Mass at Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles. Los Angeles Almanac Photo.
Pew Research Center Religious Landscape Study, 2014
Religious Beliefs | Percentage | Approximate Number of Persons (Estimate)* |
---|---|---|
Christian Faiths | 65% | 5,113,400 |
Evangelical Protestant | 18% | 1,416,000 |
Mainline Protestant | 9% | 708,000 |
Historically Black Protestant | 3% | 236,000 |
Catholic | 32% | 2,517,300 |
Mormon | <1% | Less than 78,600 |
Orthodox Christian | 1% | 78,600 |
Jehovah's Witness | 1% | 78,600 |
Other Christian (Metaphysical, Etc.) | 1% | 78,600 |
Religious Beliefs | Percentage | Approximate Number of Persons (Estimate)* |
Non-Christian Faiths | 9% | 708,000 |
Jewish | 3% | 236,000 |
Muslim | 2% | 157,300 |
Buddhist | 2% | 157,300 |
Hindu | 1% | 78,600 |
Other World Religions | <1% | Less than 78,600 |
Other Faiths (Unitarians, New Age, Native American, Etc.) | 1% | 78,600 |
Religious Beliefs | Percentage | Approximate Number of Persons (Estimate)* |
Unaffiliated | 25% | 1,966,700 |
Atheist | 4% | 314,600 |
Agnostic | 4% | 314,600 |
Nothing in particular | 16% | 1,258,600 |
Don't know | 1% | 78,600 |
* Percentage of U.S. Census 2019 population estimate of persons age 18 and older. These numbers, not from the Pew Research Center Religious Landscape Study, were calculated by the Los Angeles Almanac.
Source: Pew Research Center - Religious Landscape Study, 2014
The results of the 2020 U.S. Religion Census study, conducted by the Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies and The Association of Religion Data Archives, is expected to be released by early summer of 2022.
Also see:
-- Largest Religious Bodies in Los Angeles County
-- Largest Protestant Christian Churches in Los Angeles County.
Adherents are members and their children and others who regularly attend services.
Religious Body | Tradition | Family | Congregations | Adherents |
---|---|---|---|---|
African Methodist Episcopal Church | Black Protestant | Methodist/ Pietist | 34 | 41,521 |
African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church | Black Protestant | Methodist/ Pietist | 11 | 1,626 |
American Association of Lutheran Churches | Evangelical Protestant | Lutheran | 1 | --- |
American Baptist Association, The | Evangelical Protestant | Baptist | 11 | 1,307 |
American Baptist Churches in the USA | Mainline Protestant | Baptist | 180 | 49,515 |
Anglican Church in North America | Evangelical Protestant | Episcopalianism/ Anglicanism | 8 | --- |
Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America, The | Orthodox | Eastern Liturgical (Orthodox) | 6 | 3,565 |
Apostolic Christian Church of America, Inc. | Evangelical Protestant | European Free-Church | 1 | 78 |
Religious Body | Tradition | Family | Congregations | Adherents |
Apostolic Faith Mission of Portland, OR | Evangelical Protestant | Pentecostal | 1 | 43 |
Apostolic Lutheran Church of America | Evangelical Protestant | Lutheran | 1 | --- |
Armenian Apostolic Church of America (Catholicosate of Cilicia) | Orthodox | Eastern Liturgical (Orthodox) | 7 | 4,100 |
Armenian Church of North America (Catholicosate of Etchmiadzin) | Orthodox | Eastern Liturgical (Orthodox) | 10 | 17,050 |
Armenian Evangelical Churches (Additional) | Evangelical Protestant | Presbyterian- Reformed | 6 | --- |
Assemblies of God | Evangelical Protestant | Pentecostal | 269 | 69,317 |
Assemblies of God International Fellowship | Evangelical Protestant | Pentecostal | 1 | --- |
Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church | Evangelical Protestant | Presbyterian- Reformed | 14 | 422 |
Religious Body | Tradition | Family | Congregations | Adherents |
Association of Reformed Baptist Churches of America | Evangelical Protestant | Baptist | 4 | --- |
Bahá'í | Other | Other Groups | 39 | 8,061 |
Brethren Church, The (Ashland, Ohio) | Evangelical Protestant | European Free- Church | 2 | 196 |
Brethren In Christ Church | Evangelical Protestant | European Free- Church | 3 | --- |
Buddhism, Mahayana | Other | Other Groups | 126 | 70,397 |
Buddhism, Theravada | Other | Other Groups | 29 | 19,132 |
Buddhism, Vajrayana | Other | Other Groups | 27 | 2,168 |
