Do you consider yourself to be very religious? According to the latest Gallup poll, 59 percent of Mississippi residents do.
Respondents were classified as "very religious" if they reported that religion "is an important part of their daily life and they attend religious services every week or almost every week." The study also reported that 40 percent of Americans nationwide are very religous; and that in eight states, at least half of all residents were classifed the same way.
Gallup researchers have found that these results are not due to demographics or religious identities, but the overall culture of the state. For example, Vermont residents who identify as Catholic or Protestant reported being less religious than Mississippi residents of the same denominations. Therefore, it seems that there is something about the structure of the state and the state's history that makes its residents attend services and identify themselves as religous people.
The rest of the top ten "most religious states" are:
2) Utah, 57 percent
3) Alabama, 56 percent
4) Louisiana, 54 percent
5) Arkansas, 54 percent
6) South Carolina, 54 percent
7) Tennessee, 52 percent
8) North Carolina, 50 percent
9) Georgia, 48 percent
10) Oklahoma 48 percent
Vermont and New Hampshire were found to be the least religious states, with only 23 percent of respondents in each state classified as very religious.
Would you have guessed that you live in the most religious state? Do any of these results surprise you?
