The Most and Least Religiously Diverse States in the U.S.
America’s religious map is far more complicated than the familiar divide between the churchgoing South and the increasingly secular Northeast.
Some of the nation’s most religious states also contain its broadest mix of faith traditions. Meanwhile, several states known for tolerance and secular politics rank near the bottom in religious diversity because one group, including the religiously unaffiliated, accounts for a large share of the population.
The results reveal an important truth: Religious diversity is not the same thing as religious devotion.
Louisiana is America’s most religiously diverse state
Louisiana ranked first for religious diversity, followed by South Dakota, Texas, North Dakota and North Carolina. Illinois, Idaho, Alabama, South Carolina and Georgia completed the top 10.
Louisiana’s position reflects a religious history shaped by several powerful traditions rather than one uniform identity. Catholic influence remains deeply embedded in the state’s southern parishes, while evangelical and historically Black Protestant churches hold major cultural influence across other communities.
Pew Research Center’s latest state profile found that 33 percent of Louisiana adults identify as evangelical Protestants. Another 22 percent are religiously unaffiliated, including atheists, agnostics and adults who describe their religion as “nothing in particular.”
That mixture matters. Louisiana is highly religious, but it is not religiously simple. From Catholic festivals and parish traditions to Baptist churches, Black congregations, Buddhist communities and people with no formal affiliation, the state contains several distinct religious worlds living beside one another.
South Dakota’s second-place finish tells another story
South Dakota ranked second, a result that may surprise readers who associate religious diversity mainly with large coastal cities.
The state’s diversity is partly found within Christianity itself. Evangelical Protestants account for 34 percent of South Dakota adults, but the state also contains Catholics, mainline Protestants, Native religious traditions, unaffiliated residents and smaller non-Christian communities.
This illustrates why a state does not need enormous Muslim, Hindu or Buddhist populations to score highly. Diversity can also emerge from an unusually balanced mix of Christian traditions, Indigenous spiritual practices and people outside organized religion.
North Dakota’s fourth-place position reflects a similar pattern. Lutheran, Catholic, evangelical, mainline and unaffiliated communities all contribute to a landscape that is more internally varied than outsiders may assume.
Texas combines size, migration and faith
Texas placed third in the ranking, and its position is easier to understand. The state’s enormous population brings together Southern evangelical culture, generations of Hispanic Catholic families, historically Black churches, rapidly growing immigrant communities and millions of unaffiliated adults.
Pew estimates that 27 percent of Texas adults are evangelical Protestants. Muslims account for about 2 percent, Buddhists and Hindus about 1 percent each, while roughly 27 percent are atheist, agnostic or “nothing in particular.”
Those statewide numbers conceal even greater variety inside metropolitan areas such as Houston and Dallas-Fort Worth. Mosques, megachurches, Hindu temples, Catholic parishes, synagogues and independent congregations operate within the same sprawling urban regions.
Texas is often portrayed as uniformly conservative and Christian. Its actual religious landscape is far more layered.
New Hampshire ranks last despite its secular image
At the other end of the list, New Hampshire ranked as the least religiously diverse state. Maine ranked 49th, Utah 48th, Oregon 47th and Alaska 46th.
New Hampshire’s low ranking does not mean residents lack freedom of belief. It reflects the state’s unusually large concentration of religiously unaffiliated adults.
Pew’s 2023-24 data shows that 11 percent of New Hampshire adults identify as atheists, 8 percent as agnostics and 29 percent as having no particular religion. Together, those categories represent nearly half the state’s adult population.
Once again, concentration is the key. A state dominated by religious “nones” can be statistically less diverse than a strongly religious state divided among Catholics, evangelicals, Black Protestants and mainline denominations.
Maine and Oregon follow a similar pattern
Maine’s religious profile also leans heavily toward the unaffiliated. About 39 percent of adults identify as atheist, agnostic or nothing in particular, while smaller groups are divided among evangelical Protestants, Catholics, mainline Protestants, Buddhists and other beliefs.
Oregon has an even larger unaffiliated share. Pew found that 8 percent of Oregon adults are atheists, 12 percent are agnostics and 23 percent identify with no religion in particular, bringing the combined share to roughly 43 percent.
Oregon still contains numerous religious communities, especially around Portland and other population centers. However, the statewide balance remains heavily tilted toward residents who claim no formal religious affiliation.
Utah reaches the bottom for a different reason
Utah’s low ranking has almost the opposite explanation. Unlike New Hampshire and Oregon, Utah is strongly associated with an organized religious tradition. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has played an unmatched role in the state’s settlement, institutions, family culture and politics.
That historical concentration reduces Utah’s diversity score even as the state changes. Pew’s latest profile shows that about 34 percent of Utah adults are now religiously unaffiliated, while smaller shares identify as evangelical Protestant, Buddhist, Catholic or members of other traditions.
Utah’s population is becoming more varied, particularly in Salt Lake County and fast-growing communities receiving newcomers from other states. Still, its religious identity remains more concentrated than most of the country.
America’s religious landscape is changing
Nationally, 62 percent of American adults identify as Christian, including 40 percent who are Protestant and 19 percent who are Catholic. About 29 percent are religiously unaffiliated, while 7 percent belong to religions other than Christianity.
Those broad categories do not unfold evenly across the map. Immigration, regional history, racial identity, settlement patterns, urban growth and generational change all shape what faith looks like from one state to another.
The result is an American religious landscape filled with contradictions. Louisiana can be both deeply religious and highly diverse. New Hampshire can be broadly secular yet comparatively concentrated. Texas can carry a powerful evangelical identity while supporting one of the nation’s widest mixes of beliefs.
