Most And Least Religious Cities In America (PHOTOS)

Click through the slideshow to see most and least religious cities in the United States:

Loading Slideshow

Salt Lake City, UT
73,487 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c7/Temple_Square_October_05_%288%29_c.JPG" target="_hplink">here</a>.
Birmingham, AL
Metro area Birmingham-Hoover, AL 70,990 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/26/16th_Street_Baptist_Church.JPG" target="_hplink">here</a>.
Oklahoma City, OK
60,249 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/44/Bricktown_Canal_Water_Taxis_in_Oklahoma_City.jpg" target="_hplink">here</a>.
Memphis, TN-MS-AR
Metro area: Memphis, TN-MS-AR 58,847 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8c/Hernando_de_Soto_Bridge_Memphis.jpg" target="_hplink">here</a>.
Pittsburgh, PA
57,695 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2f/Pittsburgh_WEO_Night_1.jpg" target="_hplink">here</a>.
Chicago, IL-IN-WI
Metro area: Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL-IN-WI 57,162 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4b/2011-08-07_2000x3000_chicago_from_skydeck.jpg" target="_hplink">here</a>.
Providence, RI-MA
Metro area: Providence-New Bedford-Fall River, RI-MA 56,840 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/70/Providence_Cathedral%2C_RI_edited.JPG" target="_hplink">here</a>.
Boston, MA-NH
Metro area: Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA-NH 56,765 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3e/USA_09562_Boston_Luca_Galuzzi_2007.jpg" target="_hplink">here</a>.
New York, NY-NJ-PA
Metro area: New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, NY-NJ-PA 55,595 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. (Photo: In this March 26, 2012, file photo, One World Trade Center towers above the Lower Manhattan skyline and Hudson River in New York. One World Trade Center, the giant monolith being built to replace the twin towers destroyed in the Sept. 11 attacks, will lay claim to the title of New York City.)
Dallas, TX
Metro area: Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 55,536 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/17/The_Catholic_Cathedral_of_Santuario_de_Guadalupe_in_the_Downtown_Dallas_Arts_District%2C_10-26-10.jpg" target="_hplink">here</a>.
Houston, TX
Metro area: Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX 55,144 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e2/Aerial_view_of_Texas_Medical_Center.jpg" target="_hplink">here</a>.
Buffalo, NY
Meto area: Buffalo-Niagara Falls, NY 54,706 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e7/20080310_Soldiers_and_Sailors_edit.JPG" target="_hplink">here</a>.
Philadelphia, PA-NJ-DE-MD
Metro area: Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 54,668 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/39/Independence_Hall.jpg" target="_hplink">here</a>.
San Antonio, TX
Metro area: San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX 54,093 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/11/Rio_del_pasio_05.jpg" target="_hplink">here</a>.
New Orleans, LA
Metro area: New Orleans-Metairie-Kenner, LA 53,479 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ef/Altaner.jpg" target="_hplink">here</a>.
Minneapolis, MN-WI
Metro area: Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 52,061 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/84/Minneapolis_05042012.jpg" target="_hplink">here</a>.
Milwaukee, WI
Metro area: Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Alis, WI 51,823 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d5/St_Stanislaus_Catholic_Church.jpg" target="_hplink">here</a>.
Charlotte, NC-SC
Metro area: Charlotte-Gastonia-Rock Hill, NC-SC 51,764 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3b/Southpark_aerial_Charlotte_NC.jpg" target="_hplink">here</a>.
Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana, CA 51,382 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/92/Hollywood_boulevard_from_kodak_theatre.jpg" target="_hplink">here</a>.
Cleveland, OH
Metro area: Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor, OH 51,185 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/56/StTheodosius.jpg" target="_hplink">here</a>.
Nashville, TN
Metro area: Nashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro-Franklin, TN 50,694 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/94/Nashville_Downtown.JPG" target="_hplink">here</a>.
Louisville, KY-IN
Metro area: Louisville-Jefferson County, KY-IN 50,445 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/19/Cathedral_Assumption_Louisville.jpg" target="_hplink">here</a>.
Richmond, VA
50,113 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3f/Cathedral_of_the_sacred_heart_.JPG" target="_hplink">here</a>.
Jacksonville, Florida
50,093 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9d/ChurchJax1.jpg" target="_hplink">here</a>.
Atlanta, GA
