Americans Identify With Religious Diversity, But They Divide Over Religion’s Role
Even as millions gather to mark religious holidays in public and private spaces this month, the role of religion and faith in America remains a point of stark disagreement. In the latest ACP/Ipsos survey of 5,400 respondents, just over half (56%) said, “Religion and faith are important parts of American life.” But the variance at the community level ranged 34 points — and emphasized the country’s rural-urban divide on a signature sociocultural issue.
In very rural communities of moderate to low means, Aging Farmlands and Native American Lands, more than 75% of residents said religion and faith are important parts of American life. For Evangelical Hubs and Working Class Country, rural communities with lower-incomes based in the South, Midwest, and Appalachia, the figures were in the mid-60s. In middle-income rural communities in the country’s upper tier and interior West — Rural Middle America and LDS Enclaves — 59% of residents said religion/faith was important in American life. In African American South and Military Posts, known for their large Black populations, 57% and 52% of residents said so. On the opposite end of the spectrum were urban-oriented places: Big Cities, Urban Suburbs, and College Towns. Characterized by higher density, affluence, economic stratification, and many cultures, these communities were in the mid- to upper-40s.
Notwithstanding the divides over religion and faith in American life, attending religious services is not widely popular. Across communities, 4 in 10 said they attend religious services at least every few months. Graying America counties, where more than a quarter of residents are 65 and older, were the exception — 51% said they never attend services.
This push-pull over religion’s role at the individual and national levels was captured in journalism and research this past year, including:
- The Washington Post’s “A new public school in Colorado has a ‘Christian foundation.’ Can it last?” (Dec. 11, 2025)
- Gallup’s “Drop in U.S. Religiosity Among Largest in World” (Nov. 13, 2025)
- Pew Research Center’s “Growing Share of U.S. Adults Say Religion Is Gaining Influence in American Life” (Oct. 20, 2025)
- The New York Times’s “Americans Haven’t Found a Satisfying Alternative to Religion” (April 18, 2025)
- The American Communities Project’s “For Americans, Faith in Private Is Strong, While Religion in Public Deeply Divides” (March 10, 2025)
Defined by Diversity
In America, religious/faith diversity appears as foundational as the right of religious freedom. Such diversity was underlined in the ACP/Ipsos survey conducted in August 2025. Respondents encompassed a multiplicity of religions as well as no religion. Nationally, Christianity in various forms was dominant, particularly Protestant denominations at 36% and Catholicism at 18%. But all the major religions as well as some smaller groups were represented. Nationally, a quarter said they were no religion. Unaffiliateds hit at least 30% in College Towns, Big Cities, and Graying America. (The full chart is too large to view below. Please visit this link.)
Those who identified as Protestant Christians, other Christians, other non-Christians, something else, or skipped the religion question were asked about being evangelical or born-again, and 56% identified this way. There was no clear urban and rural split. Percentages reached the mid- to upper-60s in the African American South, Working Class Country, and Evangelical Hubs, unsurprisingly. However, Big Cities mirrored the national average. Meanwhile, Urban Suburbs and Aging Farmlands — often apart in geography, density, diversity, educational attainment, and affluence — were both in the mid-40s.
Faith/Religious Similarities With People in Your Community
Survey respondents indicated an awareness of living among people who have different faith backgrounds and practices than their own. Asked whether they feel they have similar or different faith/religious practice than most people in their community, 49% said their practice was mostly similar, 29% said mostly different, and 22% didn’t know or skipped the question. Similarities were highest in the very sparsely populated, yet often close-knit Aging Farmlands and Native American Lands. In diverse communities — College Towns, Big Cities, Urban Suburbs, African American South, and Hispanic Centers — similarities in religious/faith practice fell below the national average. In most communities, percentages of people who didn’t know or skipped the question reached at least 20%.