Utah leads the nation in church attendance with half of all residents attending services every week - while New Englanders steer clear of the pews

Daily Mail, UK/February 20, 2015

By Mia De Graaf

Utah is more religious than any other American state with more than half its residents claiming to attend church services every week, a study shows.

It beats the entire 'Bible Belt' of the South, and far outstrips the Northeast, where church attendance is the lowest in the country.

Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana and Arkansas complete the top five, as Vermont trails last.

According to a survey by Gallup, 51 per cent of Utahns attend church at least once a week.

The figures are likely a result of the fact that 59percent of the state self-identifies as Mormon, the faith that boasts higher levels of church attendance than any other religion in the US.

The South owes its high level of church attendance to sizable black and Protestant populations, the study authors report.

With just 17percent of self-proclaimed weekly churchgoers, Vermont came last in the list, closely followed by New Hampshire (20 per cent), Maine (20 per cent), and Massachusetts (22 per cent).

Higest church attendance

    Utah - 51%
    Mississippi - 47%
    Alabama - 46%
    Louisiana - 46%
    Arkansas - 45%
    South Carolina - 42% 
    Tennessee - 42%
    Kentucky - 41%
    North Carolina - 40%
    Georgia, Texas, Oklahoma (tie) - 39% 

Lowest church attendance

    Vermont - 17%
    New Hampshire - 20%
    Maine - 20%
    Massachusetts - 22%
    Washington - 24%
    Oregon- 24%
    Hawaii - 25%
    Colorado - 25%
    Connecticut - 25%
    Alaska - 26%

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