The percentage of their income Northborough residents give to charity is less than the county, state and country averages, according to a study released today.
The Chronicle of Philanthropy's "How America Gives" study reported that Northborough residents, with a median income of $74,607, had a median contribution of 2.4 percent, or $1,803, of their income to charity in 2008, the tax year for which data was collected.
Let Patch save you time. Get great local stories like this delivered right to your inbox or smartphone everyday with our free newsletter. Simple, fast sign-up here.
By way of comparison, the county, state, and country's median contribution was 3.2 percent, 2.8 percent and 4.7 percent, respectively. (See chart below.)
| Geographic Area | Median Income | Percent to Charity | Dollar Amount to Charity | |
| Northborough | $74,607 |
2.4 |
$1,803 | |
| Worcester County | $45,251 | 3.2 | $1,448 | |
| 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.
Detailed data is searchable by zip code.
While The Chronicle used averages to compare towns, readers may also search by income bracket. The study shows that those making the most money in Northborough donated the smallest percentage of their income. The taxpayers reporting income of more than $200,000 in Northborough gave an average of 2 percent, or $5,470.