State-by-State Volunteer Rankings (2026)

Volunteers are the backbone of American nonprofits, yet volunteer engagement varies dramatically across states. This report ranks all 50 states plus D.C. by formal and informal volunteering rates, economic impact, and demographic trends, drawing on the latest AmeriCorps and Census Bureau data. Whether you lead a church, school, or charitable organization, understanding where your state sits on the national volunteer map—and why—is essential to setting realistic goals and competing for volunteer talent.

Key takeaways

Formal Volunteering: The Leaders

In 2023, Utah had the highest rate of residents engaged in formal volunteering at 46.6%, followed by Vermont at 40.5%, and Minnesota and Nebraska tied for third at 40.3%. These are the states where more than 4 in 10 residents volunteer through nonprofit organizations, schools, faith communities, and civic groups.

Washington state saw 32.8% formal volunteering from September 2022 to September 2023, above the nationwide rate of 28.3%. The same trend holds for states like Colorado and Maine—they hover well above the national median but below the top tier. Read more about how younger volunteers are reshaping participation patterns.

Informal Helping: Community Care Outside Organizations

An estimated 137.5 million people — or 54.2% of Americans — helped their neighbors informally between September 2022 and 2023. This includes watching neighbors' children, running errands, yard work, and meals—the unpaid acts that bind communities together without formal organizational structure.

Utahans were most likely to informally help their neighbors at 68.2%, followed by Montanans at 68.0%, and Coloradans at 67.4%. The states where people were least likely to engage in informal volunteering were Alabama and Georgia (both 47.3%), and Nevada (45.7%).

A critical insight: nationally, average hours served per volunteer dropped from 96.5 hours in 2017 to 70 hours in 2023, with half of formal volunteers serving 24 hours versus 40 hours in 2017. This reflects the rise of episodic volunteering—volunteers doing shorter, flexible commitments. If you're coordinating volunteers, expect less long-term consistency and plan recruitment and retention around episodic models.

Economic Impact: The Dollar Value of Service by State

Independent Sector announced on April 21, 2026, that the estimate for the value of a volunteer hour was $36.14 in 2025—a 3.9% increase from 2024. But this figure masks significant state variation. State-by-state, the value of a volunteer hour ranges from $17.32 in Puerto Rico to $52.06 in Washington, D.C.

Why does this matter? In Florida, the volunteer hour value is $34.88 based on state-by-state data. When you calculate the economic impact of your volunteers, using your state's benchmark (not the national average) gives funders and boards a more credible figure. Learn more about volunteer compensation and economic value.

The Pandemic Rebound: Recovery and Persistent Gaps

From September 2020 to September 2021, just 23.2% of Americans participated in formal volunteering—a historic low—but by September 2022 to 2023, that rebounded to 28.3%. This is encouraging. However, rebounds were not equally distributed: in 14 states and five of the largest 12 metros, formal volunteering rates matched or exceeded 2019 levels, but in 11 states and D.C., rates remained more than 5 percentage points below pre-pandemic levels.

Which states still lag behind 2019? 2023 formal volunteering rates remained more than 5 percentage points below pre-pandemic levels in 11 states and the District of Columbia. These areas face stronger headwinds in volunteer recruitment and retention. Organizations in recovering states must be especially strategic about screening and vetting quality volunteers.

The Lowest-Volunteer States: Understanding the Bottom Tier

Only about 15.9% of the Floridian population is involved in formal volunteering activities, and the state has the lowest volunteering rate in America. Other states with below-average rates include Mississippi, Louisiana, and several in the Southwest. The reasons vary: population demographics, urban vs. rural density, economic hardship, and the prevalence of informal helping over formal organization-based service.

For nonprofits in low-volunteering states, the challenge is real but not insurmountable. Volunteering saw a strong rebound in 2025, with formal participation rising to 28.3% and informal helping surpassing pre-pandemic levels, with short, flexible, and hybrid roles becoming the norm. This shift to episodic work opens doors for organizations willing to redesign roles. Read our guide on organizing short-term volunteer programs.

Virtual & Hybrid Volunteering: The 2023 Data

82 percent of formal volunteers served completely in-person, averaging 64 hours of service between September 2022 and September 2023, while over 13.4 million engaged in virtual or hybrid volunteering, averaging 95 hours of service in that period. Virtual volunteers actually logged more hours, suggesting that flexible, remote roles appeal to committed contributors.

The implication is clear: hybrid programs attract dedicated, sustained volunteer engagement. If your nonprofit has been hesitant about remote roles, hybrid and virtual options attract younger volunteers, remote workers, and people with limited availability—significantly widening your potential volunteer base. Learn how to streamline virtual coordination in our youth group organizing guide.

Volunteer Demographics: Who Is Showing Up by Generation and Age

Gen X has the highest formal volunteering rate of any generation, at 27.2%. This cohort—now in their 40s and 50s—combines work experience, financial stability, and civic commitment. People ages 16-17 had the highest rate among age groups at 28%, followed by people ages 45 to 54 at 27%.

Youth and parents drive strong participation. Parents with children under 18 formally volunteered at a higher rate (30%) than those without children in their household (21%). And the rate drop was substantially larger for women (8 percentage points) than men (5 percentage points) during the pandemic, but women continued to volunteer at a higher rate. For nonprofits, this means marketing family-friendly, women-centered, and youth-inclusive opportunities pays dividends.

