like Mississippi, Arkansas, Alabama, Tennessee, Louisiana and South Carolina are all among the top 10.
The regional difference has been attributed to the Southern Christian practice of tithing -- giving a tenth of your income to the church.
Those mean ol' Southern Christians--actually giving of their means. Shocking, just shocking.
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