Mapped: The Largest Non-Christian Religion in Every U.S. State
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Key Takeaways
- Islam accounts for nearly half of all recorded non-Christian adherents in the U.S. Religion Census.
- New York has the country’s largest recorded non-Christian population, at roughly 1.7 million people, and the highest share, at 8.5%.
- Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism, and the Baha’i Faith dominate in a handful of regional pockets.
Christianity remains the largest religion across the United States, but the country’s leading non-Christian faith varies considerably by region.
Using estimates from the 2020 U.S. Religion Census, this map shows the largest recorded non-Christian religion in every state. Several Western states are led by Buddhism or Hinduism, while local historical and demographic patterns produce a number of unexpected outliers.
Conducted every 10 years, the census tracks religious congregations and estimates adherents across hundreds of faith traditions.
Islam Leads Across Most of the Country
One of the map’s biggest surprises is Islam’s geographic reach.
It ranks as the largest recorded non-Christian religion across nearly half of all U.S. states, spanning much of the Midwest, South, Northeast, and several major coastal states.
| State Name | Largest Religion after Christianity |
|---|---|
| Alabama | Islam |
| Alaska | Buddhism |
| Arizona | Islam |
| Arkansas | Islam |
| California | Islam |
| Colorado | Hinduism |
| Connecticut | Islam |
| Delaware | Hinduism |
| District of Columbia | Reform Judaism |
| Florida | Islam |
| Georgia | Islam |
| Hawaii | Buddhism |
| Idaho | Islam |
| Illinois | Islam |
| Indiana | Islam |
| Iowa | Islam |
| Kansas | Hinduism |
| Kentucky | Islam |
| Louisiana | Islam |
| Maine | Islam |
| Maryland | Islam |
| Massachusetts | Islam |
| Michigan | Islam |
| Minnesota | Islam |
| Mississippi | Islam |
| Missouri | Islam |
| Montana | Buddhism |
| Nebraska | Hinduism |
| Nevada | Buddhism |
| New Hampshire | Conservative Judaism |
| New Jersey | Islam |
| New Mexico | Hinduism |
| New York | Islam |
| North Carolina | Islam |
| North Dakota | Islam |
| Ohio | Islam |
| Oklahoma | Islam |
| Oregon | Hinduism |
| Pennsylvania | Islam |
| Rhode Island | Reform Judaism |
| South Carolina | Bahá’í Faith |
| South Dakota | Bahá’í Faith |
| Tennessee | Islam |
| Texas | Islam |
| Utah | Islam |
| Vermont | Islam |
| Virginia | Islam |
| Washington | Buddhism |
| West Virginia | Reform Judaism |
| Wisconsin | Islam |
| Wyoming | Bahá’í Faith |
Muslim communities are especially large in states with major urban centers and long histories of immigration.
New York records roughly 724,000 Muslim adherents, the largest recorded non-Christian religious community in any state. More broadly, New York is home to about 1.7 million non-Christian adherents overall, the highest total in the country.
California follows with more than 504,000 Muslim adherents, while Illinois has approximately 474,000.
Buddhism and Hinduism Stand Out in the West
Several Western and Pacific states break from the broader national pattern.
Mahayana Buddhism is the largest non-Christian religion in Hawaii, Nevada, and Washington. Hawaii is the clearest example, with nearly 47,000 adherents, equal to 3.2% of the state’s population.
The state’s Buddhist population reflects its longstanding cultural ties to Japan, China, Korea, and other parts of Asia. Other Buddhist traditions lead in Alaska and Montana.
Hinduism ranks first in Colorado, Delaware, Kansas, Nebraska, and Oregon. These communities are smaller in absolute terms, but they still represent the largest recorded non-Christian faith in those states.
History Creates Several Notable Outliers
Several states reflect distinctive historical or demographic influences that produce very different outcomes.
Reform Judaism is the largest non-Christian religion in the District of Columbia, Rhode Island, and West Virginia. Conservative Judaism ranks first in New Hampshire.
The Bahá’í Faith leads in South Carolina, South Dakota, and Wyoming. In these states, even relatively small communities can rank first because the overall number of recorded non-Christian adherents is lower.
New Mexico is another outlier. There, Hindu yoga and meditation organizations form the largest recorded group after Christianity.
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- Source: https://www.visualcapitalist.com/mapped-the-largest-non-christian-religion-in-every-u-s-state/
