List of U.S. states and territories by religiosity
The degree of religiosity in the population of the United States can be compared to that in other countries and compared state-by-state, based on individual self-assessment and polling data.
Methodologies
The
Results
Religious Denominations (Pew Research 2014)
Region | Protestant (%) | Catholic (%) | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (%) | Other Christian (%) | Other (%) | Irreligion (%) | Don't know (%) | References |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Alabama | 80.0 | 7.0 | 1.0 | <1.0 | 1.0 | 12.0 | 1.0 | [4] |
Mississippi | 79.0 | 4.0 | 1.0 | <1.0 | 2.0 | 14.0 | 1.0 | [5] |
Tennessee | 77.0 | 6.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 3.0 | 14.0 | 1.0 | [6] |
Arkansas | 75.0 | 8.0 | 1.0 | <1.0 | 3.0 | 18.0 | 1.0 | [7] |
West Virginia | 73.0 | 6.0 | 2.0 | <1.0 | 3.0 | 18.0 | 1.0 | [8] |
Oklahoma | 70.0 | 8.0 | 1.0 | <1.0 | 2.0 | 18.0 | 1.0 | [9] |
Georgia | 70.0 | 9.0 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 18.0 | 1.0 | [10] |
North Carolina | 69.0 | 9.0 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 20.0 | 1.0 | [11] |
South Carolina | 68.0 | 10.0 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 19.0 | 1.0 | [12] |
Kentucky | 67.0 | 10.0 | <1.0 | <1.0 | 2.0 | 22.0 | 1.0 | [13] |
Iowa | 65.0 | 18.0 | <1.0 | <1.0 | 1.0 | 21.0 | 1.0 | [14] |
Missouri | 60.0 | 16.0 | 1.0 | <1.0 | 3.0 | 20.0 | 1.0 | [15] |
Virginia | 59.0 | 12.0 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 6.0 | 20.0 | <1.0 | [16] |
Kansas | 58.0 | 18.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 4.0 | 20.0 | <1,0 | [17] |
Louisiana | 58.0 | 26.0 | <1.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 13.0 | 1.0 | [18] |
South Dakota | 58.0 | 22.0 | <1.0 | <1.0 | 3.0 | 18.0 | <1.0 | [19] |
Ohio | 55.0 | 18.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 4.0 | 22.0 | <1.0 | [20] |
Indiana | 55.0 | 18.0 | 1.0 | <1.0 | 2.0 | 26.0 | <1.0 | [21] |
Maryland | 54.0 | 15.0 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 8.0 | 23.0 | <1.0 | [22] |
Michigan | 54.0 | 18.0 | <1.0 | 2.0 | 5.0 | 24.0 | 1.0 | [23] |
Nebraska | 53.0 | 23.0 | 1.0 | <1.0 | 4.0 | 20.0 | <1,0 | [24] |
North Dakota | 52.0 | 26.0 | <1.0 | <1.0 | 3.0 | 20.0 | <1.0 | [25] |
Minnesota | 50.0 | 22.0 | 1.0 | <1.0 | 5.0 | 20.0 | 2.0 | [25] |
Texas | 50.0 | 23.0 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 4.0 | 18.0 | <1.0 | [26] |
Pennsylvania | 47.0 | 24.0 | <1.0 | 1.0 | 6.0 | 21.0 | 1.0 | [27] |
United States | 46.5 | 20.8 | 1.6 | 1.7 | 5.9 | 22.8 | 0.6 | [28] |
Delaware | 46.0 | 22.0 | <1.0 | 1.0 | 6.0 | 23.0 | 1.0 | [29] |
Florida | 46.0 | 21.0 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 6.0 | 24.0 | <1.0 | [30] |
Wisconsin | 44.0 | 25.0 | <1.0 | 2.0 | 4.0 | 25.0 | <1.0 | [31] |
Colorado | 43.0 | 16.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 5.0 | 29.0 | 2.0 | [32] |
Illinois | 43.0 | 28.0 | <1.0 | 2.0 | 6.0 | 22.0 | 1.0 | [33] |
Oregon | 43.0 | 12.0 | 4.0 | 2.0 | 7.0 | 31.0 | 1.0 | [34] |
Wyoming | 43.0 | 14.0 | 9.0 | 4.0 | 3.0 | 26.0 | <1.0 | [35] |
Montana | 42.0 | 17.0 | 4.0 | 2.0 | 5.0 | 30.0 | <1.0 | [36] |
District of Columbia
|
41.0 | 20.0 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 9.0 | 25.0 | 1.0 | [37] |
