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Mapped: The Most Religious States in America
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Key Takeaways
- Mississippi ranks as the most religious state, with 50% of adults classified as highly religious, followed closely by South Carolina at 46% and both South Dakota and Louisiana at 45%.
- The least religious states are Vermont (13%), New Hampshire (15%), and Maine (17%), all located in New England.
Religion plays a defining role in American culture and politics, but the degree of religiosity varies dramatically by state.
This visualization maps out the share of adults who are highly religious based on survey data from the Pew Research Center.
The survey was of 36,908 adults, conducted July 2023 to March 2024, with religiousness based on prayer frequency, attendance at religious services, belief in God, and the importance of religion in life.
Which U.S. States are the Most Religious?
Mississippi leads as America’s most religious state, with 50% of adults surveyed categorized as highly religious.
The table below shows the share of residents in each U.S. state who are considered highly religious:
| Rank | State | Share of people who are highly religious |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mississippi | 50.3% |
| 2 | South Carolina | 45.6% |
| 3 | South Dakota | 44.7% |
| 4 | Louisiana | 44.5% |
| 5 | Tennessee | 43.5% |
| 6 | Utah | 42.2% |
| 7 | North Carolina | 40.6% |
| 8 | Arkansas | 40.3% |
| 9 | Alabama | 39.6% |
| 10 | Kansas | 38.1% |
| 11 | Georgia | 38.0% |
| 12 | North Dakota | 37.9% |
| 13 | Oklahoma | 37.9% |
| 14 | Idaho | 37.3% |
| 15 | Kentucky | 36.9% |
| 16 | Indiana | 36.3% |
| 17 | Texas | 35.7% |
| 18 | Virginia | 34.8% |
| 19 | New Mexico | 34.4% |
| 20 | Missouri | 33.0% |
| 21 | Montana | 32.9% |
| 22 | Wyoming | 31.1% |
| 23 | Illinois | 31.1% |
| 24 | Nebraska | 29.9% |
| 25 | Florida | 29.7% |
| 26 | Michigan | 29.6% |
| 27 | West Virginia | 29.5% |
| 28 | New Jersey | 29.0% |
| 29 | Delaware | 28.6% |
| 30 | Ohio | 28.5% |
| 31 | Minnesota | 27.3% |
| 32 | Wisconsin | 27.0% |
| 33 | Maryland | 26.7% |
| 34 | Arizona | 26.7% |
| 35 | Pennsylvania | 26.5% |
| 36 | Alaska | 26.4% |
| 37 | New York | 24.6% |
| 38 | Washington | 24.5% |
| 39 | California | 23.9% |
| 40 | Colorado | 23.7% |
| 41 | Connecticut | 23.0% |
| 42 | Rhode Island | 21.7% |
| 43 | Iowa | 21.3% |
| 44 | Hawaii | 20.6% |
| 45 | Massachusetts | 19.6% |
| 46 | Oregon | 19.1% |
| 47 | Nevada | 18.7% |
| 48 | District of Columbia | 18.2% |
| 49 | Maine | 17.2% |
| 50 | New Hampshire | 15.3% |
| 51 | Vermont | 13.4% |
South Carolina follows Mississippi with 46% of adults highly religious, with South Dakota and Louisiana tied next at 45%.
The data highlights a strong concentration of religious adherence in the American South. States like Tennessee (44%), North Carolina (41%), and Arkansas (40%) demonstrate the cultural legacy of the “Bible Belt,” where Christianity remains woven into America’s religiosity.
The Least-Religious States in America
In contrast, the Northeast and much of the West Coast are markedly less religious.
New England stands out for its secularism with the three least-religious states in America: Vermont (13%), New Hampshire (15%) and Maine (17%).
Alongside New England, western states like Nevada (20%) and Oregon (21%) show lower levels of religious engagement, with California only slightly higher at 24%.
Overall, the national average of highly religious adults sits at 31%, with the difference between the top and bottom states—Mississippi’s 50% versus Vermont’s 13%—illustrating just how much religiosity varies across the United States.
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