Texas getting less religious
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Texas is becoming less Christian.
Why it matters: A growing number of people in the state — and nationwide — don't identify with any religion.
- The shift is largely driven by Gen Z and younger Millennials, according to the Pew Research Center.
The big picture: Fewer than half of 18- to 29-year olds nationwide identify as Christian (45%), and nearly the same portion have no religious affiliation (44%), according to Pew's Religious Landscape Study, which surveyed more than 35,000 Americans.
- Meanwhile, 78% of those 65 and older identify as Christian.
State of prayer: More Dallas-Fort Worth residents identify as non-Christian or religiously unaffiliated now than in 2014.
- 63% of D-FW residents identify as Christian, down from 78% in 2014.
- 8% identify as another religion, up from 4% a decade ago. 1% are Jewish and 1% are Muslim.
- 28% are religiously unaffiliated, up from 18% in 2014.
Zoom in: Texas has one of the largest Muslim populations in the country. The Dallas-Fort Worth metro has over 60 mosques, per Texas Highways.
Zoom out: Texas as a whole is slightly more religious than the Dallas metro, with 67% identifying as Christian and 6% identifying by another religion.
- In 2007, 84% of Texans identified as Christian and 3% identified by another religion.
Fun fact: Texans are more religious than the broader U.S. population.
- 63% of Texans report they are very or somewhat religious, compared to 57% nationwide.
The intrigue: People who identify as conservative are more likely to be Christian, and liberals are more likely to be religiously unaffiliated.