Washington | 40.0 | 17.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 6.0 | 32.0 | 1.0 | [38] |
Arizona | 39.0 | 21.0 | 5.0 | 1.0 | 6.0 | 27.0 | <1.0 | [39] |
Hawaii | 38.0 | 20.0 | 3.0 | 2.0 | 10.0 | 26.0 | 1.0 | [40] |
New Mexico | 38.0 | 34.0 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 4.0 | 21.0 | <1.0 | [41] |
Alaska | 37.0 | 16.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 6.0 | 31.0 | 1.0 | [42] |
Idaho | 37.0 | 10.0 | 19.0 | 1.0 | 4.0 | 27.0 | <1.0 | [43] |
Maine | 37.0 | 21.0 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 7.0 | 31.0 | 2.0 | [44] |
Connecticut | 35.0 | 33.0 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 7.0 | 23.0 | 1.0 | [45] |
Nevada | 35.0 | 25.0 | 4.0 | 2.0 | 5.0 | 28.0 | 1.0 | [46] |
California | 32.0 | 28.0 | 1.0 | 3.0 | 9.0 | 27.0 | 1.0 | [47] |
New Jersey | 31.0 | 34.0 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 14.0 | 18.0 | 1.0 | [48] |
New Hampshire | 30.0 | 26.0 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 5.0 | 36.0 | <1.0 | [49] |
Rhode Island | 30.0 | 42.0 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 5.0 | 20.0 | 1.0 | [50] |
Vermont | 30.0 | 22.0 | <1.0 | 1.0 | 8.0 | 37.0 | 2.0 | [51] |
New York | 26.0 | 31.0 | <1.0 | 2.0 | 12.0 | 27.0 | 1.0 | [52] |
Massachusetts | 21.0 | 34.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 9.0 | 32.0 | 1.0 | [53] |
Utah | 13.0 | 5.0 | 55.0 | <1.0 | 4.0 | 22.0 | 1.0 | [54] |
Religions by metropolitan areas
Metro area | Christian (%) | Evangelical (%) | Mainline (%) | Historically black (%) |
Catholic (%) | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (%) | Non- Christian faiths (%) |
None (%) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Dallas | 78.0 | 38.0 | 14.0 | 7.0 | 15.0 | 1.0 | 4.0 | 18.0 |
Atlanta | 76.0 | 33.0 | 12.0 | 18.0 | 11.0 | 1.0 | 3.0 | 20.0 |
Houston | 73.0 | 30.0 | 11.0 | 9.0 | 19.0 | 1.0 | 4.0 | 20.0 |
Chicago | 71.0 | 16.0 | 11.0 | 8.0 | 34.0 | <1.0 | 7.0 | 22.0 |
Riverside, Calif. | 71.0 | 30.0 | 10.0 | 3.0 | 22.0 | 3.0 | 4.0 | 25.0 |
Minneapolis | 70.0 | 15.0 | 27.0 | 4.0 | 21.0 | 1.0 | 5.0 | 23.0 |
San Diego | 68.0 | 14.0 | 16.0 | 2.0 | 32.0 | 2.0 | 5.0 | 27.0 |
Miami | 68.0 | 20.0 | 11.0 | 8.0 | 27.0 | <1.0 | 10.0 | 21.0 |
Philadelphia | 68.0 | 13.0 | 17.0 | 11.0 | 26.0 | <1.0 | 8.0 | 24.0 |
Detroit | 67.0 | 20.0 | 14.0 | 15.0 | 16.0 | <1.0 | 8.0 | 24.0 |
Phoenix | 66.0 | 25.0 | 11.0 | 1.0 | 21.0 | 6.0 | 7.0 | 26.0 |
Los Angeles | 65.0 | 18.0 | 9.0 | 3.0 | 32.0 | <1.0 | 9.0 | 25.0 |
Washington, D.C. | 65.0 | 14.0 | 15.0 | 12.0 | 19.0 | 1.0 | 10.0 | 24.0 |
New York City | 59.0 | 9.0 | 8.0 | 6.0 | 33.0 | <1.0 | 16.0 | 24.0 |
Boston | 57.0 | 9.0 | 13.0 | 3.0 | 29.0 | <1.0 | 10.0 | 33.0 |
Seattle | 52.0 | 23.0 | 10.0 | 1.0 | 15.0 | 1.0 | 10.0 | 37.0 |
San Francisco | 48.0 | 10.0 | 6.0 | 4.0 | 25.0 | 1.0 | 15.0 | 35.0 |
Attendance
≥50% attending weekly 45-49% attending weekly 40-44% attending weekly 35-39% attending weekly | 30-34% attending weekly 25-29% attending weekly 20-24% attending weekly 15-19% attending weekly |
