The States with the Most Generous & Stingy Christmas Gifters

The holidays are known as the season of giving, and some Americans take it very seriously. With shopping for gifts kicking off as early as nearly one year in advance for some, the holiday season can truly bring out the best in some people. 

At Creative Fabrica, we know how much a personal touch can add to a gift and though gift-giving isn’t always about the money spent, we wanted to learn which parts of the country are the most generous and stingy when it comes to Christmas gifts. 

To do this, we surveyed residents of each state and asked about their gift-buying habits, who they buy for, how much they spend, and more. Using these responses, we crafted a generosity score and ranked the states from the most generous to the most stingy. Read on to see how the state you call home ranks among the rest. 

Key Takeaways

• Tennessee, Florida, and Mississippi residents are the most generous Christmas gifters.
• Massachusetts, Nebraska, and California residents are the stingiest Christmas gifters.
• Nearly 1 in 5 Americans say they buy gifts for people they don’t like.
• Nearly 1 in 2 Americans say they feel other people don’t put as much thought or money into their gifts as they do for them.
• More than ​​half of Americans spend $50 or less per person on Christmas gifts.
• More than two-thirds of Americans say their finances prevent them from buying the gifts or the amount of gifts they want for others.
• A majority of Americans (42%) start their Christmas shopping in November.

Where Americans Are Most and Least Generous During the Holidays

For some receiving is the best part of the holidays, but for many people giving is what truly fills their hearts with joy. To gain insight into where people take the most joy in gifting, we calculated a generosity score. This scoring is on a scale of 0 to 100 and takes into account multiple aspects of giving, from how many people Americans are buying gifts for to the amount of money they spend. 

Leading the charge for giving this holiday season is Tennessee as the state ranks first overall for the most generous Christmas gifters with a generosity score of 99.17 out of 100. Overall, more than two-fifths of the state’s residents consider themselves to be generous gifters. 

Up next with a generosity score of 99.01 out of 100 is Florida. A third of residents in the Sunshine State say they even buy gifts for those that they don’t think will reciprocate, showing off their giving nature. Mississippi ranks third for generosity this holiday season as 1 in 10 residents start their holiday shopping before summer has even fully ended, beginning in August. 

On the other end of the spectrum, some states are more on the stingy side when it comes to gifting. Leading the charge are Massachusetts residents with a generosity score of 70.60 out of 100. Perhaps this isn’t due to the size of their heart, but rather their wallet as nearly 3 in 5 people say their finances prevent them from buying the gifts or the amount of gifts they want for others.

Nebraska ranks second for the stingiest gifters as more than two-fifths of the residents say they feel other people don’t put as much thought or money into their gifts as they do for them. Continuously feeling as though the act will not be reciprocated with the same amount of care is enough to make anyone tighten their purse strings during the holiday season. 

Closely behind in third place for stingy gifters is California where residents share a similar sentiment to those in Nebraska. We discovered that 1 in 5 Californians say if they know the act won’t be reciprocated, they won’t bother buying gifts for the person. 

While our generosity scoring took into account more than the exact dollar amount spent on gifts, we still think it is worth noting where Americans are spending the most money. Topping the list with the most money spent on an individual gift is Kentucky with residents spending an average $733.96. They are followed by New York where residents spend an average of $457.94 on the most expensive gifts. Zooming in on spending for each person, residents in Alabama spend the most on each person on average at $555.78. Indiana residents come in second spending $388.65 on average, followed by Colorado at $153.22 per person. 

Who Americans Are Buying Gifts for This Holiday Season

So with all of this money being spent, it is only natural to know who these gifts are going to. Overall, the most common person Americans are buying gifts, with 71% of people reporting it, is for their parents. Partners rank second on this list as more than two-thirds of people say they have plans to buy their special someone. 

Gifting remains within the family for our third most common person as nearly 3 in 5 people plan to give gifts to their siblings. Finally breaking out of the familiar bonds, we discover friends rank fourth for the most common people Americans buy gifts for. 

While they did not rank as highly on the list, we found other non-family members can expect to receive gifts this year as well as nearly 1 in 10 people plan to give to their kids’ teachers. Another 1 in 12 people are giving to their neighbors this holiday season and 1 in 25 will surprise their delivery workers with gifts. 

Americans’ Views on Buying Gifts for Others

Through this study, we learned that views and practices for gift buying vary from one person to the next. While one person may wait until the last minute to complete their Christmas shopping, others seek to check off their list little by little throughout the year. Overall, we discovered that a majority of Americans (42%) begin their holiday shopping in November, while 1 in 5 start in October. Then there are the 1 in 6 people who find themselves frantically buying in the final weeks of the year for their holiday gifts. 

While giving gifts can be a showing of affection, sometimes people do so out of a feeling of duty or simply to be kind. This may be the case for nearly 1 in 5 Americans as they say they buy gifts for people they don’t like. From pesky in-laws to overbearing managers, the season of giving can bring out the best in many. 

Overall, nearly 1 in 2 people say they feel others don’t put as much thought or money into their gifts as they do for them. And of those with partners, nearly 2 in 5 people say that goes for their significant others as well. 

Personalize Your Gifts with Creative Fabrica 

When it comes to gifting, the most important part is taking time to consider what your loved ones would enjoy. For many people, simply knowing you put time and effort into picking something special, is the most cherished gift. 

Sometimes, however, despite how early or often you search, you can’t find exactly what you want, but you know you could make one. Or maybe you’re among those who don’t quite have the funds to buy all of the items on your family and friends’ gift lists. If this sounds like you, put your time and effort into crafting the gift instead. At Creative Fabrica, we know how a handmade gift can highlight the thoughtfulness you put into gift-giving, and we offer a wide variety of craft designs, fonts, and more to help you create the perfect gift. 

Perhaps this holiday season, you may even discover a passion for a new hobby. Get started today by signing up for a free trial and gain unlimited access to more than 17 million products. 

Methodology

In this study, we set out to determine where the most generous and stingy Christmas gifters live in the U.S. To do this, we surveyed residents of each state to ask about their gift-giving habits. We asked a variety of questions including if they give gifts, who they buy for, how much they spend, and more. 

To determine which states are the most generous during the holiday season, we created a generosity score by analyzing respondents’ answers to a variety of questions and providing points to answers that represented generosity. First, we awarded a point to all respondents who said they buy gifts; we then awarded a point to each person they said they buy gifts for. We also gave a point to each person who said they buy gifts for people they don’t like, and to those who buy gifts for people even though they don’t think the act will be reciprocated. 

While we asked respondents about the amount of money they spend on gifts, we also wanted to take into account their salaries as those with a higher income have the ability to give more. To do this, we divided the amount of money respondents reported spending on gifts by their annual income. We then multiplied that number by 100 and formatted them as percentages. Based on those percentages, we assigned scores from 0 to 10, with 10 representing percentages of 100% or higher. In the case of people who reported having no income, we awarded them a 10 for any amount spent on gifts. These scores were then factored into the overall generosity score. 

After we awarded all the points, we calculated the average score for each person and then the overall average for each state based on its residents’ scores. Finally, we adjusted those scores on a scale of 0 to 100, with 100 representing the most generous.