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Religion in California

California had rich and diverse religious cultures, and the freedom to practice beliefs has helped give rise to a highly unique religious pluralism and freedom. California is the US state with the largest population, Christianity being the majority religion and Protestantism as its largest branch. 

Despite Protestants having the majority still California has the most Roman Catholics in the United States. It also has the largest Latter-day Saint population outside of Utah.

Since the 1990s, the religious share of Christians has decreased, while Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Sikhism, and other religions have spread, mainly from immigration.

also read about Race and Ethnicity in California

California Religion Percentage

Christianity is the main religion followed by 64% of the population. The largest Christian denomination in California is Protestant (32%) followed by Roman Catholics (28%), Mormonism (1%), Eastern Orthodoxy (1%), Jehovah’s Witnesses (1%), and Other Christian (1%).

Of the Protestants in the state, Evangelical Protestants compose 20% of the population, Mainline Protestants 10%, and Historically Black Protestants 2%.

Non-Christian faiths account for 8%, and the remaining 27% are classified as unaffiliated, which can mean agnostic, atheist, or “nothing in particular.”

Other Religions include Hinduism (2%), Buddhism(2%), Jews (2%), Islam (1%), and other smaller faiths.

Religion/AffiliationsPercentage
Christianity 64%
 – Protestantism – 32%
 – Roman Catholicism – 28%
 – Mormonism -1%
 – Eastern Orthodoxy – 1%
 – Jehovah’s Witnesses – 1%
 – Other Christian – 1%
Other Religion 
  Judaism 2%
  Islam 1%
  Buddhism 2%
  Hinduism 2%
  Smaller Faiths1%
  No religion/ Unaffiliated27%
  Don’t know 1%

read about Religion in United States

Christianity in California

Christianity with 64% followers is the largest in California. All Protestant denominations accounted for 32% of the population, Catholics are 28% of the population, and are the largest individual denomination if Protestantism is divided into various denominations instead of being counted as a single category. 

Rest include Mormons,  Eastern Orthodoxy, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and other smaller denominations. 

According to the Association of Religion Data Archives (ARDA), the largest denominations by adherents in 2010 were the Catholic Church with 10,233,334; The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with 763,818; and the Southern Baptist Convention with 489,953.

Christianity AffiliationsPercentage
Protestantism 32%
– Evangelical Protestant– 20%
– Mainline Protestant– 10%
– Black church– 2%
Roman Catholicism 28%
Mormonism 1%
Eastern Orthodoxy 1%
Jehovah’s Witnesses 1%
Other Christians 1%

Protestantism in California

Among Christians in California, Protestantism is the largest group comprising about 32% of the state’s population. Protestantism in the United States has branched out into several branches, denominations, and various interdenominational and related movements. 

Protestants by tradition can be further classified into three main denominations. Evangelical is the largest and followed by 20% of the population, Next are Mainline Protestants (10%) and 2 % are Historically Black Protestants.

Protestants Affiliation% of  population
Evangelical Protestant20%
Mainline Protestant10%
Historically Black Protestants2%

Protestantism is also comprised of numerous denominational families (e.g., Baptist, Methodist, and Pentecostal) that fit into one or more of the traditions. According to the Association of Religion Data Archives (ARDA), the largest Protestant denomination by adherents in 2020 is the Southern Baptist Convention, Assemblies of God, and Seventh-day Adventist

Let’s have a look at the top 10 Protestant denominations in California

#Religious BodiesTraditionFamilyAdherents
1Non-denominational protestant ChurchesEvangelical Other Groups 1,644,918
2Southern Baptist ConventionEvangelical Baptist 497,030
3Assemblies of GodEvangelical Pentecostal 378,673
4Seventh-day Adventist Evangelical Adventist 221,356
5Church of God in ChristBlack ProtestantPentecostal 160,998
6United Methodist ChurchMainlineMethodist 154,557
7International Church of the Foursquare GospelEvangelical Pentecostal 149,758
8National Missionary Baptist Convention of AmericaBlack ProtestantBaptist 145,918
9Episcopal ChurchMainlineAnglican/Episcopal 99,574
10Church of the NazareneEvangelical Holiness 93,234
11Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)MainlinePresbyterian/Reformed 82,429

read about  Protestants in the United States

Catholics in California

California has the most number of Roman Catholics in the United States. Catholic Church at 28 % of the state population is the second largest religious grouping, after Protestantism. Most Roman Catholics in California are of Mexican, Central American, Irish, German, Italian, Vietnamese, Filipino, and Korean ancestry.

The population of Catholic Californians is rapidly growing due to the influx of Latin American, Asian, African, and Middle Eastern Christian immigrants. According to the Association of Religion Data Archives (ARDA), the number of members affiliated with Catholic religious bodies in 2020 is 10,361,743 which is the largest among all affiliations.

Since the 1990s, the religious share of Christians has decreased, while Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Sikhism, and other religions have spread, mainly from immigration. Other Religions include Hinduism (2%), Buddhism(2%), Jews (2%), Islam (1%), and other smaller faiths.

Jews in California

The state has a large American Jewish community, the second-largest in the nation, as well as the largest in the western U.S., and the third-largest in the world. According to the Association of Religion Data Archives (ARDA), the number of members affiliated with Judaism religious bodies in 2020 is 186,377

Buddhism in California

The state has a large Buddhist community, According to the Association of Religion Data Archives (ARDA), the number of members affiliated with Buddhist religious bodies in 202o is 311,273

Hinduism in California

California has the highest Hindu population in the United States, most of them Indian Americans. Many of the prominent Hindu temples including the Malibu Hindu Temple are located in California. According to the Association of Religion Data Archives (ARDA), the number of members  affiliated with Hindusim religious bodies in 2020 is 238,702

Islam in California

California has large Muslim communities in west Los Angeles, San Diego, Beverly Hills, Orange County, Santa Clara County, and the Modesto area. According to the Association of Religion Data Archives (ARDA), the number of members affiliated with Islamic religious bodies in 2020 is 504,056

Religion in California 2024 | Christianity in California