Introduction
The most religious states in the United States are often found in the South and Midwest regions of the country, where values emphasizing faith play a significant role in day-to-day life. With a higher likelihood of identifying as Christian than any other religion, these states boast large numbers of regular churchgoers and often feature prominent Bible Belt denominations such as Baptist, Methodist, and Catholic churches. In addition to these more traditional faiths, there is also a notable presence of non-Christian religions in some areas, such as Islam and Judaism.
The importance of religion can be attributed to many factors, such as socio-economic stability or preference for traditional values. For example, poverty rates tend to be lower among individuals who practice organized religion since they typically internalize teachings promoting hard work, honesty, personal responsibility, and delayed gratification. Furthermore, those who prioritize their spiritual beliefs may find comfort in taking part in religious activities like prayer or meditation which help reduce stress levels and create an overall sense of well-being. Families living in more religious states often have larger social networks due to shared beliefs which can provide emotional support when needed. Ultimately, belonging to a faith-based community can increase feelings of belongingness for members involved which explains why religious beliefs remain so prevalent even today.
| # | State | Highly Religious Population | Religious Population |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alabama | 77% | 77% |
| 2 | Mississippi | 77% | 74% |
| 3 | Tennessee | 73% | 71% |
| 4 | Louisiana | 71% | 71% |
| 5 | Arkansas | 70% | 70% |
| 6 | South Carolina | 70% | 69% |
| 7 | West Virginia | 69% | 64% |
| 8 | Georgia | 66% | 64% |
| 9 | Oklahoma | 66% | 64% |
| 10 | North Carolina | 65% | 62% |
| 11 | Texas | 64% | 63% |
| 12 | Utah | 64% | 58% |
| 13 | Kentucky | 63% | 63% |
| 14 | Virginia | 61% | 60% |
| 15 | Missouri | 60% | 56% |
| 16 | South Dakota | 59% | 57% |
| 17 | Ohio | 58% | 56% |
| 18 | New Mexico | 57% | 59% |
| 19 | Iowa | 55% | 53% |
| 20 | Kansas | 55% | 50% |
| 21 | New Jersey | 55% | 50% |
| 22 | Florida | 54% | 53% |
| 23 | Indiana | 54% | 53% |
| 24 | Maryland | 54% | 50% |
| 25 | Nebraska | 54% | 54% |
| 26 | Wyoming | 54% | 49% |
| 27 | Arizona | 53% | 51% |
| 28 | District of Columbia | 53% | 50% |
| 29 | Michigan | 53% | 50% |
| 30 | North Dakota | 53% | 53% |
| 31 | Pennsylvania | 53% | 51% |
| 32 | Delaware | 52% | 46% |
| 33 | Idaho | 51% | 51% |
| 34 | Illinois | 51% | 50% |
| 35 | California | 49% | 47% |
| 36 | Minnesota | 49% | 46% |
| 37 | Nevada | 49% | 44% |
| 38 | Rhode Island | 49% | 48% |
| 39 | Montana | 48% | 44% |
| 40 | Oregon | 48% | 45% |
| 41 | Colorado | 47% | 47% |
| 42 | Hawaii | 47% | 44% |
| 43 | New York | 46% | 45% |
| 44 | Alaska | 45% | 41% |
| 45 | Washington | 45% | 44% |
| 46 | Wisconsin | 45% | 44% |
| 47 | Connecticut | 43% | 42% |
| 48 | Maine | 34% | 34% |
| 49 | Vermont | 34% | 32% |
| 50 | Massachusetts | 33% | 33% |
| 51 | New Hampshire | 33% | 33% |
Highly Religious Population by State
Alabama
Highly Religious Population
77%
Ranked in the US
#1
Ranked in the US
#51
Alaska
Highly Religious Population
45%
Ranked in the US
#44
Ranked in the US
#5
Arizona
Highly Religious Population
53%
Ranked in the US
#27
Ranked in the US
#26
Arkansas
Highly Religious Population
70%
Ranked in the US
#5
Ranked in the US
#47
California
Highly Religious Population
49%
Ranked in the US
#35
Ranked in the US
#16
Colorado
Highly Religious Population
47%
Ranked in the US
#41
Ranked in the US
#17
Connecticut
Highly Religious Population
