Unites States >> Religion >> West Virginia
Religion in West Virginia
The United States had rich and diverse religious cultures, and the freedom to practice beliefs has helped give rise to a highly unique religious pluralism and freedom. West Virginia is a state in the Southeastern United States, with Christianity being the majority religion and Protestantism as its largest branch.
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 West Virginia
Table of Content
West Virginia Religion Percentage
Christianity is the main religion followed by 78% of the population. The largest Christian denomination in West Virginia is Protestant (70%) followed by Roman Catholics (6%), Mormonism (2%), and Other Christians.
About 18% of the population doesn’t follow or adhere to any faith or religion and the rest 3% follow other non-Christian-based religions. Other Religions include Hinduism, Buddhism, Jews, Islam, and other smaller faiths.
| Religion/Affiliations | Percentage |
| Christianity | 78% |
| – Protestantism | – 70% |
| – Roman Catholicism | – 6% |
| – Mormonism | – 2% |
| – 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 | 18% |
| Don’t know | 1% |
Source: Pew Research Center
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Christianity in West Virginia
Christianity with 78% followers is the largest in West Virginia. All Protestant denominations accounted for 70% of the population, Catholics are 6% 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.
| Christianity Affiliations | Percentage |
| Protestantism | 70% |
| – Evangelical Protestant | – 39% |
| – Mainline Protestant | – 29% |
| – Black church | – 2% |
| Roman Catholicism | 6% |
| Mormonism | 2% |
| Eastern Orthodoxy | <1% |
| Jehovah’s Witnesses | <1% |
| Other Christians | <1% |
read about Christianity in United States
Protestantism in West Virginia
Among Christians in West Virginia, Protestantism is the largest group comprising about 70% 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 39% of the population, Next are Mainline Protestants (29%) and Black Church (2%)
| Protestants Affiliation | % of population |
| Evangelical Protestant | 39% |
| Mainline Protestant | 29% |
| Historically Black Protestant | 2% |
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 the number of adherents in 2020 is as follows
| # | Protestants Churches | Tradition | Family | Adherents |
| 1 | Non-denominational Churches | Evangelical | Others | 152,518 |
| 2 | United Methodist Church | Mainline | Methodist | 111,565 |
| 3 | American Baptist Churches in the U.S.A. | Mainline | Baptist | 77,838 |
| 4 | Southern Baptist Convention | Evangelical | Baptist | 35,008 |
| 5 | Church of God (Cleveland, Tennessee) | Evangelical | Pentecostal | 20,865 |
read about Protestants in United States
Catholics in West Virginia
Catholic Church at 6% of the state population is the second largest religious grouping, after Protestantism. According to the Association of Religion Data Archives (ARDA), the third largest denomination by adherents in 2020 was the Catholic Church with 100,780 adherents.
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, Buddhism, Jews, Islam, and other smaller faiths.
| Other Religion | 3% |
| Judaism | 1% |
| Islam | 1% |
| Buddhism | <1% |
| Hinduism | <1% |
| smaller faiths | 1% |
also read about Population of West Virginia
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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