Religion
Least Religious States 2026
Religious Adults
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
50%
State | Religious Adults↑ | Religion Is Important | Attend Religious Services | Pray Daily | Believe in God | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Vermont | 13% | 16% | 17% | 22% | 30% |
 | New Hampshire | 15% | 16% | 18% | 25% | 33% |
 | Maine | 17% | 23% | 19% | 32% | 38% |
 | District of Columbia | 18% | 29% | 26% | 30% | 39% |
 | Nevada | 19% | 30% | 20% | 41% | 48% |
 | Oregon | 19% | 26% | 20% | 29% | 41% |
 | Massachusetts | 20% | 26% | 20% | 31% | 40% |
 | Hawaii | 21% | 29% | 19% | 34% | 48% |
 | Iowa | 21% | 28% | 30% | 31% | 47% |
 | Rhode Island | 22% | 30% | 27% | 31% | 44% |
 | Connecticut | 23% | 33% | 22% | 39% | 44% |
 | California | 24% | 31% | 27% | 39% | 46% |
 | Colorado | 24% | 30% | 27% | 38% | 46% |
 | New York | 25% | 33% | 26% | 37% | 47% |
 | Washington | 25% | 30% | 27% | 35% | 44% |
 | Alaska | 26% | 34% | 25% | 38% | 50% |
 | Pennsylvania | 26% | 33% | 28% | 40% | 50% |
 | Arizona | 27% | 36% | 32% | 45% | 51% |
 | Maryland | 27% | 39% | 29% | 46% | 54% |
 | Minnesota | 27% | 33% | 32% | 33% | 49% |
 | Wisconsin | 27% | 29% | 29% | 38% | 50% |
 | Ohio | 28% | 37% | 32% | 42% | 52% |
 | Delaware | 29% | 40% | 33% | 43% | 56% |
 | New Jersey | 29% | 34% | 31% | 42% | 51% |
 | West Virginia | 29% | 40% | 30% | 47% | 56% |
 | Florida | 30% | 39% | 31% | 46% | 59% |
 | Michigan | 30% | 35% | 32% | 44% | 54% |
 | Nebraska | 30% | 37% | 38% | 39% | 56% |
 | Illinois | 31% | 35% | 33% | 42% | 50% |
 | Wyoming | 31% | 35% | 33% | 42% | 53% |
 | Missouri | 33% | 38% | 36% | 44% | 55% |
 | Montana | 33% | 37% | 33% | 44% | 51% |
 | New Mexico | 34% | 41% | 34% | 49% | 57% |
 | Virginia | 35% | 43% | 37% | 47% | 57% |
 | Indiana | 36% | 43% | 37% | 45% | 56% |
 | Texas | 36% | 45% | 38% | 50% | 62% |
 | Idaho | 37% | 45% | 40% | 43% | 58% |
 | Kentucky | 37% | 43% | 39% | 53% | 66% |
 | Georgia | 38% | 49% | 38% | 56% | 66% |
 | Kansas | 38% | 43% | 39% | 50% | 63% |
 | North Dakota | 38% | 43% | 43% | 41% | 59% |
 | Oklahoma | 38% | 43% | 42% | 54% | 61% |
 | Alabama | 40% | 51% | 44% | 50% | 66% |
 | Arkansas | 40% | 51% | 41% | 58% | 73% |
 | North Carolina | 41% | 51% | 43% | 54% | 65% |
 | Utah | 42% | 43% | 48% | 51% | 55% |
 | Louisiana | 45% | 54% | 45% | 58% | 72% |
 | South Dakota | 45% | 50% | 50% | 49% | 62% |
 | South Carolina | 46% | 55% | 47% | 57% | 71% |
 | Mississippi | 50% | 61% | 54% | 62% | 74% |
- Data displayed were compiled by Pew Research Center during 2023-2024 and released in 2025.
- Religious Adults = % of adults who could be considered highly religious based upon combined results in each survey category
- Religion Is Important = % of adults who say religion is important to them.
- Attend Services = % of adults who attend religious services at least once a month.
- Pray Daily = % of adults who say they pray daily.
- Believe in God = % of adults who say they believe in God.
Religiosity varies widely across U.S. states, with some states reporting much lower levels of religious belief and practice than others. The data on this page, released in 2025 – the most recent data available as of early 2026 – compares states across multiple measures of religiousness.
How Pew Measures Religious Engagement Pew evaluates religiosity using multiple belief and behavior indicators, including how important religion is in daily life, frequency of prayer, attendance at religious services, and belief in God.
What 'Highly Religious Adults' Represents The share of highly religious adults reflects combined responses across Pew’s survey measures rather than affiliation with any specific religion.
Characteristics of the Least Religious States
States ranked as least religious consistently report lower levels across several measures of religious engagement, including fewer adults who say religion is important in their lives, lower rates of regular service attendance, and less frequent daily prayer.
For example, Vermont and New Hampshire report the smallest shares of highly religious adults at 13% and 15%, respectively, alongside comparatively low belief and participation levels across other indicators. These patterns reflect lower overall engagement with organized religion rather than differences in religious affiliation alone.
Geographic Patterns in Religious Engagement
The least religious states are largely concentrated in the Northeast and parts of the West, where multiple measures of religiousness fall below national averages. In contrast, states in the South consistently report higher levels of religious engagement, including greater shares of adults who say religion is important, attend services regularly, pray daily, and believe in God.