Bulgarian Eastern Orthodox Diocese of the USA, Canada and Australia | Orthodox | Eastern Liturgical (Orthodox) | 1 | 0 |
Religious Body | Tradition | Family | Congregations | Adherents |
Calvary Chapel Fellowship Churches | Evangelical Protestant | Pentecostal | 49 | --- |
Catholic Church | Catholic | Catholicism | 274 | 3,542,994 |
Christian and Missionary Alliance, The | Evangelical Protestant | Holiness | 48 | 6,729 |
Christian Brethren | Evangelical Protestant | Ind. Fundamentalist | 2 | --- |
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) | Mainline Protestant | Restoration Movement | 79 | 8,290 |
Christian Churches and Churches of Christ | Evangelical Protestant | Restoration Movement | 56 | 27,565 |
Christian Methodist Episcopal Church | Black Protestant | Methodist/Pietist | 14 | 3,722 |
Christian Reformed Church in North America | Evangelical Protestant | Presbyterian- Reformed | 52 | 9,892 |
Religious Body | Tradition | Family | Congregations | Adherents |
Church of Christ (Holiness), U.S.A. | Evangelical Protestant | Holiness | 20 | --- |
Church of Christ, Scientist | Other | Christian Science | 41 | --- |
Church of God (Anderson, Indiana) | Evangelical Protestant | Holiness | 30 | 4,941 |
Church of God (Cleveland, Tennessee) | Evangelical Protestant | Pentecostal | 44 | 4,768 |
Church of God (Seventh Day) | Evangelical Protestant | Adventist | 10 | --- |
Church of God General Conference | Evangelical Protestant | Adventist | 1 | 37 |
Church of God in Christ | Black Protestant | Pentecostal | 97 | 25,920 |
Church of God of Prophecy | Evangelical Protestant | Pentecostal | 23 | 1,174 |
Religious Body | Tradition | Family | Congregations | Adherents |
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, The | Other | Latter-day Saints | 226 | 150,569 |
Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ of the Apostolic Faith, Inc. | Black Protestant | Pentecostal | 3 | --- |
Church of the Brethren | Evangelical Protestant | European Free- Church | 11 | 1,216 |
Church of the Lutheran Brethren of America | Evangelical Protestant | Lutheran | 1 | 70 |
Church of the Lutheran Confession | Evangelical Protestant | Lutheran | 1 | --- |
Church of the Nazarene | Evangelical Protestant | Holiness | 105 | 21,870 |
Churches of Christ | Evangelical Protestant | Restoration Movement | 99 | 16,763 |
Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches | Evangelical Protestant | Presbyterian- Reformed | 1 | --- |
Religious Body | Tradition | Family | Congregations | Adherents |
Community of Christ | Other | Latter-day Saints | 5 | 820 |
Conservative Baptist Association of America | Evangelical Protestant | Baptist | 52 | --- |
Conservative Congregational Christian Conference | Evangelical Protestant | Presbyterian- Reformed | 6 | 4,888 |
Conservative Judaism | Other | Judaism | 23 | 26,676 |
Conservative Lutheran Association | Evangelical Protestant | Lutheran | 1 | --- |
Conservative Mennonite Conference | Evangelical Protestant | European Free-Church | 1 | 80 |
Converge Worldwide/Baptist General Conference | Evangelical Protestant | Baptist | 27 | 6,390 |
Coptic Orthodox Church | Orthodox | Eastern Liturgical (Orthodox) | 12 | 11,650 |
Religious Body | Tradition | Family | Congregations | Adherents |
Episcopal Church | Mainline Protestant | Episcopalianism/ Anglicanism | 83 | 38,108 |
Eritrean Orthodox | Orthodox | Eastern Liturgical (Orthodox) | 1 | 650 |
Ethiopian Orthodox | Orthodox | Eastern Liturgical (Orthodox) | 3 | --- |
Evangelical Covenant Church, The | Evangelical Protestant | Methodist/ Pietist | 30 | 7,999 |
Evangelical Free Church of America, The | Evangelical Protestant | Methodist/Pietist | 33 | 7,305 |
Evangelical Friends Church International | Evangelical Protestant | European Free- Church | 16 | 1,644 |
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America | Mainline Protestant | Lutheran | 109 | 23,713 |
Evangelical Lutheran Synod | Evangelical Protestant | Lutheran | 1 | 49 |
Religious Body | Tradition | Family | Congregations | Adherents |
Evangelical Methodist Church | Evangelical Protestant | Methodist/ Pietist | 2 | --- |
