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A state religion (also called official religion) is a religion or creed officially endorsed by a sovereign state. A state with an official religion (also known as confessional state ), while not a secular state, is not necessarily a theocracy.
- Nearly three-quarters of U.S. adults (73%) say religion should be kept separate from government policies, according to a survey conducted in spring 2022.
- The Johnson Amendment limits political activity by religious organizations, and most Americans (70%) want churches and other houses of worship to stay out of politics, according to a 2021 analysis.
- The Supreme Court ruled in 1962 that it’s unconstitutional for a teacher to lead a class in prayer at a public school, but three-in-ten U.S. adults said in a March 2021 survey that public school educators should be allowed to do this.
- Americans are divided on whether local governments should be allowed to put religious symbols on public property, according to the same March 2021 survey.
Geography. Explore religious affiliation data by state, region or select metro areas. Northeast. Connecticut. Maine. Massachusetts. New Hampshire. New Jersey. New York. Pennsylvania. Rhode Island. Vermont. South.
- All White Christian
- White Evangelical Protestant
- White Mainline Protestant
- White Catholic
- Latter-Day Saint
- Black Protestant
- Hispanic Protestant
- Hispanic Catholic
- Other Christian
- Jewish
White Christians make up 44% of the U.S. population as of 2020.White Christians are spread throughout the country but are most heavily concentrated in counties in the Midwest. The 10 highest concentrations of white Christians in counties with more than 10,000...The median age of white Christian adults is 53. This is older than the median age of 47 for all Americans, and much older than non-Christian groups and religiously unaffiliated Americans.Around one-third of white Christians (33%) live in urban areas, 43% live in suburban areas, and 24% live in rural areas.White evangelical Protestants make up 14% of the U.S. population as of 2020.Large shares of white evangelical Protestants are spread through the country but are most heavily concentrated in counties in the South and lower Midwest. The 10 highest concentrations of white eva...The median age of white evangelical Protestant adults is 56, older than the median ages of all Americans (47) and all white Christians (53).Three in ten white evangelical Protestants (30%) live in urban areas, 41% live in suburban areas, and 29% live in rural areas.White mainline protestants make up 16% of the U.S. population as of 2020.White mainline Protestants are spread around the country but are most heavily concentrated in counties in the Midwest. The 10 highest concentrations of white mainline Protestants in counties with m...The median age of white mainline Protestant adults is 50. This is older than the median age of all Americans (47), but somewhat younger than the median age of all white Christians (53).Around one-third of white mainline Protestants (35%) live in urban areas, 42% live in suburban areas, and 23% live in rural areas.White Catholics make up 12% of the U.S. population as of 2020.White Catholics are most heavily concentrated in counties in the Northeast and Midwest and in southern Louisiana. The 10 highest concentrations of white Catholics in counties with more than 10,000...The median age of white Catholic adults is 54. This is higher than the median age of 47 for all Americans and the same as the median age of 53 for all white Christians.33% of white Catholics live in urban areas, 48% live in suburban areas, and 19% live in rural areas.Latter-day Saints make up 1% of the U.S. population as of 2020.Latter-day Saints are most heavily concentrated in Utah. The 10 highest concentrations of Latter-day Saints in counties with more than 10,000 residents are:The median age of Latter-day Saints adults is 47, the same as the median age of 47 for all Americans, but younger than the median age of 53 for all white Christians.30% of Latter-day Saints live in urban areas, 42% live in suburban areas, and 28% live in rural areas.Black Protestants make up 7% of the U.S. population as of 2020.Black Protestants are most heavily concentrated in the South and Southeast, particularly in the Deep South. The 10 highest concentrations of Black Protestants in counties with more than 10,000 resi...The median age of Black Protestant adults is 50, the same as white mainline Protestants (50), but slightly higher than the median for all Americans (47) and higher than most religious groups, excep...Around half of Black Protestants (48%) live in urban areas, while fewer live in suburban areas (37%) and rural areas (15%).Hispanic Protestants make up 4% of the U.S. population as of 2020.Hispanic Protestants are primarily concentrated in the Southwest and the West, particularly along the border between Texas and Mexico. The 10 highest concentrations of Hispanic Protestants in count...The median age of Hispanic Protestant adults is 39, lower than the median for all Americans (47), and the lowest median age of all Christian groups.Hispanic Protestants are evenly split between urban areas (45%) and suburban areas (43%), while just 12% live in rural areas.Hispanic Catholics make up 8% of the U.S. population as of 2020.Hispanic Catholics primarily live in the Southwest and the West, particularly along the border between Texas and Mexico and in California. The 10 highest concentrations of Hispanic Catholics in cou...The median age of Hispanic Catholic adults is 42, lower than the median for all Americans (47). Hispanic Catholics are younger than most white religious groups but a bit older than non-Christian gr...More than four in ten Hispanic Catholics live in urban (46%) and suburban areas (43%), while only one in ten (10%) live in rural areas.Other Christians make up 7% of the U.S. population as of 2020, comprised of multiracial Christians (2%), AAPI Christians (1%), Native American Christians (1%), Black Catholics (1%), Christians who...Other Christians are most heavily concentrated in areas with higher shares of Native American or AAPI populations, including across the upper Midwest, the Southwest, and in Alaska and Hawaii. The 1...The median age of other Christian adults is 47, the same as the median age of 47 for all Americans, but younger than the median age of 53 for all white Christians.37% of other Christians live in urban areas, 43% live in suburban areas, and 20% live in rural areas.Jewish Americans make up 1% of the U.S. population as of 2020.Jewish Americans are primarily concentrated in the Northeast and areas around New York City. The 10 highest concentrations of Jewish Americans in counties with more than 10,000 residents are:The median age of Jewish American adults is 48, slightly higher than the median for all Americans (47). Jewish Americans are younger than most Christian groups, but older than other non-Christian g...A majority (51%) of Jewish Americans live in suburban areas, while four in ten (40%) live in urban areas, and only 8% live in rural areas.Wex. Religion and the Constitution. Because of their belief in a separation of church and state, the framers of the Constitution favored a neutral posture toward religion.
Religion in the United States. Religious affiliation in the United States, per Gallup, Inc. (2022) [1] Protestantism (34%) Catholicism (23%) Non-specific Christian (11%) Mormonism (2%) Judaism (2%) Other religions (6%) Unaffiliated with organized forms of religion (21%) No answer (1%)
U.S. territories. See also. References. List of U.S. states and territories by religiosity. The degree of religiosity in the population of the United States can be compared to that in other countries and compared state-by-state, based on individual self-assessment and polling data. Methodologies.
