Bible Belt States 2025
State | Part of Bible Belt↓ | Additional Details | |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Alabama | Yes | |
 | Arkansas | Yes | |
 | Georgia | Yes | |
 | Louisiana | Yes | |
 | Mississippi | Yes | |
 | North Carolina | Yes | |
 | Oklahoma | Yes | |
 | South Carolina | Yes | |
 | Tennessee | Yes | |
 | Florida | Sometimes | Florida is excluded by some sources due to its large population of non-religious snowbirds and cultural differences between its northern and southern regions. |
 | Kentucky | Sometimes | |
 | Missouri | Sometimes | |
 | Texas | Sometimes | West Part of Texas only |
 | Utah | Sometimes | |
 | Virginia | Sometimes | |
 | West Virginia | Sometimes | |
 | Alaska | No | |
 | Arizona | No | |
 | California | No | |
 | Colorado | No | |
 | Connecticut | No | |
 | Delaware | No | |
 | District of Columbia | No | |
 | Hawaii | No | |
 | Idaho | No | |
 | Illinois | No | |
 | Indiana | No | |
 | Iowa | No | |
 | Kansas | No | |
 | Maine | No | |
 | Maryland | No | |
 | Massachusetts | No | |
 | Michigan | No | |
 | Minnesota | No | |
 | Montana | No | |
 | Nebraska | No | |
 | Nevada | No | |
 | New Hampshire | No | |
 | New Jersey | No | |
 | New Mexico | No | |
 | New York | No | |
 | North Dakota | No | |
 | Ohio | No | |
 | Oregon | No | |
 | Pennsylvania | No | |
 | Rhode Island | No | |
 | South Dakota | No | |
 | Vermont | No | |
 | Washington | No | |
 | Wisconsin | No | |
 | Wyoming | No |
The Bible Belt is a region located primarily in the southern United States. This informal term is used to describe an area with conservative Protestant values. This region also has attendance numbers at Christian churches that exceed the national average.
The term “Bible Belt” was first coined in 1924. Journalist H.L. Mencken used the word in an article appearing in the Chicago Daily Tribune. Later, Mencken claimed to be the inventor of the term.
The number of religious citizens living in the Bible Belt region is dramatically higher when compared to other areas of the U.S. The Northeast is home to the least religious U.S. states. The greatest percentage of non-religious citizens reside in Vermont. 37% of people that live in Vermont state they are non-religious. Compare this to Alabama, the Bible Belt state with the highest percentage of residents identifying as non-religious at just 12%.
While there are a few definitions of what states make up the Bible Belt, it’s accepted that the following states are included:
- Alabama
- Arkansas
- Georgia
- Louisiana
- Mississippi
- North Carolina
- Oklahoma
- South Carolina
- Tennessee
Other states that are sometimes included are:
- Florida (this is debated because of the large number of non-religious people in the state)
- Kentucky
- Missouri
- Texas (western part only)
- Utah
- Virginia
- West Virginia
In general, these states are the country’s most religious. Two cities even are known as the Buckle of the Bible Belt. These cities are Abilene, Texas, the location of three Christian universities, and Nashville, Tennessee, which has multiple Christian schools and over 700 churches.
