Oregonians are among the nation's least religious
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Oregonians are some of the Americans least likely to go to church.
Why it matters: More than three-quarters of Americans say religion's role in public life is shrinking, per a recent survey by Pew Research Center — the highest level since the group started tracking such sentiment in 2001.
We are up there with Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine — and our Washington cousins — when it comes to staying away from church.
By the numbers: Among Oregon adults, 62% say they never or seldom attend church or religious services, compared with the national average of 49%, per a new analysis of U.S. Census Bureau Household Pulse Survey data.
- 9% of Oregonians attend services one to three times a year, 3% attend four to 11 times per year, and 17% attend 12 or more times.
Zoom out: Vermont (75%), New Hampshire (66%) and Maine (66%) have the highest share of adults who say they never or seldom attend church or religious services.
- Mississippi (32%), Alabama (36%) and Louisiana (37%) have the lowest shares, meaning they are the most churched states.
The big picture: Many Americans are unhappy about religion's shrinking role in public life, with about half of adults telling Pew both that "religion is losing influence and that this is a bad thing."
Friction point: Nearly half of U.S. adults say they feel at least "some" tension between their religious beliefs and mainstream culture, Pew found.
- That's up from 42% in 2020.
Bottom line: Religious service attendance has been dropping for decades, per a separate Gallup survey, driven largely by "the increase in the percentage of Americans with no religious affiliation — 9% in 2000-2003 versus 21% in 2021-2023."