Catholic adherents by state
Catholic parishes counted the largest share of residents in Rhode Island (40.6%), Massachusetts (35.5%) and New Jersey (32.0%) in 2020, and the smallest in Mississippi (3.4%), Tennessee (4.0%) and Alabama (5.0%). Across the country they counted 61.9 million people, 18.7%1 of the population.
Data as of March 31, 2023 (newest release used on this page).
Source: Association of Religion Data Archives (ARDA), U.S. Religion Census; Census Bureau, 2024 Cartographic Boundary Files. Darker states are higher; DC is the dot. Period: 2020.
| 1 | Rhode Island | 40.6% | Higher | −3.7% | 445,597 | 51.5% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Massachusetts | 35.5% | Higher | −9.4% | 2,497,737 | 48.6% |
| 3 | New Jersey | 32.0% | Higher | −4.8% | 2,971,461 | 52.2% |
| 4 | New York | 30.6% | Higher | −1.8% | 6,191,464 | 51.2% |
| 5 | New Mexico | 29.9% | Higher | +1.5% | 633,259 | 52.5% |
| 6 | Connecticut | 28.4% | Higher | −6.7% | 1,024,927 | 47.4% |
| 7 | Louisiana | 26.8% | Higher | +0.3% | 1,248,106 | 63.3% |
| 8 | California | 26.2% | Higher | −1.3% | 10,362,063 | 44.8% |
| 9 | Nevada | 24.7% | Higher | +8.0% | 766,102 | 41.6% |
| 10 | Illinois | 24.2% | Higher | −4.2% | 3,099,544 | 50.8% |
| 11 | Pennsylvania | 21.9% | Higher | −5.7% | 2,845,841 | 46.9% |
| 12 | Arizona | 21.3% | Higher | +6.7% | 1,522,410 | 44.1% |
| 13 | North Dakota | 21.2% | Higher | −3.7% | 164,843 | 55.0% |
| 14 | Wisconsin | 21.0% | Higher | −4.1% | 1,237,342 | 48.0% |
| 15 | Vermont | 20.9% | Higher | +0.4% | 134,208 | 37.6% |
| 16 | Texas | 20.3% | Higher | +1.7% | 5,905,142 | 55.1% |
| 17 | Delaware | 19.9% | Higher | −0.4% | 197,094 | 41.4% |
| 18 | Minnesota | 19.5% | Higher | −2.2% | 1,111,644 | 49.5% |
| 19 | Nebraska | 19.1% | Higher | −1.3% | 375,287 | 49.3% |
| 20 | Florida | 19.0% | Higher | +5.6% | 4,097,067 | 47.1% |
| 21 | Hawaii | 18.5% | Lower | +0.2% | 269,726 | 41.5% |
| 22 | Maine | 16.1% | Lower | +1.8% | 219,233 | 30.8% |
| 23 | New Hampshire | 16.0% | Lower | −7.6% | 220,305 | 27.2% |
| 24 | Ohio | 15.4% | Lower | −1.8% | 1,820,233 | 47.9% |
| 25 | Colorado | 15.1% | Lower | −1.0% | 873,236 | 35.4% |
| 26 | South Dakota | 15.0% | Lower | −3.3% | 132,805 | 55.4% |
| 27 | Michigan | 14.8% | Lower | −2.6% | 1,492,732 | 39.7% |
| 28 | Iowa | 14.7% | Lower | −1.8% | 470,487 | 44.9% |
| 29 | Maryland | 14.7% | Lower | +0.2% | 907,317 | 43.5% |
| 30 | Kansas | 14.1% | Lower | −0.8% | 414,939 | 46.0% |
| 31 | Missouri | 12.5% | Lower | +0.4% | 769,057 | 48.4% |
| 32 | Wyoming | 12.0% | Lower | +1.2% | 69,500 | 40.4% |
| 33 | District of Columbia | 11.9% | Lower | −0.8% | 81,735 | 56.4% |
| 34 | Indiana | 11.5% | Lower | −0.0% | 779,477 | 42.1% |
| 35 | Oregon | 11.3% | Lower | +0.9% | 480,618 | 33.2% |
| 36 | Idaho | 11.1% | Lower | +3.2% | 203,790 | 52.7% |
| 37 | Washington | 10.7% | Lower | −0.9% | 826,757 | 41.3% |
| 38 | Montana | 10.4% | Lower | −2.5% | 112,389 | 34.8% |
| 39 | Virginia | 10.3% | Lower | +1.9% | 888,323 | 46.0% |
| 40 | North Carolina | 8.9% | Lower | +4.4% | 928,735 | 52.1% |
| 41 | Georgia | 8.4% | Lower | +2.2% | 898,162 | 50.8% |
| 42 | South Carolina | 8.0% | Lower | +4.0% | 407,840 | 52.7% |
| 43 | Kentucky | 7.9% | Lower | −0.4% | 354,224 | 49.4% |
| 44 | Oklahoma | 6.9% | Lower | +2.2% | 273,799 | 61.2% |
| 45 | Utah | 6.5% | Lower | +0.7% | 213,155 | 76.1% |
| 46 | West Virginia | 5.6% | Lower | +0.4% | 100,780 | 37.8% |
| 47 | Alaska | 5.5% | Lower | −1.7% | 40,280 | 35.2% |
| 48 | Arkansas | 5.1% | Lower | +0.9% | 153,358 | 57.8% |
| 49 | Alabama | 5.0% | Lower | +0.8% | 249,650 | 63.6% |
| 50 | Tennessee | 4.0% | Lower | +0.5% | 275,494 | 55.6% |
| 51 | Mississippi | 3.4% | Lower | −0.4% | 99,663 | 59.4% |
| United States | 18.7% | 61,858,937 | 48.6% |
Source: Association of Religion Data Archives (ARDA), U.S. Religion Census. Period: 2020. "=" marks a tie at the displayed precision.