Evangelical Presbyterian Church | Evangelical Protestant | Presbyterian- Reformed | 1 | 34 |
Foursquare Gospel, International Church of the | Evangelical Protestant | Pentecostal | 234 | 54,646 |
Free Methodist Church of North America | Evangelical Protestant | Holiness | 31 | 3,972 |
Friends United Meeting | Mainline Protestant | European Free-Church | 1 | 417 |
Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship | Black Protestant | Baptist | 23 | --- |
General Association of Regular Baptist Churches | Evangelical Protestant | Baptist | 18 | --- |
Georgian Orthodox Parishes in the United States | Orthodox | Eastern Liturgical (Orthodox) | 1 | 150 |
Religious Body | Tradition | Family | Congregations | Adherents |
Grace Brethren Churches, Fellowship of | Mainline Protestant | European Free- Church | 13 | --- |
Grace Gospel Fellowship | Evangelical Protestant | Ind. Fundamentalist | 1 | --- |
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America | Orthodox | Eastern Liturgical (Orthodox) | 8 | 9,155 |
Hindu, Indian American Hindu Temple Assoc. | Other | Other Groups | 16 | 9,759 |
Hindu, Post Renaissance | Other | Other Groups | 34 | 946 |
Hindu, Renaissance | Other | Other Groups | 15 | 572 |
Hindu, Traditional Temples | Other | Other Groups | 13 | 8,336 |
Holy Orthodox Church in North America | Orthodox | Eastern Liturgical (Orthodox) | 1 | 120 |
Religious Body | Tradition | Family | Congregations | Adherents |
Hungarian Reformed Churches (Additional) | Mainline Protestant | Presbyterian- Reformed | 1 | --- |
Independent Fundamental Churches of America | Evangelical Protestant | Ind. Fundamentalist | 13 | --- |
Independent Yearly Meetings of Friends | Mainline Protestant | European Free- Church | 5 | 242 |
International Churches of Christ | Evangelical Protestant | Baptist | 2 | 6,169 |
International Council of Community Churches | Mainline Protestant | Presbyterian- Reformed | 5 | --- |
International Pentecostal Holiness Church | Evangelical Protestant | Pentecostal | 20 | 4,684 |
Jehovah's Witnesses | Other | Adventist | 133 | 9,600** |
Korean Presbyterian Church Abroad | Evangelical Protestant | Presbyterian- Reformed | 39 | --- |
Religious Body | Tradition | Family | Congregations | Adherents |
Korean Presbyterian Church in America | Evangelical Protestant | Presbyterian- Reformed | 70 | --- |
Korean American Presbyterian Church | Evangelical Protestant | Presbyterian- Reformed | 48 | --- |
Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod | Evangelical Protestant | Lutheran | 90 | 18,317 |
Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ | Evangelical Protestant | Lutheran | 10 | 4,322 |
Macedonian Orthodox Church: American Diocese | Orthodox | Eastern Liturgical (Orthodox) | 1 | 300 |
Malankara Archdiocese of the Syrian Orthodox Church in North America | Orthodox | Eastern Liturgical (Orthodox) | 1 | 216 |
Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church | Orthodox | Eastern Liturgical (Orthodox) | 3 | 420 |
Mennonite Church USA | Evangelical Protestant | European Free-Church | 24 | 2,116 |
Religious Body | Tradition | Family | Congregations | Adherents |
Metropolitan Community Churches, Universal Fellowship of | Mainline Protestant | Other Groups | 4 | 564 |
Missionary Church, The | Evangelical Protestant | Holiness | 18 | 4,611 |
Moravian Church in America--Northern Province | Mainline Protestant | Methodist/ Pietist | 1 | 216 |
Muslim Estimate | Other | Other Groups | 59 | 69,080 |
National Association of Congregational Christian Churches | Mainline Protestant | Presbyterian- Reformed | 8 | 2,434 |
National Association of Free Will Baptists | Evangelical Protestant | Baptist | 5 | 282 |
National Baptist Convention of America, Inc. | Black Protestant | Baptist | 16 | 10,106 |
National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc. | Black Protestant | Baptist | 52 | 23,659 |
Religious Body | Tradition | Family | Congregations | Adherents |
National Missionary Baptist Convention, Inc. | Black Protestant | Baptist | 25 | 3,322 |
National Spiritualist Association of Churches | Other | Spiritualist | 1 | --- |