43%
Ranked in the US
#47
Ranked in the US
#6
Delaware
Highly Religious Population
52%
Ranked in the US
#32
Ranked in the US
#14
District of Columbia
Highly Religious Population
53%
Ranked in the US
#28
Ranked in the US
#20
Florida
Highly Religious Population
54%
Ranked in the US
#22
Ranked in the US
#29
Georgia
Highly Religious Population
66%
Ranked in the US
#8
Ranked in the US
#43
Hawaii
Highly Religious Population
47%
Ranked in the US
#42
Ranked in the US
#7
Idaho
Highly Religious Population
51%
Ranked in the US
#33
Ranked in the US
#27
Illinois
Highly Religious Population
51%
Ranked in the US
#34
Ranked in the US
#21
Indiana
Highly Religious Population
54%
Ranked in the US
#23
Ranked in the US
#30
Iowa
Highly Religious Population
55%
Ranked in the US
#19
Ranked in the US
#31
Kansas
Highly Religious Population
55%
Ranked in the US
#20
Ranked in the US
#22
Kentucky
Highly Religious Population
63%
Ranked in the US
#13
Ranked in the US
#41
Louisiana
Highly Religious Population
71%
Ranked in the US
#4
Ranked in the US
#48
Maine
Highly Religious Population
34%
Ranked in the US
#48
Ranked in the US
#4
Maryland
Highly Religious Population
54%
Ranked in the US
#24
Ranked in the US
#23
Massachusetts
Highly Religious Population
33%
Ranked in the US
#50
Ranked in the US
#2
Michigan
Highly Religious Population
53%
Ranked in the US
#29
Ranked in the US
#24
Minnesota
Highly Religious Population
49%
Ranked in the US
#36
Ranked in the US
#15
Mississippi
Highly Religious Population
77%
Ranked in the US
#2
Ranked in the US
#50
Missouri
Highly Religious Population
60%
Ranked in the US
#15
Ranked in the US
#34
Montana
Highly Religious Population
48%
Ranked in the US
#39
Ranked in the US
#8
Nebraska
Highly Religious Population
54%
Ranked in the US
#25
Ranked in the US
#33
Nevada
Highly Religious Population
49%
Ranked in the US
#37
Ranked in the US
#9
New Hampshire
Highly Religious Population
33%
Ranked in the US
#51
Ranked in the US
#3
New Jersey
Highly Religious Population
55%
Ranked in the US
#21
Ranked in the US
#25
New Mexico
Highly Religious Population
57%
Ranked in the US
#18
Ranked in the US
#38
New York
Highly Religious Population
46%
Ranked in the US
#43
Ranked in the US
#12
North Carolina
Highly Religious Population
65%
Ranked in the US
#10
Ranked in the US
#40
North Dakota
Highly Religious Population
53%
Ranked in the US
#30
Ranked in the US
#32
Ohio
Highly Religious Population
58%
Ranked in the US
#17
Ranked in the US
#35
Oklahoma
Highly Religious Population
66%
Ranked in the US
#9
Ranked in the US
#44
Oregon
Highly Religious Population
48%
Ranked in the US
#40
Ranked in the US
#13
Pennsylvania
Highly Religious Population
53%
Ranked in the US
#31
Ranked in the US
#28
Rhode Island
Highly Religious Population
49%
Ranked in the US
#38
Ranked in the US
#18
South Carolina
Highly Religious Population
70%
Ranked in the US
#6
Ranked in the US
#46
South Dakota
Highly Religious Population
59%
Ranked in the US
#16
Ranked in the US
#36
Tennessee
Highly Religious Population
73%
Ranked in the US
#3
Ranked in the US
#49
Texas
Highly Religious Population
64%
Ranked in the US
#11
Ranked in the US
#42
Utah
Highly Religious Population
64%
Ranked in the US
#12
Ranked in the US
#37
Vermont
Highly Religious Population
34%
Ranked in the US
#49
Ranked in the US
#1
Virginia
Highly Religious Population
61%
Ranked in the US
#14
Ranked in the US
#39
Washington
Highly Religious Population
45%
Ranked in the US
#45
Ranked in the US
#10
West Virginia
Highly Religious Population
69%
Ranked in the US
#7
Ranked in the US
#45
Wisconsin
Highly Religious Population
45%
Ranked in the US
#46
Ranked in the US
#11
Wyoming
Highly Religious Population
54%
Ranked in the US
#26
Ranked in the US
#19