Metro area: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, GA 49,721 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/76/Shrine_of_the_Immaculate_Conception.jpg" target="_hplink">here</a>.
Kansas City, MO-KS
49,702 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d2/Community_Christian_Church_KCMO.jpg" target="_hplink">here</a>.
St. Louis, MO-IL
48,889 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5a/Tower_Grove_Park_Scene_1.jpg" target="_hplink">here</a>.
Hartford, CT
Metro area: Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT 47,226 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/64/Cathedral_of_Saint_Joseph_in_Hartford_3%2C_2009-09-02.jpg" target="_hplink">here</a>.
Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN
Metro area: Cincinnati-Middletown, OH-KY-IN 44,672 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/30/Cincinnati_oh_skyline.jpg" target="_hplink">here</a>.
Detroit, MI
Metro area: Detroit-Warren-Livonia, MI 44,583 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/23/Ste_Anne_de_Detroit.jpg" target="_hplink">here</a>.
Washington, DC-VA-MD-WV
Metro area: Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 44,576 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ef/Cherry_Blossoms_and_Washington_Monument.jpg" target="_hplink">here</a>.
Raleigh, NC
Metro area: Raleigh-Cary, NC 44,469 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5c/Downtown-Raleigh-from-Western-Boulevard-Overpass-20081012.jpeg" target="_hplink">here</a>.
San Jose, CA
Metro area: San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 44,189 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9e/San_Jose_Basilica.jpg" target="_hplink">here</a>.
Rochester, NY
44,066 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e3/Colgate_8751.jpg" target="_hplink">here</a>.
Austin, TX
Metro area: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX 43,921 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/06/AustinSkylineLouNeffPoint-2010-03-29-b.JPG" target="_hplink">here</a>.
San Diego, CA
Metro area: San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos, CA 43,917 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fa/San-diego-mission-chuch.JPG" target="_hplink">here</a>.
Riverside, CA
Metro area: Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA 42,293 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/18/Riverside_06Skyline.JPG" target="_hplink">here</a>.
Indianapolis, IN
Metro area: Indianapolis-Carmel, IN 42,213 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/18/Indiana_State_Capitol_Market_St.jpg" target="_hplink">here</a>.
Baltimore, MD
Metro area: Baltimore-Towson, MD 42,077 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/1f/E-mt.vernon.jpg" target="_hplink">here</a>.
Orlando, FL
Metro area: Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL 40,631 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6b/Orlando_downtown_2011.jpg" target="_hplink">here</a>.
Virginia Beach, VA-NC
Metro area: Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC 40,417 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a9/Sunset-_Waves.JPG" target="_hplink">here</a>.
Miami, FL
Metro area: Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, FL 38,058 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a5/Mouth_of_Miami_River_20100211.jpg" target="_hplink">here</a>.
San Francisco, CA
Metro area: San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA 37,796 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/da/SF_From_Marin_Highlands3.jpg" target="_hplink">here</a>.
Columbus, OH
37,702 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/db/ColumbusNightSkyline2.jpg" target="_hplink">here</a>.
Phoenix, AZ
Metro area: Phoenix-Mesa-Glendale, AZ 37,518 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/84/Phoenix_AZ_Downtown_from_airplane.jpg" target="_hplink">here</a>.
Denver, CO
Metro area: Denver-Aurora-Broomfield, CO 36,968 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e9/DENCP.JPG" target="_hplink">here</a>.
Sacramento, CA
Metro area: Sacramento-Arden-Arcade-Rosenville, CA 36,512 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7c/Sacramento_Skyline_%282%29.jpg" target="_hplink">here</a>.
Las Vegas, NV
Metro area: Las Vegas-Paradise, NV 35,761 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7c/Sacramento_Skyline_%282%29.jpg" target="_hplink">here</a>.
Seattle, WA
Metro area: Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 35,643 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/10/Seattle_Ferry.jpg" target="_hplink">here</a>.
Tampa, FL
Metro area: Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL 34,761 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7b/Tampa_Florida_Lawyers.jpg" target="_hplink">here</a>.
Portland, OR-WA
Metro area: Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA 31,591 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cc/TomMcCallWaterfrontPark.jpg" target="_hplink">here</a>.

