Unites States >> Religion >> North Carolina
Religion in North Carolina
North Carolina lies in The Bible Belt, a region in the Southern United States in which socially conservative Protestant Christianity plays a strong role in society and politics, and church attendance across the denominations is generally higher than the nation’s average. The region contrasts with the religiously diverse Midwest and Great Lakes, and the Mormon corridor in Utah and southern Idaho.
North Carolina is the US state with the 9th largest population, Christianity being the majority religion and Protestantism as its largest branch. In recent years, surveys show that religious Unaffiliated (people who describe themselves as atheist, agnostic, or simply “nothing in particular”) have been growing as a share of the U.S. adult population.
also read about Race and Ethnicity in North Carolina
Table of Content
North Carolina Religion Percentage
Christianity is the main religion followed by 77% of the population. The largest Christian denomination in North Carolina is Protestants (66%) followed by Roman Catholics (9%), Jehovah’s Witnesses (1%), Mormons (1%), Orthodox Christian (1%), and Other Christian.
About 20% of the population don’t follow or adhere to any faith or religion. Other non-Christian-based religions and faiths are followed by 3% of the population.
Other Religions include Hinduism, Buddhism, Jews, Islam, and other smaller faiths.
| Religion/Affiliations | Percentage |
| Christianity | 77% |
| – Protestantism | – 66% |
| – Roman Catholicism | – 9% |
| – Mormonism | – 1% |
| – Eastern Orthodoxy | – 1% |
| – Jehovah’s Witnesses | – 1% |
| – Other Christian | – <1% |
| Other Religion | 3% |
| Judaism | -1% |
| Islam | -<1% |
| Buddhism | -<1% |
| Hinduism | -<1% |
| Other religion | -1% |
| No religion | 20% |
| Don’t know | 1% |
Source: Pew Research Center
read about Religion in the United States
Christianity in North Carolina
Christianity with 77% followers is the largest in North Carolina. All Protestant denominations accounted for 66% of the population followed by Roman Catholics at 9% of the population.
Of the Protestants in the state, Evangelicals compose 35% of the population, Mainline Protestants 19%, and Historically Black Protestants 12%.
Rest include Mormons, Eastern Orthodoxy, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and other smaller denominations.
| Christianity Affiliations | Percentage |
| Protestantism | 77% |
| – Mainline Protestant | – 35% |
| – Evangelical Protestant | – 19% |
| – Black church | – 12% |
| Roman Catholicism | 9% |
| Mormonism | 1% |
| Eastern Orthodoxy | 1% |
| Jehovah’s Witnesses | 1% |
| Other Christians | <1% |
read about Christianity in the United States
Protestantism in North Carolina
Among Christians in North Carolina, Protestantism is the largest group comprising about 66% 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 35% of the population, Next is Mainline Protestants (19%) and 12% follow the Historically Black Church.
| Protestants Affiliation | % of population |
| Mainline Protestant | 35% |
| Evangelical Protestant | 19% |
| Historically Black Protestant | 12% |
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 churches in North Carolina in 2020 are as follows
| Religious Bodies | Tradition | Family | Adherents |
| Southern Baptist Convention | Evangelical | Baptist | 1,324,747 |
| Non-denominational Christian Churches | Evangelical | Other Groups | 1,053,564 |
| United Methodist Church | Mainline | Methodist | 595,636 |
| Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) | Mainline | Presbyterian/Reformed | 129,110 |
| National Missionary Baptist Convention of America | Black | Baptist | 119,228 |
| African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church | Black | Methodist | 112,251 |
| Episcopal Church | Mainline | Anglican/Episcopal | 74,210 |
| Church of God (Cleveland, Tennessee) | Evangelical | Pentecostal | 68,675 |
| Assemblies of God, General Council of the | Evangelical | Pentecostal | 51,450 |
| Evangelical Lutheran Church in America | Mainline | Lutheran | 50,782 |
read about Protestants in the United States
Catholics in North Carolina
The Catholic Church, with a following of 9% of the state population, is the second largest religious group in North Carolina, after Protestantism. According to the Association of Religion Data Archives (ARDA) in 2020, the Roman Catholic Church had 928,735 members across 198 parishes, making it the third-largest Church in the state of North Carolina.
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 together make up 3% of the North Carolina population and include Hinduism, Buddhism, Jews, Islam, and other smaller faiths.
Other Religion
- Judaism -1%
- Islam – <1%
- Buddhism – <1%
- Hinduism – <1%
- Smaller faiths -2%
also read about Population in North Carolina
Sources
Note: The US census does not contain questions about one’s religious affiliation. Our Article is based on surveys conducted by various institutions and agencies.
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