Las Vegas givers

Las Vegas has been described as a lot of things over the years, including the Entertainment Capital of the World and Sin City. Time to add the word “generous” to the list.

In the wake of today’s seemingly never-ending stream of “police brutality and violence against police, terrorist attacks, and negative political rhetoric,” the folks at the Barna Group say it’s “easy to forget the reality of human kindness in the world.” As a result, the group known for its city-rankings — it has previously compiled lists of America’s most and least churched cities and its most Bible-minded cities — decided to put together a new ranking of America’s most generous cities. And Las Vegas fared pretty well.

For their latest study, Barna conducted telephone and online interviews with a nationwide random sample of 76,505 adults over a period ending in April 2016. The goal was to measure cities according to the percentage of residents who donated money to charities and nonprofit organizations, including churches and religious organizations.

According to the organization’s findings, El Paso, Texas, and Las Cruces, New Mexico topped the list as most charitable. Lexington, Kentucky; Memphis; Charleston-Huntington, West Virginia; and Milwaukee rounded out the top five. Out of 210 U.S. “designated market areas,” Las Vegas ranked at number 33, right behind Portland-Auburn, Maine, and just ahead of Louisville. Las Vegas came in well ahead of places such as New York City, Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Not too shabby.

None of this will be a surprise to those living here. A 2014 study found that Nevada was the most giving state in the Mountain West region.

The Barna survey revealed some interesting facts. For example, the most generous cities aren’t the richest. All but one of the top five cities had a slightly lower percentage of residents who were considered “upscale” (adults with an annual household income of $75,000 or more and a college degree) than “downscale” (adults with an annual household income of $20,000 or less and no degree).

Another notable finding was how much of Americans’ giving went to churches. The majority of adults (especially in the top five cities) say they give to churches on a regular basis.

Las Vegas has long endured its share of negative attention and press. It’s good that residents of the region are now being recognized for their positive contributions.

Give yourselves a high-five, Las Vegas.