A 2013 survey by the Public Religion Research Institute reported that 31% of Americans attend religious services at least weekly.[2] In 2006, a world-wide online Harris Poll surveyed 2,010 U.S. adults[56] and found that 26% of those surveyed attended religious services "every week or more often", 9% went "once or twice a month", 21% went "a few times a year", 3% went "once a year", 22% went "less than once a year", and 18% never attend religious services. A 2013 Harris Poll reported an 8% decline in a belief in God, since a prior 2009 poll.[3]
According to a 2011 Gallup poll, the state with the greatest percentage of respondents identifying as "very religious" was Mississippi (59%), and the state with the smallest percentage were Vermont and New Hampshire (23%), while Florida (39%) and Minnesota (40%) were near the median.[57] A 2014 Pew Research poll found that the states with the greatest percentage of respondents who stated that religion was "very important" or "somewhat important" to their lives were Alabama (90%) and Louisiana (90%), while the state with the smallest percentage was Vermont (57%).[58]
U.S. states and Washington, D.C.
Rank | State | Percent |
---|---|---|
1 | Utah | 53% |
2 | Alabama | 51% |
2 | Tennessee | 51% |
4 | Mississippi | 49% |
5 | South Carolina | 47% |
6 | Louisiana | 46% |
6 | West Virginia | 46% |
8 | Virginia | 44% |
9 | Oklahoma | 43% |
10 | Georgia | 42% |
10 | Texas | 42% |
12 | Arkansas | 41% |
13 | North Carolina | 39% |
13 | Kentucky | 39% |
13 | Nebraska | 39% |
16 | Ohio | 38% |
16 | Wyoming | 38% |
18 | Missouri | 37% |
18 | Kansas | 37% |
18 | Indiana | 37% |
21 | South Dakota | 36% |
21 | New Mexico | 36% |
21 | Iowa | 36% |
21 | Rhode Island | 36% |
25 | New Jersey | 35% |
25 | Florida | 35% |
25 | Idaho | 35% |
28 | Arizona | 34% |
28 | Pennsylvania | 34% |
28 | Delaware | 34% |
28 | Illinois | 34% |
28 | Minnesota | 34% |
33 | Michigan | 33% |
33 | North Dakota | 33% |
35 | Maryland | 31% |
35 | California | 31% |
35 | Nevada | 31% |
35 | Montana | 31% |
39 | Colorado | 30% |
39 | Alaska | 30% |
39 | Washington | 30% |
42 | Oregon | 29% |
42 | New York | 29% |
44 | District of Columbia | 28% |
44 | Hawaii | 28% |
44 | Connecticut | 28% |
47 | Wisconsin | 27% |
48 | Massachusetts | 23% |
49 | Maine | 22% |
49 | New Hampshire | 22% |
51 | Vermont | 21% |
Rank | State | Percent |
---|---|---|
1 | Utah | 51% |
2 | Mississippi | 47% |
3 | Alabama | 46% |
4 | Louisiana | 46% |
5 | Arkansas | 45% |
6 | South Carolina | 42% |
7 | Tennessee | 42% |
8 | Kentucky | 41% |
9 | North Carolina | 40% |
10 | Georgia | 39% |
11 | Texas | 39% |
12 | Oklahoma | 39% |
13 | New Mexico | 36% |
14 | Nebraska | 35% |
15 | Indiana | 35% |
16 | Virginia | 35% |
17 | Delaware | 35% |
18 | Missouri | 35% |
19 | Idaho | 34% |
20 | West Virginia | 34% |
21 | Arizona | 33% |
22 | Kansas | 33% |
23 | Michigan | 32% |
24 | Ohio | 32% |
25 | Illinois | 32% |
26 | North Dakota | 32% |
27 | Pennsylvania | 32% |
28 | Iowa | 32% |
29 | Florida | 32% |
30 | Maryland | 31% |
31 | South Dakota | 31% |
32 | Minnesota | 31% |
33 | New Jersey | 30% |
34 | Wisconsin | 29% |
35 | Rhode Island | 28% |
36 | Wyoming | 28% |
37 | California | 28% |
38 | New York | 27% |
39 | Nevada | 27% |
40 | Montana | 27% |
41 | Alaska | 26% |
42 | Connecticut | 25% |
43 | Colorado | 25% |
44 | Hawaii | 25% |
45 | Oregon | 24% |
46 | Washington | 24% |
47 | District of Columbia | 23% |
48 | Massachusetts | 22% |
49 | Maine | 20% |
50 | New Hampshire | 20% |
51 | Vermont | 17% |
The table below displays the results of a 2014 survey by Pew Research:[61]
