By Adam McCann
WalletHub Financial Writer
Caring means having a connection with others and being concerned for their wellbeing. It can be expressed in many ways — from helping an elderly person cross the street to fighting a house fire.
Some people prefer a more hands-on approach to show they care through their choice of employment or volunteering, while others open their pocketbooks to donate toward causes that help those in need.
Americans donated over $592 billion in 2024 – and even after accounting for inflation, donations still rose 3.3% from 2023, marking a strong year for charitable giving. Even if you can’t afford to give away your income – especially during the challenging conditions of the current economy – there are plenty of other ways to show compassion to others. You can volunteer your time and expertise as well.
In order to identify the areas that care the most, WalletHub compared the 100 largest cities across 38 key indicators of a compassionate spirit. Our data set ranges from the share of sheltered homeless people to volunteering hours per capita to the share of income donated to charity.
Most Caring Cities in the U.S.
| Overall Rank | City | Total Score | Caring for the Community Rank | Caring for the Vulnerable Rank | Caring in the Workforce Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Virginia Beach, VA | 68.52 | 1 | 21 | 43 |
| 2 | Boston, MA | 68.06 | 14 | 12 | 1 |
| 3 | Scottsdale, AZ | 68.01 | 7 | 1 | 92 |
| 4 | Gilbert, AZ | 67.24 | 2 | 9 | 88 |
| 5 | Fremont, CA | 66.60 | 20 | 7 | 32 |
| 6 | San Diego, CA | 66.44 | 26 | 4 | 50 |
| 7 | Chesapeake, VA | 66.16 | 4 | 28 | 41 |
| 8 | Colorado Springs, CO | 65.78 | 34 | 5 | 31 |
| 9 | St. Paul, MN | 65.68 | 5 | 36 | 11 |
| 10 | Madison, WI | 65.12 | 9 | 33 | 7 |
| 11 | Irvine, CA | 64.65 | 17 | 13 | 42 |
| 12 | Chula Vista, CA | 64.45 | 8 | 25 | 53 |
| 13 | Plano, TX | 64.21 | 10 | 14 | 66 |
| 14 | Lincoln, NE | 64.13 | 23 | 23 | 21 |
| 15 | New York, NY | 63.93 | 33 | 19 | 3 |
| 16 | San Jose, CA | 63.91 | 32 | 8 | 57 |
| 17 | Chandler, AZ | 63.69 | 6 | 29 | 89 |
| 18 | Seattle, WA | 62.94 | 45 | 6 | 58 |
| 19 | Santa Ana, CA | 62.84 | 40 | 11 | 18 |
| 20 | Honolulu, HI | 62.80 | 3 | 49 | 54 |
| 21 | Boise, ID | 62.76 | 15 | 32 | 52 |
| 22 | Jersey City, NJ | 62.07 | 25 | 47 | 4 |
| 23 | Pittsburgh, PA | 61.93 | 22 | 48 | 9 |
| 24 | San Francisco, CA | 61.33 | 73 | 3 | 33 |
| 25 | Chicago, IL | 61.33 | 43 | 27 | 19 |
| 26 | Mesa, AZ | 61.30 | 13 | 35 | 90 |
| 27 | Raleigh, NC | 61.25 | 28 | 34 | 59 |
| 28 | Denver, CO | 61.00 | 80 | 2 | 26 |
| 29 | Omaha, NE | 60.64 | 27 | 40 | 38 |
| 30 | Anchorage, AK | 60.59 | 53 | 31 | 24 |
| 31 | Columbus, OH | 60.08 | 29 | 63 | 12 |