How Catholics are counted
For the 2020 U.S. Religion Census every Latin and Eastern Catholic diocese was asked for the registered households and individuals, baptisms and deaths of each parish. A committee of researchers from Georgetown University's Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate and the Glenmary Research Center turned those reports, and survey data on Catholics who attend services at least occasionally, into an estimate of the people "known in some way" to a parish. The figures on this page use the ARDA's Catholic tradition, which is almost entirely the Catholic Church, Latin and Eastern rites together.
The study calls its estimate conservative and says it is below what other national sources indicate, particularly where the Catholic population has grown through recent migration. It is best read as a floor.
The Northeast, the Southwest and Louisiana
Catholic shares are highest in southern New England and the Mid-Atlantic. After Rhode Island and Massachusetts come New Jersey, New York (30.6%) and Connecticut (28.4%). Every Northeastern state is above the median state (15.0%); the lowest in the region, New Hampshire, is at 16.0%1.
Outside the Northeast two other areas stand out. In the Southwest, New Mexico (29.9%) tops the West. In the South, Louisiana (26.8%) is the exception in a region where Baptist churches dominate: its Catholic share is several times that of neighboring Mississippi, the lowest in the country. In the Midwest, Illinois (24.2%) leads and Indiana (11.5%) is lowest. 201 states are above the national share.
The lowest shares are in the Deep South and the interior South: Mississippi, Tennessee, Alabama (5.0%) and Arkansas (5.1%). Outside the South, Alaska (5.5%1) has the lowest share.
Counts: the largest states lead
By number, the ranking follows population. California has 10,362,063 Catholic adherents, New York 6,191,464 and Texas 5,905,142; together with Florida and Illinois they hold nearly half of the national total. Texas has a lower Catholic share than New York (20.3% against 30.6%1) but nearly as many Catholics.
Source: Association of Religion Data Archives (ARDA), U.S. Religion Census. Period: 2020.
Show the numbers
| State | Catholic adherents |
|---|---|
| California | 10,362,063 |
| New York | 6,191,464 |
| Texas | 5,905,142 |
| Florida | 4,097,067 |
| Illinois | 3,099,544 |
| New Jersey | 2,971,461 |
| Pennsylvania | 2,845,841 |
| Massachusetts | 2,497,737 |
| Ohio | 1,820,233 |
| Arizona | 1,522,410 |
Change since 2010
Compared with the 2010 study, Catholic shares fell in the old Catholic centers and rose in parts of the Sun Belt. Rhode Island went down from 44.3% in 2010 and Massachusetts down from 44.9% in 2010, while Texas went up from 18.6% in 2010 and Florida up from 13.4% in 2010. Nationally the share went down from 19.1% in 20101. Coverage and estimation differ between the two studies, so small changes should not be read as real gains or losses.
Pitfalls
- Parish counts, not identity. People who consider themselves Catholic but are unknown to any parish are not counted. For survey-based figures on religious identity, see the links on the religion overview.
- Where the parish is. People are counted in the county of their parish, which matters near state lines and in the District of Columbia (11.9%1).
- A conservative estimate. The study chose a cautious method to keep counts consistent from county to county, so states with recent growth in their Catholic population may be undercounted most.
Questions about Catholics by state
What is the most Catholic state?
Rhode Island. Catholic parishes there counted 40.6% of residents in 2020, and the Catholic Church accounted for 78.8% of all adherents counted in the state, more than in any other state. Massachusetts (35.5%1) was second.
Which state has the most Catholics?
California, with 10,362,063 Catholic adherents (16.8% of the national total), followed by New York (6,191,464), Texas (5,905,142) and Florida (4,097,0671).
Is this the share of people who say they are Catholic?
No. It is the number of people known to Catholic parishes, estimated diocese by diocese, divided by the population. Surveys that ask adults their religion usually find more people who call themselves Catholic than parishes count, because identity and parish membership are different things.
Related rankings
Sources
- Association of Religion Data Archives (ARDA), U.S. Religion Census; table RCMSST20; 2020; released March 31, 2023. www.thearda.com
- Census Bureau, 2024 Cartographic Boundary Files; table cb_2024_us_state_20m; 2024; released April 10, 2025. www2.census.gov
Citation: Grammich, C. A., Dollhopf, E., Gautier, M., Houseal, R., Jones, D. E., Krindatch, A., ... Thumma, S. (2023, March 31). U.S. Religion Census - Religious Congregations and Membership Study, 2020 (State File). DOI 10.17605/OSF.IO/6PGRZ. The data were downloaded from the Association of Religion Data Archives, www.theARDA.com, and were collected by Clifford A. Grammich, Erica Dollhopf, Mary Gautier, Richard Houseal, Dale E. Jones, Alexei Krindatch, Richie Stanley and Scott Thumma for the Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies (ASARB).
Margins of error (±) are at the 90% confidence level. A difference is called significant only when it passes the Census Bureau's test at that level. How every figure is built: methodology. Found an error? Write to [email protected]; corrections are listed on the updates page.