Survey: Collier County is the most charitable county in Florida

Shelby Coleman
Updated ·2 min read
William Toler makes a bid during the 2022 Naples Winter Wine Festival, Saturday, Jan. 29, 2022, at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort in Naples, Fla.
William Toler makes a bid during the 2022 Naples Winter Wine Festival, Saturday, Jan. 29, 2022, at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort in Naples, Fla.

Collier County is the most charitable county in Florida, according to a new study by SmartAsset, a financial company. It's followed closely by Monroe County, home of the Florida Keys.

Several counties ranked higher in percentage of contributions as a percentage of income, such as Martin County, 3.13 percent, and Palm Beach at 3.07. Collier was fourth in that regard.

But Collier, home to so many well-known fundraising events, reigned in the percentage of citizens making contributions.

Survey Background

SmartAsset's 2023 survey highlights the most philanthropic counties in the Sunshine State. The study measures generosity by comparing charitable donations as a percentage of net income and the proportion of those contributions that were made by taxpayers.

Findings

2.99% of the amount of people's money in Collier County is donated to charity as a percentage of their income; in comparison, the state of Florida's percentage for this is 1.25%. The total number of individual tax returns that show charitable contributions in Collier County is a staggering 11.87%, while the state's overall percentage is 4.54%.

Why Collier?

2023 Naples Winter Wine Festival co-chairs (left to right): Nena and Bill Beynon, Rick and Libby Germain, Julia and Rob Heidt.
2023 Naples Winter Wine Festival co-chairs (left to right): Nena and Bill Beynon, Rick and Libby Germain, Julia and Rob Heidt.

More: Naples Winter Wine Festival auction raises $26 million in 4 hours for Collier kids in need

Collier County winning the title of most charitable is not very surprising. The county is composed of cities, specifically Naples and Marco Island, with extremely wealthy individuals and their respective enterprises. Charity events such as the Naples Winter Wine Festival, put on by the  Naples Children & Education Foundation, produce huge sums of money. In 2023, the festival raised nearly $26 million dollars for Collier County children.

What about Lee County?

Lee County ranked 12th in the state, with 1.74% in contributions as a percentage of income and 6.53% of its tax returns itemizing charitable deductions. Sarasota County was sixth in the state overall.

Implications

Being crowned 'Most Generous County' will indefinitely add to the SWFL area's increasing national appeal. Collier County has gained popularity over the years as multiple lists have come out, with Collier at the lead, of the best places to live.

Since the pandemic, Collier County's population has grown from 370,000 to almost 400,000 inhabitants.

So, here are your top ten most charitable counties in Florida:

  1. Collier

  2. Monroe

  3. Martin

  4. Palm Beach

  5. Walton

  6. Sarasota

  7. St. Johns

  8. Indian River

  9. Nassau

  10. Gadsden

This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Giving champs: Collier, Sarasota among most charitable counties in FL