What This Means for Your Volunteer Program

State rankings tell you where you sit, but action determines success. Here's what the data means for your nonprofit, church, or school:

• If you're in a high-volunteer state (Utah, Vermont, Minnesota, Nebraska): You have a cultural advantage, but competition is fierce. You must offer clear roles, strong impact metrics, and professional onboarding to attract and retain top volunteers. Don't assume volunteers will find you—invest in proper screening and vetting to protect your organization's reputation.
• If you're in a low-volunteer state (Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana): The opportunity is to differentiate. Remote and episodic roles are your friends. Build partnerships with employers offering volunteer time off. Make a short, one-time commitment feel meaningful and shareable on social media.
• If your state is recovering post-pandemic: Lean into informal helping networks. Many Americans are ready to help neighbors—your job is to formalize those relationships, provide structure, and reduce friction. Every hour counts, and organizing intentional, regular programs (Sunday school, after-school mentoring, book fairs) channels goodwill into impact.
• Screening is non-negotiable: With an estimated 75.7 million people formally volunteering , competition for quality volunteers is real. VolunteerBadge's $5 FCRA-compliant background checks with identity verification take minutes to complete, require no monthly fees, and protect your organization and the people you serve. Whether you're a church youth group, classroom volunteer program, or summer camp, screening is the foundation of trust.

Start today: Sign up for VolunteerBadge's volunteer screening platform and get instant access to background checks, character references, and compliance reporting. Or explore our step-by-step guide to running your first background check.

Download the data

Download a complete spreadsheet of all 50 states and D.C. by formal volunteering rate, informal helping rate, volunteer hour value, population, and more—ready to use in your board presentations and grant applications.

Frequently asked questions

Q: Why does volunteer hour value vary so much by state?
A: The estimates reflect the previous calendar year based on wage data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, using annual average hourly earnings for all production and non-supervisory workers on private non-farm payrolls from the Current Employment Statistics database. High-wage states (D.C., Massachusetts, Connecticut) have higher volunteer hour values; lower-wage states are lower.

Q: Does my state's rank affect what I should do?
A: Yes. If you're in a high-participation state, you're competing for the same pool—invest in professional programs and screening. If you're in a lower state, you have less competition but must work harder to recruit. Either way, offer flexibility, clarity, and genuine impact.

Q: What counts as "formal volunteering"?
A: Formal volunteering involves helping others through organizations. This includes nonprofits, schools, faith communities, civic groups, hospitals, shelters, and food banks. Informal helping (doing favors for neighbors, watching kids, running errands) is separate and has even higher national rates (54%).

Q: Are these numbers current?
A: The most recent state rankings are from September 2022–September 2023, released by AmeriCorps in December 2024. The volunteer hour value data is from April 2026 (reflecting 2025 wages). AmeriCorps releases data every two years, so expect updated 2024–2025 rankings in late 2025 or early 2026.

Q: Does screening hurt volunteer recruitment?
A: No. Most volunteers expect it and appreciate that you take safety seriously. VolunteerBadge's process takes 5–10 minutes and provides instant results, so there's no friction. It actually builds trust with families, donors, and community partners.

Q: How can we grow volunteering in our low-participation state?
A: Start with episodic roles (4-hour commitments, one-time shifts), offer virtual options, partner with employers for volunteer time off, and celebrate volunteers publicly. Read more in our burnout and volunteer retention guide.

Sources & references

1. America's Health Rankings — Volunteerism in the United States
2. AmeriCorps — State Rankings by Volunteer Rate
3. AmeriCorps Open Data — State Ranking by Volunteer Rate
4. AmeriCorps — 60.7 Million Americans Volunteered in 2021
5. AmeriCorps — Volunteering and Civic Life in America Research Summary (2021)
6. Axios Seattle — Volunteering Washington State 2023
7. Bureau of Labor Statistics — More Than 11 Million People Volunteered on an Average Day in 2022
8. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Volunteering in the United States News Release
9. CBS News Minnesota — Minnesota Ranks Among Top 5 States for Volunteerism
10. U.S. Census Bureau — Volunteering and Civic Life in America (2021)
11. U.S. Census Bureau — New Research Tracks Virtual Volunteering for First Time (2024)
12. Double the Donation — Essential Volunteer Statistics & Trends in Engagement (2026)
13. Groundswell — 18 Key Volunteering Statistics for CSR Leaders
14. Independent Sector — Value of Volunteer Time
15. Independent Sector — Value of Volunteer Time 2026 Report (PDF)
16. Johnson Center at University of Delaware — What Does the Future of Volunteering Look Like?
17. MoneyMinder — New Data Shows the State of Volunteering in the U.S.
18. NonProfit PRO — Report: More Than 75.7 Million People Volunteered in America
19. Nonprofit Leadership Center of Tampa Bay — How to Calculate the Value of Volunteer Time
20. Peace Corps — 2025 Top Volunteer-Producing States
21. SignUpGenius — The State of Volunteering 2025: Trends & What to Expect
22. USAFacts — How Many Americans Volunteer?
23. VolunteerHub — 40 Volunteer Statistics Every Nonprofit Should Know in 2026
24. Volgistics — Volunteer Statistics of 2023
25. WhenInYourState — States That Rank Highest for Charitable Giving and Volunteering
26. WaradyDavis — U.S. Volunteering Trends and Labor Insights Report