Religious adherence by state
Utah had the highest share of residents counted by religious congregations in 2020, 76.1%, followed by Alabama (63.6%) and Louisiana (63.3%). The lowest shares were in New Hampshire (27.2%), Maine (30.8%) and Oregon (33.2%). Nationally the figure was 48.6%1.
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 | Utah | 76.1% | Higher | −3.0% | 2,489,571 | 18.4 | 74.8% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Alabama | 63.6% | Higher | +0.7% | 3,195,509 | 21.4 | 62.7% |
| 3 | Louisiana | 63.3% | Higher | +2.7% | 2,949,420 | 14.2 | 62.3% |
| 4 | Oklahoma | 61.2% | Higher | +1.8% | 2,422,123 | 18.1 | 60.4% |
| 5 | Mississippi | 59.4% | Higher | +0.7% | 1,759,935 | 24.3 | 59.2% |
| 6 | Arkansas | 57.8% | Higher | +2.4% | 1,739,575 | 24.7 | 57.3% |
| 7 | District of Columbia | 56.4% | Higher | +1.2% | 389,241 | 10.9 | 51.0% |
| 8 | Tennessee | 55.6% | Higher | +0.1% | 3,844,957 | 19.4 | 54.5% |
| 9 | South Dakota | 55.4% | Higher | −3.2% | 491,026 | 21.9 | 55.2% |
| 10 | Texas | 55.1% | Higher | −0.6% | 16,045,479 | 10.2 | 53.1% |
| 11 | North Dakota | 55.0% | Higher | −12.1% | 428,647 | 18.6 | 54.9% |
| 12 | Idaho | 52.7% | Higher | +1.6% | 969,901 | 13.8 | 52.4% |
| 13 | South Carolina | 52.7% | Higher | +0.5% | 2,695,900 | 16.0 | 51.8% |
| 14 | New Mexico | 52.5% | Higher | +2.4% | 1,111,977 | 11.4 | 50.2% |
| 15 | New Jersey | 52.2% | Higher | −2.5% | 4,846,460 | 6.5 | 45.1% |
| 16 | North Carolina | 52.1% | Higher | +4.6% | 5,443,737 | 15.5 | 50.4% |
| 17 | Rhode Island | 51.5% | Higher | −3.3% | 565,251 | 6.5 | 50.3% |
| 18 | New York | 51.2% | Higher | +0.0% | 10,347,548 | 6.8 | 42.8% |
| 19 | Illinois | 50.8% | Higher | −4.5% | 6,510,363 | 9.5 | 45.9% |
| 20 | Georgia | 50.8% | Higher | −0.0% | 5,439,946 | 12.1 | 48.6% |
| 21 | Minnesota | 49.5% | Higher | −6.8% | 2,824,374 | 10.5 | 46.7% |
| 22 | Kentucky | 49.4% | Higher | −2.2% | 2,226,288 | 18.1 | 48.7% |
| 23 | Nebraska | 49.3% | Higher | −6.4% | 966,578 | 14.6 | 48.3% |
| 24 | Massachusetts | 48.6% | Lower | −8.6% | 3,419,370 | 6.2 | 45.0% |
| 25 | Missouri | 48.4% | Lower | −0.9% | 2,979,494 | 14.7 | 46.8% |
| 26 | Wisconsin | 48.0% | Lower | −5.5% | 2,831,594 | 10.5 | 46.3% |
| 27 | Ohio | 47.9% | Lower | +3.9% | 5,646,238 | 11.8 | 46.0% |
| 28 | Connecticut | 47.4% | Lower | −3.9% | 1,708,179 | 8.0 | 44.6% |
| 29 | Florida | 47.1% | Lower | +7.9% | 10,140,053 | 8.1 | 45.4% |
| 30 | Pennsylvania | 46.9% | Lower | −6.9% | 6,097,345 | 11.6 | 44.4% |
| 31 | Kansas | 46.0% | Lower | −4.6% | 1,352,241 | 15.7 | 45.3% |
| 32 | Virginia | 46.0% | Lower | +1.2% | 3,970,305 | 12.1 | 43.0% |
| 33 | Iowa | 44.9% | Lower | −9.0% | 1,431,349 | 15.1 | 43.8% |
| 34 | California | 44.8% | Lower | −0.2% | 17,726,436 | 6.0 | 41.6% |
| 35 | Arizona | 44.1% | Lower | +6.8% | 3,151,361 | 7.3 | 41.5% |
| 36 | Maryland | 43.5% | Lower | +1.6% | 2,685,338 | 9.3 | 38.2% |
| 37 | Indiana | 42.1% | Lower | −2.2% | 2,859,439 | 13.3 | 41.2% |
