See How Portland Ranks for “Caring”

Monday, December 19, 2016
GoLocalPDX Lifestyle Team

PHOTO: goredforwomen.org

From something as simple as helping someone cross the street to helping an animal in trouble, how much does Portland care? 

“Caring is one of the most intimate and human ways to connect with others. And it can be expressed in multiple ways — from helping an elderly person cross the street to fighting a house fire. But certain parts of America practice this virtue more than others,” said WalletHub. 

Portland is ranked 41st in the country for most caring cities, according to a recent study done by WalletHub. 

Portland ranks 53rd for caring for the community, 42nd for caring for the vulnerable and 39th for caring in the workforce. 

The Rankings 

Portland ranks 41st behind Kansas City, Missouri, and Cleveland, Ohio at 39 and 40, while ranking ahead of Chicago, Illinois and Toledo, Ohio at 42 and 43 respectively. 

Madison, Wisconsin ranks number one overall, while San Bernardino, California ranks last. 

See the Rankings in the Map Below 

The Method 

WalletHub’s analysts compared the 100 most populated cities across three key dimensions: 1) Caring for the Community, 2) Caring for the Vulnerable and 3) Caring in the Workforce.

They then evaluated those dimensions using 32 relevant metrics. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with 100 representing the highest level of caring. Data for metrics marked with an asterisk (*) were available only at the state level and therefore received only half a weight.

Lastly, they calculated the overall score for each city based on its weighted average across all metrics and used the resulting scores to rank the cities accordingly.

In determining our sample, we considered only the city proper in each case and excluded cities in the surrounding metro area.

Caring for the Community – Total Points: 40

• Violent Crime Rate: Full Weight (~2.67 Points)
• Property Crime Rate: Full Weight (~2.67 Points)
• Alcohol-Impaired Fatalities per Capita: Full Weight (~2.67 Points)
• Total Driving Fatalities per Capita: Full Weight (~2.67 Points)Care for the Environment: Full Weight (~2.67 Points)
• WalletHub “Energy Efficiency” Ranking: Half* Weight (~1.33 Points)
• Social Ties: Full Weight (~2.67 Points)
• Civic Engagement: Half* Weight (~1.33 Points)
• Favors for Neighbors: Triple Weight (~8.00 Points)
• Food & Clothing Distribution to the Needy: Full Weight (~2.67 Points)
• Percentage of Income Donated to Charity: Full Weight (~2.67 Points)
• Online Giving per Capita: Full Weight (~2.67 Points)
• Volunteering Hours per Capita: Double Weight (~5.33 Points)

 

Caring for the Vulnerable – Total Points: 40

• Child Poverty Rate: Double Weight (~7.62 Points)
• Adult Poverty Rate: Double Weight (~7.62 Points)
• Adoption Rate: Half* Weight (~1.90 Points)
• Percentage of Sheltered Homeless Persons: Double Weight (~7.62 Points)
• Rehabilitation Centers per Capita: Full Weight (~3.81 Points)
• Pet Shelters & Rescue Services per Capita: Full Weight (~3.81 Points)
• Disability-Friendliness of Employers: Full Weight (~3.81 Points)
• Uninsured Rate: Full Weight (~3.81 Points)

 

Caring in the Workforce – Total Points: 20

• Residents Who Work in Community & Social Services per Capita: Double Weight (~3.33 Points)
• Physicians per Capita: Full Weight (~1.67 Points)
• Nurses per Capita: Full Weight (~1.67 Points)
• Special-Education Teachers per School Age Disabled People: Full Weight (~1.67 Points)
• Teachers’ Care for Student Well-Being: Full Weight (~1.67 Points)
• Counselors’ Care for Student Well-Being: Full Weight (~1.67 Points)
• Full-Time Law-Enforcement Employees per Capita: Full Weight (~1.67 Points)
• Mental-Health Counselors & Therapists per Capita: Full Weight (~1.67 Points)
• Personal-Care Aides per Capita: Full Weight (~1.67 Points)
• Firefighters per Capita: Full Weight (~1.67 Points)
• Paramedics per Capita: Full Weight (~1.67 Points)