A study measuring religious bodies in the United States called the, “2010 U.S. Religious Census: Religious Congregations & Membership Study (RCMS)” was recently released by the Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies (ASARB). The most comprehensive study of its kind, it provides detailed county by county information on congregations, members, adherents and attendance for 236 different faiths groups. (The survey differentiates between specific denominations within the same tradition.)

Of metropolitan areas with population greater than a million, the researchers found Salt Lake City to be the most religious city with close to 74 percent identifying as a religious adherent. The researchers found the greater area of Portland, OR-WA to be the least religious city with about 32 percent identifying as a religious adherent.

The researchers define adherents to be those with an affiliation to a congregation including children, members and attendees who are not members, and believe that the adherent measure is the most complete and comparable across religious groups. As the chart below shows, more than 54 percent of adherents were from metropolitan areas with population of a million and above.

000metrocharts

In general, cities where more than 75 percent identified as a religious adherent were in the deep South and in the Midwest. Cities where less than 35 percent identified as a religious adherent were in the West and in the Northeast.

rcms penetration

Bibliography:
Grammich, Clifford, Kirk Hadaway, Richard Houseal, Dale E. Jones, Alexei Krindatch, Richie Stanley, and Richard H. Taylor, 2012. 2010 U.S. Religion Census: Religious Congregations & Membership Study. Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies.

Most and Least Religious States (From Gallup)

Loading Slideshow

#1: Mississippi (59 percent)
#2 Utah (57 percent)
#3 Alabama (56 percent)
#4 Louisiana (54 percent)
#5 Arkansas (54 percent)
#6 South Carolina (54 percent)
#7 Tennessee (52 percent)
#8 North Carolina (50 percent)
#9 Georgia (48 percent)
#10 Oklahoma (48 percent)
#51 Vermont (23 percent)
#50 New Hampshire (23 percent)
#49 Maine (25 percent)
#48 Massachusetts (28 percent)
#47 Alaska (28 percent)
#46 Oregon (30 percent)
#45 Nevada (30 percent)
#44 Washington (30 percent)
#43 Connecticut (31 percent)
#42 District of Columbia (32 percent)
#42 New York (32 percent)
#42 Rhode Island (32 percent)

Comments
1,880
Pending Comments
0
View FAQ

Post Comment Preview Comment

To reply to a Comment: Click "Reply" at the bottom of the comment; after being approved your comment will appear directly underneath the comment you replied to.

Share your Comment:

Post to Facebook.

Post to Blogger.

Post to Twitter.

Post to WordPress.

Post to TypePad.

Post to Tumblr.

View All

Favorites

Highlights

Recency |

Popularity

Page: 1 2 3 4 5 Next › Last » (29 total)

HUFFPOST SUPER USER

Atomkinder

163 Fans

12:34 AM on 01/31/2013

I miss the PNW.

Permalink | Share it

Dolmance

251 Fans

08:23 AM on 12/06/2012

Funny how the most religious cities in the US are the most miserable.

MrThinkyGuy

4 Fans

01:46 PM on 04/04/2013

Miserable to you, because you hate religion?

Bishop Blitz

14 Fans

01:37 AM on 11/13/2012

Portland, here I come.

tph370

97 Fans

11:45 AM on 11/12/2012

If religious people could value family members and friends more than their God, would there be any societal outcasts?

