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Volunteering data · AmeriCorps, 2017 to 2023
Volunteering rate in Massachusetts
Updated October 2026
Massachusetts runs above the national rate. In 2023, 33.1% of residents 16 and older volunteered through an organization, against 28.3%. State samples are small, so its place could really be as high as sixth or as low as 36th.
- 33.1%of residents 16 and older volunteered through an organization in 2023, plus or minus 3.4 points. National rate: 28.3%.
- 18th of 51among the 50 states and DC. 30 states are too close to call.
- 1.9 millionvolunteers in 2023, give or take 197,000.
- 109 millionhours given in 2023, or 18.8 for each resident 16 and older. National figure: 18.7.
Source: AmeriCorps and U.S. Census Bureau, Volunteering and Civic Life in America, 2017 to 2023. Margins of error and hours: Ember analysis of the same survey.
The trend since 2017
From 30.7% in 2019, Massachusetts dropped to 23.1% in 2021 and reached 33.1% in 2023. The 2.4-point gap with 2019 is inside the margin of error. The rate looks back near where it was. It did climb clearly from the 2021 low, by 10.0 points.
| Year | Rate | Margin of error |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 32.6% | ±2.9 points |
| 2019 | 30.7% | ±2.8 points |
| 2021 | 23.1% | ±3.0 points |
| 2023 | 33.1% | ±3.4 points |
Massachusetts and its neighbors
Massachusetts borders five states. Vermont clearly runs higher and New York and Rhode Island clearly run lower; the others are too close to call.
| Place | 2023 rate | Against Massachusetts |
|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts (this page) | 33.1% | |
| Vermont | 40.5% | Clearly higher |
| Connecticut | 37.4% | Too close to call |
| New Hampshire | 29.6% | Too close to call |
| New York | 25.5% | Clearly lower |
| Rhode Island | 18.5% | Clearly lower |
"Clearly" means the gap between two rates is wider than their combined 90% margin of error.
What this means if you run volunteers
More people in Massachusetts help out than sign up. In 2023, 57.0% of residents helped neighbors or friends outside any organization, about 23.9 points more than volunteered through one. The two groups overlap, but some of those helpers would never call themselves volunteers. A specific ask for a specific shift can change that. Our guide to recruiting volunteers has ways to make that ask.
The typical Massachusetts volunteer gave 20 hours in the year, against 24 nationally. If your own volunteers give more than that, it's worth saying so in a report.
Use this number in a grant or report
In 2023, 33.1% of Massachusetts residents 16 and older volunteered through an organization, giving about 109 million hours (AmeriCorps and U.S. Census Bureau, Volunteering and Civic Life in America; hours are an Ember analysis of the same survey).
To put your own program's hours in dollars, use the volunteer hour value calculator. To see every state side by side, go to volunteering rates by state. Ember Impact Reports shows the volunteer hours each program took and counts them in what the work cost, free if your budget is under $50K a year.
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How this was measured
AmeriCorps and the Census Bureau ask this every two years, in September, in the Civic Engagement and Volunteering supplement to the Current Population Survey. A person counts as a volunteer if they gave time through an organization in the past 12 months, and the rate covers residents 16 and older. The state rates here are AmeriCorps' published figures. Margins of error, tests and hours are our own work from the survey's public files, using the Census Bureau's replicate weights, at 90% confidence.
Each state's sample is small, so treat the ranking as a rough order. September 2023 is the newest state reading available. The figures describe Massachusetts as a whole, not any one organization.
Sources: AmeriCorps and U.S. Census Bureau, Volunteering and Civic Life in America: state rates, 2017 to 2023 (public domain; read October 9, 2026) and Civic Engagement and Volunteering Supplement data. Hours, margins of error, tests and neighbor comparisons are Ember's analysis of the same survey (free CSV, every column on this page).