Demographics of North Carolina - Religion

Religion

North Carolina, like other Southern states, has traditionally been overwhelmingly Protestant. By the late 19th century, the largest Protestant denomination was the Southern Baptists. However, the rapid influx of northerners and immigrants from Latin America is steadily increasing the number of Roman Catholics and Jews in the state. The Baptists remain the single largest church in the state, however.

The growing diversity of religious groups in North Carolina is most visible in the state's larger urban areas, such as Charlotte and Raleigh-Durham. It is in these cities and suburbs that most of the state's new immigrants and residents have settled. However, in many rural counties the Southern Baptists remain the dominant Christian church. The second-largest Protestant church in North Carolina are the Methodists, who are strong in the northern Piedmont, and especially in populous Guilford County. There are also substantial numbers of Quakers in Guilford County, and northeastern North Carolina.

The Presbyterians, historically Scots-Irish, have had a strong presence in Charlotte, the state's largest city, and in Scotland County. The religious affiliations of the people of North Carolina, as of 2001, are shown below:

• Christian: 79%
  • Protestant: 57%
    • Baptist: 38%
    • Methodist: 9%
    • Presbyterian: 3%
    • Lutheran: 2%
    • Other Protestant: 5%
  • Roman Catholic: 10%
  • Other Christian such as Non-denominational, Pentecostal, and the LDS Church: 12%
• Judaism: 1%
• Other religions: 3%
• Non-religious: 10%
• Refused to answer: 7%