357,000
Congregations counted nationwide
The 2020 U.S. Religion Census identified nearly 357,000 congregations across participating religious bodies.
Source: U.S. Religion Census, 2020Reference page
U.S. church and congregation statistics.
A current, sourced snapshot of congregations, religious affiliation, and service attendance in the United States. Last updated October 9, 2026.
Key figures
Numbers worth citing.
Every figure below links to the original research and includes the date of the underlying study.
161M+
Religious adherents counted
The same census identified more than 161 million adherents across its participating religious bodies.
Source: U.S. Religion Census, 2020372
Faith groups represented
The 2020 edition included data from 372 religious bodies, giving the census a broad county-level view of religious affiliation.
Source: U.S. Religion Census, 202062%
Adults who identify as Christian
In Pew Research Center's 2023-24 Religious Landscape Study, 62% of U.S. adults described themselves as Christian.
Source: Pew Research Center, 2023-24 study, published February 26, 202529%
Adults with no religious affiliation
Pew found that 29% of U.S. adults identified as atheist, agnostic, or nothing in particular.
Source: Pew Research Center, 2023-24 study, published February 26, 202533%
Adults attending at least monthly
One-third of U.S. adults said they attend religious services at least once or twice a month.
Source: Pew Research Center, 2023-24 study, published February 26, 202525%
Adults attending in person weekly or more
Pew's 2023-24 study found that one in four U.S. adults attend religious services in person at least weekly.
Source: Pew Research Center, 2023-24 study, published January 29, 202644%
Adults who pray daily
Pew reported that 44% of U.S. adults say they pray at least once a day.
Source: Pew Research Center, 2023-24 study, published February 26, 202583%
Adults believing in God or a universal spirit
Pew found that 83% of U.S. adults believe in God or a universal spirit.
Source: Pew Research Center, 2023-24 study, published February 26, 202586%
Adults believing people have a soul or spirit
Pew reported that 86% of U.S. adults believe people have a soul or spirit in addition to their physical body.
Source: Pew Research Center, 2023-24 study, published February 26, 202546% / 80%
Christian affiliation among youngest and oldest adults
Among adults ages 18 to 24, 46% identify as Christian, compared with 80% of adults ages 74 and older.
Source: Pew Research Center, 2023-24 study, published February 26, 202525% / 49%
Regular attendance among youngest and oldest adults
Twenty-five percent of adults ages 18 to 24 attend religious services at least monthly, compared with 49% of adults ages 74 and older.
Source: Pew Research Center, 2023-24 study, published February 26, 2025How to read these figures
National data is a starting point, not a substitute for the local picture.
Congregation counts, religious affiliation, prayer, and attendance measure different things. They are useful for understanding the national landscape, but a church's own attendance, neighborhood, denomination, and ministry priorities will always tell the more immediate story.
The U.S. Religion Census reports congregations and adherents from participating religious bodies. Pew Research Center reports survey responses from U.S. adults. Reading both together gives a fuller view than either measure alone.
Methodology and sources
Where these numbers come from.
U.S. Religion Census, 2020
A county-level count of congregations and adherents from participating religious bodies. The 2020 edition included 372 religious bodies.
Read the U.S. Religion CensusPew Research Center Religious Landscape Study, 2023-24
A nationally representative survey of 36,908 U.S. adults, conducted from July 17, 2023 to March 4, 2024 and published February 26, 2025.
Read Pew Research Center's findingsCite this page
Mikelarc. “U.S. Church and Congregation Statistics.” Updated October 9, 2026. https://mikelarc.com/church-statistics
For the spaces where people gather