US States by Evangelical Protestant Population

In as much as most Americans identify themselves as Christians, their religious affiliations vary from one state to the other. There are states with more Roman Catholics, Mormons, Protestants, or Seventh Day Adventists than others. In this case, the highest number of Evangelical Protestants in the United States are found in the states of Tennessee, Alabama, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Mississipi. On the other hand, the smallest population of Protestants is found in Utah which is dominated by Mormons. The population of the Protestants in Utah is 7% of its population. Other states with small Protestant populations include the District of Columbia (8%) and Massachusetts (9%). The other states that have relatively high Evangelical Protestant populations include California (20%), New Mexico (23%), North Dakota (22%), and Illinois (20%).

US States by Evangelical Protestant Population

Tennessee

52% of the population of Tennessee subscribes to Evangelical Protestantism. Some of the denominations in Tennessee include the National Baptist Convention, Church of God of Prophecy, Free Will Baptist Church, Church of God in Christ, Southern Baptist Convention Church, and Cumberland Presbyterian Church. Some of these churches have their headquarters in Nashville, Tennessee such as the National Baptist Convention Church and Southern Baptist Convention Church. The state also hosts the Free Will Baptist’s major Bible College in Nashville. The evangelical churches also have their publishing houses in Tennessee.

Alabama and Kentucky

The second highest numbers of Protestants in American states are found in Alabama and Kentucky. The Protestants make up 49% of the population of both states. Alabama is famous for having the highest regular church attendees in the US. A total of 58% of its population are regular churchgoers who believe they have “full understanding of their faith.” The church with the highest number of attendees is the Southern Baptist Convention. Similarly, a large portion of Kentucky’s population, which is 1,448,947 people, is Evangelical Protestants. The state also hosts many seminaries and headquarters for some churches. These include the Lexington Theological Seminary and Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Oklahoma

Oklahoma carries the third largest number of Protestants which is 47% of its population. It hosts one of the highest numbers of conservative evangelicals in the US. One of the evangelical churches in the state called Southern Baptist convention recorded a membership of 886,394 in 2010. Like many entries on this list, Oklahoma is known for its conservative political and social viewpoints.

Bible Belt States

The four states listed above are all found within the “Bible Belt,” a region in the southeastern and south-central United States known for their conservative Christian values. The most popular religion practiced in the Bible Belt is Evangelical Protestantism. 

Megachurches in America

Evangelical Protestants make up nearly a quarter of the population of the United States. In many areas of the United States, large congregations exist that are used as Evangelical places of worship. These are commonly called megachurches due to their large congregations of over 1,000 members. About 1,3000 churches qualify as megachurches in the US, and a further 1,000 churches fall just short of the mark.