Guide Rankings Religion Updated May 26, 2026

Most Religious States

Map of the United States shaded by the share of highly religious adults, with Mississippi, South Carolina, and Louisiana among the darkest states

Most Religious States

Ranking - Religion

Quick Answer

Most Religious States

  1. 1

    Mississippi is the most religious state in 2026, with 50% of adults classified as highly religious. South Carolina ranks second at 46%, followed by Louisiana and South Dakota at 45%, and Utah at 42%.

  2. 2

    The ranking is based on Pew Research Center's 2023–24 Religious Landscape Study, which classifies adults as highly religious using four combined measures: prayer frequency, belief in God or a universal spirit with absolute certainty, the importance of religion in daily life, and religious service attendance.

Map

Most Religious States 2026: Highly Religious Adults (%) Map

highly religious adults
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Mississippi leads the ranking, while South Carolina, Louisiana, and South Dakota cluster close behind at the high end.
Most Religious States 2026: Highly Religious Adults (%) Map
Rank State highly religious adults
1 Mississippi 50
2 South Carolina 46
3 Louisiana 45
3 South Dakota 45
5 Tennessee 44
6 Utah 42
7 North Carolina 41
8 Alabama 40
8 Arkansas 40
10 Georgia 38
10 Kansas 38
10 North Dakota 38
10 Oklahoma 38
14 Idaho 37
14 Kentucky 37
16 Indiana 36
16 Texas 36
18 Virginia 35
19 New Mexico 34
20 Missouri 33
20 Montana 33
22 Illinois 31
22 Wyoming 31
24 Florida 30
24 Michigan 30
24 Nebraska 30
27 Delaware 29
27 New Jersey 29
27 West Virginia 29
30 Ohio 28
31 Arizona 27
31 Maryland 27
31 Minnesota 27
31 Wisconsin 27
35 Alaska 26
35 Pennsylvania 26
37 New York 25
37 Washington 25
39 California 24
39 Colorado 24
41 Connecticut 23
42 Rhode Island 22
43 Hawaii 21
43 Iowa 21
45 Massachusetts 20
46 Nevada 19
46 Oregon 19
48 Maine 17
49 New Hampshire 15
50 Vermont 13

Mississippi leads the ranking, while South Carolina, Louisiana, and South Dakota cluster close behind at the high end.

All States Ranked by Highly Religious Adults (%)

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Print-ready table — Most Religious States

Mississippi Leads on All Four Sub-Measures

Mississippi (50%) is the only state that scores highest on all four Pew sub-measures simultaneously: religion_important (61%), attend_services (54%), pray_daily (62%), and believe_in_god (74%). South Carolina (46%) ranks second overall but does not lead on any individual sub-measure. The 4-point gap between first and second place is larger than the 1-point gap separating second from third.

Mississippi's believe_in_god rate (74%) is 3 points above Arkansas (73%) and 4 points above South Carolina (71%), both of which rank lower overall. Its pray_daily rate (62%) is 4 points above Louisiana (58%) and Arkansas (58%), the next closest states on that measure.

Utah's believe_in_god Rate Is the Lowest in the Top 10

Utah (42%) ranks sixth most religious, but its believe_in_god rate (55%) is the lowest of any state in the top 10. Arkansas (40%), which ranks 8th, scores 73% on believe_in_god, 18 points higher than Utah despite ranking lower overall. Louisiana (45%), ranked 3rd, scores 72% on believe_in_god versus Utah's 55%.

South Dakota (45%) ties Louisiana for third place. Its attend_services rate (50%) is the highest of any top-10 state other than Mississippi (54%). South Dakota's believe_in_god rate (62%) is 10 points below Louisiana's (72%) despite both states scoring 45% overall.

Four States Tie at Rank 10 With Different Sub-Score Profiles

Georgia, Kansas, North Dakota, and Oklahoma all score 38% highly religious, tying at rank 10. North Dakota leads the group on attend_services (43%) but scores lowest on believe_in_god (59%). Georgia leads on pray_daily (56%) and believe_in_god (66%). Kansas scores lowest on both attend_services (39%) and pray_daily (50%).

Quick Answers

What is the most religious state in the United States?
Mississippi is the most religious state, with 50% of adults classified as highly religious in Pew Research Center's 2023–24 Religious Landscape Study. South Carolina ranks second at 46%, followed by Louisiana and South Dakota at 45%.
What is the least religious state in the United States?
Vermont is the least religious state, with 13% of adults classified as highly religious in Pew Research Center's 2023–24 Religious Landscape Study. New Hampshire (15%) and Maine (17%) rank second and third least religious.
Why is Mississippi the most religious state?
Mississippi scores highest on all four Pew sub-measures simultaneously: religion_important (61%), attend_services (54%), pray_daily (62%), and believe_in_god (74%). No other state in the top 10 leads on all four at once.
Is Utah more religious than Mississippi?
No. Mississippi (50% highly religious) ranks above Utah (42%, sixth). Utah's believe_in_god rate (55%) is the lowest of any state in the top 10, 19 points below Mississippi's (74%).
How does Pew Research measure religiousness by state?
Pew uses four measures: daily prayer, belief in God or a universal spirit with absolute certainty, religion very important in daily life, and attending religious services at least monthly. Adults scoring 7–8 out of 8 are classified as highly religious. The 2023–24 study surveyed 36,908 U.S. adults.

Methodology

This ranking uses Pew Research Center's 2023–24 Religious Landscape Study (n=36,908, conducted July 17, 2023–March 4, 2024). Pew classifies adults as highly religious based on a combined scale using prayer frequency, belief in God or a universal spirit with absolute certainty, the importance of religion, and religious service attendance at least monthly. Adults scoring 7–8 out of 8 are classified as highly religious.

Sources

Information is cross-referenced with official state archives.
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