Community Corner

Dedham Residents Give Less to Charity Than Average Norfolk County Resident, Study Says

The Chronicle of Philanthropy has released detailed information on philanthropy by state, county, town and zip code.

The percentage of their income Dedham residents give to charity is less than the Norfolk County average, according to a study released Tuesday. 

The Chronicle of Philanthropy's "How America Gives" study reported that Dedham residents, with a median discretionary income of $59,588, had a median contribution of 3 percent, or $1,796, of their income to charity in 2008, the tax year for which data was collected. While the average was less than that of the average Norfolk County resident, Dedham residents, on average, donated more when compared to the state average.

By way of comparison, the county, state, and country's median contribution was 3.6 percent, 2.8 percent and 4.7 percent, respectively. (See chart below.)

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Geographic Area Median Discretionary Income Percentage Donated Dollar Amount Donated
Dedham $59,588 3.0 $1,796 Norfolk County $53,453 3.6 $1,940 Massachusetts $58,099 2.8 $1,652 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.

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Detailed data is searchable by zip code.

What do you think of the study? Do you give to charity? To which charities do you donate?


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