| 38 | Nevada | 41.6% | Lower | +7.2% | 1,291,778 | 5.0 | 40.3% |
| 39 | Hawaii | 41.5% | Lower | +0.2% | 603,730 | 9.8 | 37.3% |
| 40 | Delaware | 41.4% | Lower | −0.4% | 409,412 | 9.8 | 38.9% |
| 41 | Washington | 41.3% | Lower | +6.7% | 3,184,751 | 8.0 | 39.4% |
| 42 | Wyoming | 40.4% | Lower | +0.8% | 233,016 | 16.6 | 40.3% |
| 43 | Michigan | 39.7% | Lower | −2.5% | 3,998,585 | 9.6 | 36.5% |
| 44 | West Virginia | 37.8% | Lower | +2.3% | 677,633 | 22.7 | 37.6% |
| 45 | Vermont | 37.6% | Lower | +4.0% | 242,017 | 12.8 | 35.5% |
| 46 | Colorado | 35.4% | Lower | −2.4% | 2,044,440 | 7.5 | 34.1% |
| 47 | Alaska | 35.2% | Lower | +1.3% | 258,020 | 17.2 | 34.2% |
| 48 | Montana | 34.8% | Lower | −3.3% | 377,713 | 16.3 | 34.5% |
| 49 | Oregon | 33.2% | Lower | +2.0% | 1,405,973 | 9.6 | 31.9% |
| 50 | Maine | 30.8% | Lower | +3.2% | 419,523 | 11.6 | 29.0% |
| 51 | New Hampshire | 27.2% | Lower | −7.9% | 374,948 | 7.6 | 26.8% |
| United States | 48.6% | 161,224,087 | 10.8 | 45.9% |
Source: Association of Religion Data Archives (ARDA), U.S. Religion Census. Period: 2020. "=" marks a tie at the displayed precision.
What the rate measures
The U.S. Religion Census is carried out every ten years by the Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies and distributed by the Association of Religion Data Archives. It asks every religious body it can identify how many congregations it has in each county and how many adherents those congregations count: full members, their children, and others who regularly take part. The adherence rate on this page is the total of those adherents in a state divided by the state's 2020 Census population.
It is a count kept by congregations, not a survey of what residents believe or call themselves. A person who attends a church that did not report is missing; a person on the books of two congregations can be counted twice. The study collected adherents from 216 bodies, and 1561 more reported congregations only.
Utah, then the South
The middle half of the states sit between about two in five and just over one in two residents counted; the median state is at 48.0%. Utah stands well apart at 76.1%, because The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints counts most of its population. Idaho, the only other state where Latter-day Saints are the largest body, ranks tied for 12th highest (52.7%). Below Utah comes a block of Southern states where Southern Baptist and other Evangelical churches are strongest: Alabama, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Mississippi and Arkansas1.
Each region has its own high and low. In the Northeast, New Jersey (52.2%) is highest and New Hampshire (27.2%) lowest, a spread that follows the size of the Catholic population. In the Midwest the range runs from South Dakota (55.4%) down to Michigan (39.7%); in the South from Alabama to West Virginia (37.8%); and in the West from Utah to Oregon (33.2%1).
Source: Association of Religion Data Archives (ARDA), U.S. Religion Census. Period: 2020.