State or District |
Overall Religiosity Rank | Believe in God with Certainty | Consider Religion Important | Pray Daily | Attend Weekly Worship Services |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
California | 35 | 54% | 47% | 51% | 31% |
Texas | 11 | 69% | 63% | 63% | 42% |
Florida | 22 | 64% | 53% | 56% | 35% |
New York | 43 | 56% | 45% | 48% | 29% |
Illinois | 33 | 61% | 50% | 51% | 34% |
Pennsylvania | 27 | 61% | 51% | 54% | 34% |
Ohio | 17 | 67% | 56% | 57% | 38% |
Georgia | 8 | 74% | 64% | 64% | 42% |
Michigan | 27 | 63% | 50% | 53% | 33% |
North Carolina | 10 | 73% | 62% | 66% | 39% |
New Jersey | 19 | 60% | 50% | 53% | 35% |
Virginia | 14 | 67% | 60% | 60% | 44% |
Washington | 44 | 55% | 44% | 46% | 30% |
Massachusetts | 50 | 40% | 33% | 37% | 23% |
Arizona | 27 | 62% | 51% | 55% | 34% |
Indiana | 22 | 63% | 53% | 52% | 37% |
Tennessee | 3 | 78% | 71% | 70% | 51% |
Missouri | 15 | 70% | 56% | 59% | 37% |
Maryland | 22 | 64% | 50% | 51% | 31% |
Wisconsin | 44 | 56% | 44% | 46% | 27% |
Minnesota | 35 | 56% | 46% | 47% | 34% |
Colorado | 41 | 55% | 47% | 50% | 30% |
South Carolina | 5 | 74% | 69% | 66% | 47% |
Alabama | 1 | 82% | 77% | 73% | 51% |
Louisiana | 4 | 75% | 71% | 68% | 46% |
Kentucky | 13 | 75% | 63% | 63% | 39% |
Oregon | 39 | 57% | 45% | 45% | 29% |
Oklahoma | 8 | 71% | 64% | 65% | 43% |
Connecticut | 47 | 54% | 42% | 47% | 28% |
Iowa | 19 | 66% | 53% | 50% | 36% |
Mississippi | 1 | 82% | 74% | 75% | 49% |
Arkansas | 5 | 77% | 70% | 65% | 41% |
Utah | 11 | 61% | 58% | 61% | 53% |
Kansas | 19 | 66% | 50% | 53% | 37% |
Nevada | 35 | 59% | 44% | 48% | 31% |
New Mexico | 18 | 63% | 59% | 55% | 36% |
Nebraska | 22 | 66% | 54% | 52% | 39% |
West Virginia | 7 | 77% | 64% | 68% | 46% |
Idaho | 33 | 62% | 51% | 50% | 35% |
Hawaii | 41 | 62% | 44% | 52% | 28% |
Maine | 48 | 48% | 34% | 35% | 22% |
New Hampshire | 50 | 43% | 33% | 36% | 22% |
Rhode Island | 35 | 60% | 48% | 48% | 36% |
Montana | 39 | 64% | 44% | 51% | 31% |
Delaware | 32 | 61% | 46% | 49% | 34% |
South Dakota | 16 | 69% | 57% | 56% | 36% |
Alaska | 44 | 55% | 41% | 49% | 30% |
North Dakota | 27 | 64% | 53% | 51% | 33% |
District of Columbia | 27 | 55% | 50% | 51% | 28% |
Vermont | 48 | 41% | 32% | 33% | 21% |
Wyoming | 22 | 66% | 49% | 53% | 38% |
U.S. territories
The following is the percentage of Christians and all religions in the U.S. territories as of 2015 (according to the ARDA):[62]
Note that CIA World Factbook data differs from the data below. For example, the CIA World Factbook says that 99.3% of the population in American Samoa is religious.[63]
Territory | Percent religious (all religions) |
Percent Christian |
Percent religious (non-Christian) |
Percent non-religious |
Unknown / Unspecified |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
American Samoa | 98.5% | 97.37% | 1.13% | 0.88% | 0.62% |
Guam | 95.4% | 91.1% | 4.3% | 1.8% | 2.8% |
Northern Mariana Islands | 98.85% | 81.13% | 17.72% | 1.11% | 0.04% |
Puerto Rico | 91.53% | 91.2% | 0.33% | 3.16% | 5.31% |
US Virgin Islands | 83.3% | 81.83% | 1.47% | 4.04% | 12.66% |
See also
- Bible belt
- Religion in Minnesota
- Demographics of the United States § Religion
- Freedom of religion in the United States
- Historical religious demographics of the United States
