FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Thursday, December 14, 2017

Peace Corps Announces Top Volunteer-Producing States and Metropolitan Areas in 2017

WASHINGTON – The Peace Corps today released its 2017 rankings of the top volunteer-producing states and metropolitan areas across the country. New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island is again the largest metropolitan-area producer of volunteers, after losing that designation to current No. 2 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria in 2016.

 For the second straight year, Missoula, Montana, holds the No. 1 spot for top metro areas per capita, followed by No. 2 Charlottesville, Virginia, which last made the annual rankings in 2011. Ithaca, New York (No. 3), Fort Collins, Colorado (No. 5), and Ann Arbor, Michigan (No. 9), also returned to the per capita metros list in 2017.

 The District of Columbia became the No. 1 state per capita while California retained its No. 1 position on the total volunteer-producing states list. Washington State, Virginia, and Maryland appear in all four ranking categories.

 “Peace Corps volunteers come from all corners of our nation to create grassroots level change in our world,” said Peace Corps Chief Executive Officer Sheila Crowley. “Volunteers share their hometown values and perspectives with the host communities they serve, an intercultural exchange that leaves a legacy of peace and friendship. We are deeply grateful to the extraordinary communities in the U.S. which produce citizens with such a strong sense of purpose.”

The Peace Corps is unique among service organizations because our volunteers live and work at the community level. Service in the Peace Corps is a life-defining, hands-on leadership experience that offers volunteers the opportunity to travel to the farthest corners of the world and make a lasting difference in the lives of others. Applicants can apply to specific programs by visiting the Peace Corps website and connecting with a recruiter.

Below find the nation’s top 10 volunteer-producing states and metropolitan areas for 2017. View the list of volunteer numbers from all 50 states here.

 2017 Top States – Per Capita (# of volunteers per 100,000 residents)

1. District of Columbia – 8.8

2. Vermont– 6.7

3. Montana – 4.9

4. Oregon – 4.3

4. Rhode Island – 4.3

6. Virginia – 4.2

7. Maryland – 4.1

7. Washington – 4.1

9. Maine – 4.0

10. Colorado – 3.9

10. Minnesota – 3.9

 2017 Top States – Total Volunteers

1. California – 873

2. New York – 485

3. Florida – 355

4. Virginia – 352

5. Texas – 327

6. Illinois – 325

7. Washington – 300

8. Pennsylvania – 296

9. Michigan – 266

10. Maryland – 250

 2017 Top Metropolitan Areas – Per Capita (# of volunteers per 100,000 residents)

1. Missoula, MT – 11.9

2. Charlottesville, VA – 9.9

3. Ithaca, NY – 9.8

3. Boulder, CO – 9.8

5. Fort Collins-Loveland, CO – 9.7

6. Burlington-South Burlington, VT – 9.5

7. Olympia, WA – 7.9

8. Madison, WI – 7.4

9. Ann Arbor, MI – 7.3

10. Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV – 7.2

 

2017 Top Metropolitan Areas – Total Volunteers

1. New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, NY-NJ-PA – 418

2. Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV – 403

3. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana, CA – 273

4. Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL-IN-WI – 258

5. Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA-NH– 182

6. Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA – 175

7. Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI – 174

8. Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD – 154

9. Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, GA – 147

10. San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA – 126

 

*Peace Corps data current as of September 30, 2017. The metropolitan area data used to determine Peace Corps’ rankings are derived from the most current U.S. Census Bureau “Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Area” data. Volunteers self-report their home city and state on their Peace Corps application.  

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