Mar 29, 2024 - News
Mapped: Religious service attendance in North Carolina vs the US
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
The Bible Belt still firmly runs through North Carolina.
Why it matters: More than three-quarters of Americans say religion's role in public life is shrinking, per a recent Pew Research Center survey — the highest level since the group first started tracking such sentiment in 2001.
Yes, but: North Carolinians go to religious services — across varying faith groups — more regularly than the rest of the country.
- Among North Carolina adults, 43% say they never or seldom attend church or religious services. That's compared to the national average of 49%, according to a Household Pulse Survey conducted Feb. 6-March 4.
- Other Sun Belt states are largely in line with the Tar Heel State, and Mississippi (32%), Alabama (36%) and Louisiana (37%) have the country's lowest share of adults who say they don't attend church.
Zoom out: Religious service attendance nationally has been dropping for decades, per Gallup, driven largely by "the increase in the percentage of Americans with no religious affiliation — 9% in 2000-2003 versus 21% in 2021-2023."
- 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.