The percentage of their income that Tiverton residents give to charity is less than the county, state and country averages, while Little Compton residents proved a bit more generous, according to a study released today.

However, those making the least amount of money in both towns give the most, percentage-wise.

The Chronicle of Philanthropy's "How America Gives" study reported that Tiverton residents with a median discretionary income of $54,877, had a median contribution of 2.5 percent, or $1,391, of their income to charity in 2008, the tax year for which data was collected.

In Little Compton, charitable contributions exceeded those of Tiverton, percentage-wise, where residents have a median discretionary income of $66,007 and a median contribution of 4 percent, or $2,620.

By way of comparison, the county, state, and country's median contribution was 4.2 percent, 3.1 percent and 4.7 percent, respectively. (See chart below.)

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 least money in both Tiverton and Little Compton donated the largest percentage of their income. The tax returns reporting median discretionary income of $50,000 to $99,999 in Tiverton gave an average of 3.1 percent, or $1,108. The same income bracket in Little Compton contributed an average of 6.4 percent, or $2,284.

Those making $100,000-$199,999 in Tiverton reportedly gave 2.4 percent, and in Little Compton they donated 3.7 percent. Those making more than $200,000 gave 2.2 percent in Tiverton and the wealthiest in Little Compton matched the 6.4 percent annual contribution of the town's lowest earners.