Vinay Chandnani

11 Fans

08:54 AM on 10/12/2012

Now, I know why I want to move to Seattle, WA. Top few LEAST religious cities.

secondcoming

156 Fans

11:34 PM on 10/10/2012

one might also ask which indigenous peoples are the most religious in north America? strange how they are excluded out of everything yet it's their country. so in truth were the Maya connected to the tribes of what is now the upper 49.. we never hear about that either but yes they were.. theoretically all the nations in the americas should be celebrating 2012 as they are all connected to the "great spirit" but I see that is not anything the media cares to cover even though it is an extremely important time in all their religions.

chriskotx

67 Fans

06:26 PM on 10/10/2012

New York City more religious than Dallas or Houston? That doesn't sound right.

c c

0 Fans

02:43 PM on 10/13/2012

Lots of Catholics, Jews and Muslims in NYC.

hanohanonacowboy

211 Fans

12:17 PM on 10/10/2012

Kinda interesting to see the states with the biggest mixture of colors-- New Mexico, Colorado, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Georgia..

And where did that big blue splotch come from right in the middle of Appalachia (southern Ohio, eastern Kentucky, western West Virginia)? I woulda thought that was the land of praise-Jesus snake handlers and Bible thumpers. So much for my own preconceptions.

kbchow

5 Fans

03:29 PM on 11/25/2012

I think mostly that is the land of hill people that don't go to a formal congregation. Population density is way low in southeastern Ohio and western WV. I would expect this to look differently if the map was people who believe in a god as opposed to people who are claimed by an organization participating in the study.

But it does mean that the SBC is not popular in that part of the Appalachians.

Rogue Linguist

23 Fans

06:30 PM on 10/09/2012

Northwestern and northeastern corners of the country.

demajors

37 Fans

02:16 PM on 10/09/2012

As for the cities, surprisingly well mixed. The States, not as much.

gerry978

241 Fans

12:22 AM on 10/09/2012

Top ten most religious states: all red states! what a surprise

Me Now

417 Fans

05:20 AM on 10/09/2012

And at the bottom of the per capita income list..

01:55 PM on 04/04/2013

I just bought a house in Indiana for $150,000 that would cost half a million or more in New York. I'm betting that I'm living a lot better here than people with treble my income in New York. See, per capital income is meaningless if you're not also factoring in cost of living. It's called economics. Something I wish was required before they give a college degree to a liberal majoring in some soft science.

Kid Notorious

A rambunctious scamp

343 Fans

10:43 PM on 10/08/2012

PNW!

Woot! :)

brett bonner

19 Fans

10:13 PM on 10/08/2012

Look at that, the least religious states are in the north (WA, OR, ME, NH, VT) the the most religious are in the south. - Maybe there's something in the sun (or too much of it) that makes people religious.

Ray Blodgetts

I'm not insane. I'm Australian.

487 Fans

09:43 PM on 10/08/2012

Religion is for the uneducated, sick old men, and the superstitious. It's all old testament any way. America does't and never has followed the word of Jesus. Americans hate Jesus. They hate being charitable. The love being judgemental. Give any American the choice between helping someone or judging someone negatively and they go for the hate every time. Jesus rejected everything about the old testament. Get with the program America. Come into the first century and forget all that old testament stuff. It's soooo bronze age.

06:31 PM on 10/09/2012

Like Australia's much better. It's one of the most conservative countries in the developed world, too.

Steven Morris III

2 Fans

03:41 AM on 01/14/2013

I wold not follow this Jesus, nor read your bible, Or, maybe it is that you haven not. Good luck with it, and try to read the word a little closer. Peace.

ElodieStClair

373 Fans

08:26 PM on 10/08/2012

Why the heck is Orange County factored in as part of the City of Los Angeles?

Talk about dramatically skewing the results. You're lumping an extremely evangelical, red county in with one of the bluest cities in America. That doesn't give you an accurate snapshot of L.A.

History | Permalink | Share it