A recent report from the Corporation for National and Community Service finds that volunteerism rates are higher in middle America cities than elsewhere in the U.S., PNN Online reported July 10.

The study of volunteerism in large cities nationally found that Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minn., had the highest volunteer rate: 40.5 percent. The lowest reported rate was in Las Vegas, where just 14.4 percent of residents said they volunteered their time for charity.

Other cities with high volunteer rates were Salt Lake City, Austin, Texas; Omaha, Neb.; Seattle; Portland, Ore.; Kansas City, Mo.; Milwaukee, Wis.; Charlotte, N.C.; and Tulsa, Okla.

Miami, New York, Virginia Beach, Va., and Riverside, Calif., were among the other cities with low rates of volunteerism.

"Cities with high volunteer rates are cities that have lower crime, higher employment, better education, and a better quality of life," said David Eisner, CEO of the Corporation. "City leaders should use this report as a roadmap to increasing volunteering and citizen problem-solving in their cities."

Robert Grimm, director of research and policy development at the Corporation, added, "This report helps community leaders understand that through efforts such as the promotion of flexible work schedules and reinvention of the roles volunteers play in organizations, we can engage more of our citizens in service and further elevate the quality of life in our communities."

The report, Volunteering in America: 2007 City Trends and Rankings, is available online.