The majority of Americans in 2017 did not identify themselves as Protestants, according to Gallup surveys conducted during the year, and the differing religious denominations tended to be concentrated in certain geographical areas.
“About half of Americans (48 percent) identify as Protestants or other Christians who are not Catholic or Mormon,” said Gallup in its analysis of its polling.
The numbers from the Gallup survey align with numbers derived from a Pew Research Center survey published in 2015. That survey indicated that from 2007 to 2014, Protestants had dropped from 51.3 percent of the population to 46.5 percent. At the same time, according to that Pew survey, Catholics dropped from 23.9 percent of the population to 20.8 percent.
In Alabama, according to the newly released Gallup data for 2017, 77 percent said they were Protestant, making Alabama the most Protestant state in the country.
–In Rhode Island, 44 percent said they are Catholic, making Rhode Island the most Catholic state in the country.
–In Hawaii and Alaska, 33 percent said they had no religion, making them the most non-religious states.
–In New York, 8 percent said they were Jewish, making New York the most Jewish state.
–In Utah, 55 percent said they were Mormons, making Utah the most Mormon state.
Gallup derived these numbers from surveys it conducted throughout 2017 in which it interviewed 130,959 respondents in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
The survey showed that certain religious denominations tend to be concentrated in certain geographical regions.
“Americans continue to be geographically segregated by religion,” said Gallup in its analysis. “Protestants dominate in the South, while Catholics are most common in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic, with some representation in the Midwest. Americans with no formal religious identity are most likely to be found in the West and in New England. Two smaller religious groups are also geographically concentrated: Mormons are a major population factor in Utah and Idaho, and Jews tend to be disproportionately located on the East Coast.”
According to Gallup:
The Ten Most Protestant States
1–Alabama (77 percent)
2–Mississippi (75 percent)
3–Arkansas (72 percent)
4–Tennessee (71 percent)
5–South Carolina (70 percent)
6–Oklahoma 68 percent
7–West Virginia (66 percent)
8–North Carolina (66 percent)
9–Georgia (66 percent)
10–Kentucky (63 percent).
The Ten Most Catholic States
1—Rhode Island (44 percent)
2—New Jersey (40 percent)
3—Connecticut (38 percent)
4—Massachusetts (38 percent)
5—New York (34 percent)
6—New Mexico (30 percent)
7—Illinois (30 percent)
8—New Hampshire (30 percent)
9—California (29 percent)
10—Wisconsin (29 percent)
The Nine States With Highest Percentage Claiming “No Religion”
1—Hawaii (33 percent)
2—Alaska (33 percent)
3—Washington (32 percent)
4—Vermont (32 percent)
5—Oregon (31 percent)
6—Maine (31 percent)
7—Colorado (30 percent)
8—New Hampshire (30 percent)
9—California (28 percent)
The Eight Most Jewish States
1—New York (8 percent)
2—New Jersey (6 percent)
3—Massachusetts (5 percent)
4—Connecticut (4 percent)
5—Maryland (4 percent)
6—Florida (3 percent)
7—Vermont (3 percent)
8—California (3 percent)
The Ten Most Mormon States
1—Utah (55 percent)
2—Idaho (18 percent)
3—Wyoming (6 percent)
4—Nevada (6 percent)
5—Hawaii (4 percent)
6—Alaska (4 percent)
7—Montana (4 percent)
8—Arizona (4 percent)
9—Washington (3 percent)
10—Oregon (3 percent)
(Courtesy CNSNews.com)
