Boston Ranks as America’s Second Most Caring City, New Study Finds

Boston has once again earned national recognition—this time for compassion. A new WalletHub study ranks the city as the second most caring city in America, highlighting the community’s commitment to helping others through service, education, and social engagement.

The study compared the 100 largest U.S. cities across 38 indicators of community compassion, such as volunteering rates, charitable giving, and the share of residents working in social service professions. Boston placed second overall, behind only Virginia Beach, Virginia.

According to the report, Boston ranked first in the nation for teachers’ care for students’ well-being and third for the percentage of sheltered homeless persons. The city also placed sixth in population working in community and social services per capita, further illustrating the scale of its workforce dedication to public service and care professions.

Boston’s sense of community extends beyond paid professions. The study showed the city ranked 25th in the percentage of residents doing favors for neighbors and 32nd in volunteering hours per capita. Together, these numbers reflect what many in Greater Boston already know: that small acts of kindness and civic pride play an important role in daily life here.

“Being a caring city isn’t just about volunteering or writing a check,” said WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo in the report. “In top cities like Boston, residents also show compassion through their careers—teaching, social work, firefighting, and medicine—and by maintaining strong community ties.”

Experts say those social connections are vital to a city’s health. Dr. Johanna Greeson, an associate professor at the University of Pennsylvania, noted that local leaders can help communities grow even stronger by “making caring visible, possible, and shared.” Greeson emphasizes building what she calls a “care infrastructure”—spaces and systems that bring residents together, from libraries and parks to accessible volunteer programs.

Dr. LaTrelle D. Jackson, a clinical professor at Wright State University, adds that fostering community requires connection and communication. “Creating forums for connection is key to dismantling isolation and stereotypes,” Jackson said, underscoring the importance of collective problem-solving.

WalletHub’s findings come as Boston continues to focus on social equity, homelessness prevention, and investments in neighborhood development—all of which contribute to its reputation as a city with both heart and hustle.

The full report, including rankings for the other 99 cities studied, is available at WalletHub.com.