Show the numbers
| State | Religious adherents (% of residents) |
|---|---|
| United States | 48.6% |
| Wyoming | 40.4% |
| Michigan | 39.7% |
| West Virginia | 37.8% |
| Vermont | 37.6% |
| Colorado | 35.4% |
| Alaska | 35.2% |
| Montana | 34.8% |
| Oregon | 33.2% |
| Maine | 30.8% |
| New Hampshire | 27.2% |
Congregations per resident
A second view counts congregations rather than people. Southern and Plains states lead: Arkansas has 24.7 per 10,000 residents, Mississippi 24.3 per 10,000 residents and West Virginia 22.7 per 10,000 residents, against 10.8 per 10,000 residents nationally. The fewest per resident are in the West and the Northeast: Nevada (5.0 per 10,000 residents) and California (6.0 per 10,000 residents). West Virginia shows how the two measures can diverge: it has one of the highest numbers of congregations per resident (3rd highest) but a below-average adherence rate (37.8%1).
Source: Association of Religion Data Archives (ARDA), U.S. Religion Census. Period: 2020.
Show the numbers
| State | Congregations per 10,000 residents |
|---|---|
| Arkansas | 24.7 |
| Mississippi | 24.3 |
| West Virginia | 22.7 |
| South Dakota | 21.9 |
| Alabama | 21.4 |
| Tennessee | 19.4 |
| North Dakota | 18.6 |
| Utah | 18.4 |
| Oklahoma | 18.1 |
| Kentucky | 18.1 |
| United States | 10.8 |
Pitfalls
- Not religiosity. Belief, prayer and attendance are measured by surveys of individuals, such as the Pew Research Center's Religious Landscape Study, which the religion overview links to. Survey rankings can differ from this one.
- Uneven coverage. The study's documentation says several large historically African American denominations are under-represented and some could not be included. States with large Black populations may be undercounted more than others.
- Estimates inside the count. Catholic totals were estimated diocese by diocese and are described as conservative; Muslim, Hindu and Buddhist figures come from separate counts of mosques and temples.
- Comparisons with 2010. The ranking table shows the change from the 2010 study, when the national rate was 48.8%3. More bodies were counted in 2020, so part of each change reflects coverage rather than a real gain or loss.
- DC is a city. The District of Columbia (56.4%1) has congregations that draw members from Maryland and Virginia, and adherents are counted where congregations meet.
Questions about religious adherence by state
Is this a ranking of the most religious states?
Only in a narrow sense. It ranks states by the share of residents whom religious bodies count as adherents of their congregations. It says nothing directly about belief, prayer or attendance, which only surveys of individuals measure, and it misses people whose churches did not report. Utah ranks first because The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints alone counted 65.0%1 of its residents.
Which state has the most churches?
Texas has the most congregations of any state (29,750), followed by California (23,567). Relative to population, Arkansas (24.7 per 10,000 residents) and Mississippi (24.3 per 10,000 residents1) have the most.
Which states have the most Christians?
By count of adherents of Christian congregations, California (16,454,319) and Texas (15,487,670) lead, as the two largest states. As a share of residents, Utah (74.8%) and Alabama (62.7%1) are highest. The study counts Latter-day Saints among the Christian bodies.
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
- Association of Religion Data Archives (ARDA), U.S. Religion Census; table RCMSST10; 2010; released December 11, 2018. www.thearda.com
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).
Citation: Grammich, C., Hadaway, K., Houseal, R., Jones, D. E., Krindatch, A., Stanley, R., & Taylor, R. H. (2018, December 11). U.S. Religion Census Religious Congregations and Membership Study, 2010 (State File). DOI 10.17605/OSF.IO/X8D69. The data were downloaded from the Association of Religion Data Archives, www.theARDA.com, and were collected by Clifford Grammich, Kirk Hadaway, Richard Houseal, Dale E. Jones, Alexei Krindatch, Richie Stanley and Richard H. Taylor for the 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.