Click through the slideshow to see most and least Buddhist cities in America:
Most and Least Buddhist Cities
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.)
According to the study, close to 75 percent of Buddhist congregations are located in metropolitan areas with population greater than a million. Of these metro areas, the researchers found San Jose to be the most Buddhist city with approximately 1.25 percent identifying as a Buddhist adherent. The researchers found the greater area of Birmingham, AL to be the least Buddhist city with only 0.006 percent identifying as a Buddhist 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. Congregations are defined as groups of people who meet regularly at a pre-announced time and location.
More than 991,683 Buddhist adherents and 2,854 congregations were reported across the country. With more than 117,000 Buddhist adherents, the greater area of Los Angeles, CA reported the highest number of Buddhist adherents, whereas the greater area of Birmingham, AL reported the lowest -- only 64 identified as Buddhist adherents. Similarly, with 243 congregations, the greater area of Los Angeles, CA reported the highest number of congregations in a million-plus metropolitan area, whereas the greater area of Birmingham, AL reported the lowest with just two Buddhist congregations.
Only 535 counties across the country reported the presence of Buddhist adherents, and as the map below shows, most Buddhist adherents in the United States live near the East Coast or the West Coast.
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.
For a list of most and least religious cities, click here.
For a list of most and least interfaith cities, click here.
For a list of most and least Christian states, click here.
For a list of most and least Mormon states, click here.
For a list of most and least Jewish states, click here.
For a list of most and least Muslim states, click here.
For a list of most and least Catholic states, click here.
For a list of most and least Christian cities, click here.