For second year, Missoula takes top spot in number of Peace Corps volunteers

Missoula produced more Peace Corps volunteers on a per-capita basis than all other cities in 2017, earning it the No. 1 spot on the national charts for the second consecutive year, the organization said Thursday.

Montana also ranked third overall among the top-performing states, just behind the District of Columbia and Vermont.

As it does every year, the Peace Corps released its 2017 rankings of top volunteer-producing states and metros. The listing breaks the top performers down into two categories based on total volunteers and the number of volunteers per 100,000 residents.

In the latter category, Missoula secured the top spot for the second straight year, producing 11.9 volunteers per 100,000 residents. That exceeded the volunteer rate of Charlottesville, Virginia, which ranked second with 9.9 volunteers per 100,000.

Ithaca, New York, and Boulder and Fort Collins, Colorado, rounded out the top five.

“Volunteers share their hometown values and perspectives with the host communities they serve – an intercultural exchange that leaves a legacy of peace and friendship,” said Sheila Crowley, the Peace Corps' executive officer. “They come from all corners of our nation to create grassroots level change in our world.”

Montana as a state held the third-ranked spot for its rate of volunteers per 100,000 residents, at 4.9. That was ahead of Oregon and Rhode Island at 4.3, Virginia at 4.2 and Maryland and Washington at 4.1.