The Non-Religious States of America
New survey data indicates that religiously unaffiliated people in the U.S. are diverse—and in many places, they make up a greater share of the population than any faith group.
There was a time, not too long ago, when the vast majority of Americans identified as Christians, at least nominally. In some places, this dynamic hasn’t changed much: Head south, for example, and you’ll find that roughly 60 percent of Mississippians are Baptists. But in at least 20 states, religiously unaffiliated people make up a greater share of the population than any one faith group or denomination.
These findings are drawn from a new survey from the Public Religion Research Institute, or PRRI, which