- Religion in the United States
References
- ^ Truss, Catherine; Alfes, Kerstin; Delbridge, Rick; Shantz, Amanda; Routledge, Emma Soane (October 2013), "Employee engagement across cultures", Employee Engagement in Theory and Practice, Business & Economics, p. 336
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- ^ a b Willett, Megan (December 17, 2013). "A Fascinating New Poll Shows That Americans Are Losing Faith In God". Business Insider Inc. Retrieved 2015-01-27.
- ^ "Adults in Alabama". Pew Research Center.
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- ^ "Adults in Tennessee". Pew Research Center.
- ^ "Adults in Arkansas". Pew Research Center.
- ^ "Adults in West Virginia". Pew Research Center.
- ^ "Adults in Oklahoma". Pew Research Center.
- ^ "Adults in Georgia". Pew Research Center.
- ^ "Adults in North Carolina". Pew Research Center.
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- ^ "Adults in South Dakota". Pew Research Center.
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- ^ "Adults in Maryland". Pew Research Center.
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- ^ "Adults in Nebraska". Pew Research Center.
- ^ a b "Adults in North Dakota". Pew Research Center.
- ^ "Adults in Texas". Pew Research Center.
- ^ "Adults in Pennsylvania". Pew Research Center.
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- ^ "Adults in Delaware". Pew Research Center.
- ^ "Adults in Florida". Pew Research Center.
- ^ "Adults in Wisconsin". Pew Research Center.
- ^ "Adults in Colorado". Pew Research Center.
- ^ "Adults in Illinois". Pew Research Center.
- ^ "Adults in Oregon". Pew Research Center.
- ^ "Adults in Wyoming". Pew Research Center.
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- ^ "Adults in Alaska". Pew Research Center.
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- ^ "Adults in New Hampshire". Pew Research Center.
- ^ "Adults in Rhode Island". Pew Research Center.
- ^ "Adults in Vermont". Pew Research Center.
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- ^ Major U.S. metropolitan areas differ in their religious profiles, Pew Research Center
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- ^ Newport, Frank (27 March 2012). "Mississippi Is Most Religious U.S. State Vermont and New Hampshire are the least religious states". gallup.com/poll. Gallup. Retrieved 13 October 2014.
- ^ a b Importance of religion by state Pew forum
- ^ "How religious is your state?". pewforum.org. February 29, 2016.
- ^ "Frequent Church Attendance Highest in Utah, Lowest in Vermont". Gallup.com. February 17, 2015.
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- ^ http://thearda.com/internationalData/countries/Country_5_2.asp
http://thearda.com/internationalData/compare2.asp?c=97
http://thearda.com/internationalData/countries/Country_169_2.asp
http://thearda.com/internationalData/countries/Country_182_2.asp
http://thearda.com/internationalData/countries/Country_240_2.asp
thearda.com. The ARDA (Association of Religion Data Archives). American Samoa / Guam / Northern Mariana Islands / Puerto Rico / Virgin Islands (U.S.) Retrieved September 13, 2021. - ^ https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/american-samoa/ CIA World Factbook. American Samoa. Retrieved September 13, 2021.