New Apostolic Church of North America, National Organization of the | Other | Other Groups | 5 | --- |
Non-denominational | Evangelical Protestant | ---- | 720 | 345,848 |
North American Baptist Conference | Evangelical Protestant | Baptist | 3 | 104 |
Open Bible Standard Churches, Inc. | Evangelical Protestant | Pentecostal | 510 | |
Orthodox Church in America | Orthodox | Eastern Liturgical (Orthodox) | 8 | 1,101 |
Orthodox Judaism | Other | Judaism | 150 | 44,400 |
Religious Body | Tradition | Family | Congregations | Adherents |
Orthodox Presbyterian Church, The | Evangelical Protestant | Presbyterian- Reformed | 4 | 632 |
Pentecostal Church of God | Evangelical Protestant | Pentecostal | 14 | 3,278 |
Pentecostal Fire-Baptized Holiness Church | Evangelical Protestant | Pentecostal | 1 | --- |
Pentecostal Free Will Baptist Church, Inc. | Evangelical Protestant | Pentecostal | 2 | --- |
Pillar of Fire | Evangelical Protestant | Holiness | 1 | 50 |
Polish National Catholic Church | Catholic | Catholicism | 1 | --- |
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) | Mainline Protestant | Presbyterian- Reformed | 150 | 38,476 |
Presbyterian Church in America | Evangelical Protestant | Presbyterian- Reformed | 35 | 1,027 |
Religious Body | Tradition | Family | Congregations | Adherents |
Progressive National Baptist Convention, Inc. | Black Protestant | Baptist | 12 | 2,462 |
Reconstructionist Judaism | Other | Judaism | 3 | 3,761 |
Reform Judaism | Other | Judaism | 26 | 33,631 |
Reformed Baptist Churches | Evangelical Protestant | Baptist | 5 | --- |
Reformed Church in America | Mainline Protestant | Presbyterian- Reformed | 13 | 6,293 |
Reformed Church in the United States | Evangelical Protestant | Presbyterian- Reformed | 1 | 44 |
Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America | Evangelical Protestant | Presbyterian- Reformed | 1 | 63 |
Romanian Orthodox Archdiocese in Americas | Orthodox | Eastern Liturgical (Orthodox) | 2 | 250 |
Religious Body | Tradition | Family | Congregations | Adherents |
Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia | Orthodox | Eastern Liturgical (Orthodox) | 3 | 4,100 |
Salvation Army | Evangelical Protestant | Holiness | 23 | 7,529 |
Serbian Orthodox Church in North America | Orthodox | Eastern Liturgical (Orthodox) | 3 | 5,240 |
Seventh Day Baptist General Conference, USA and Canada | Evangelical Protestant | Baptist | 3 | 67 |
Seventh-day Adventist Church | Evangelical Protestant | Adventist | 140 | 44,377 |
Sikh | Other | Other Groups | 14 | --- |
Southern Baptist Convention | Evangelical Protestant | Baptist | 517 | 100,329 |
Swedenborgian Church | Other | Spiritualist | 1 | --- |
Religious Body | Tradition | Family | Congregations | Adherents |
Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch | Orthodox | Eastern Liturgical (Orthodox) | 2 | 4,800 |
Tao | Other | Other Groups | 5 | --- |
U.S. Mennonite Brethren | Evangelical Protestant | European Free- Church | 11 | 1,088 |
Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA | Orthodox | Eastern Liturgical (Orthodox) | 2 | 400 |
Union of Messianic Jewish Congregations | Other | Judaism | 2 | --- |
Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations | Other | Liberal | 14 | 2,869 |
United Church of Christ | Mainline Protestant | Presbyterian-Reformed | 54 | 10,861 |
United Holy Church of America, Inc. | Black Protestant | Pentecostal | 3 | --- |
Religious Body | Tradition | Family | Congregations | Adherents |
United Methodist Church, The | Mainline Protestant | Methodist/ Pietist | 154 | 49,927 |
United Pentecostal Church International | Evangelical Protestant | Pentecostal | 33 | --- |
United Reformed Churches in North America | Evangelical Protestant | Presbyterian-Reformed | 2 | --- |
Unity Churches, Association of | Other | Other Groups | 14 | --- |
Vicariate for the Palestinian/Jordanian Orthodox Christian Communities | Orthodox | Eastern Liturgical (Orthodox) | 1 | 250 |
Vineyard USA | Evangelical Protestant | Pentecostal | 17 | 10,406 |
Wesleyan Church, The | Evangelical Protestant | Holiness | 29 | 4,190 |
Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod | Evangelical Protestant | Lutheran | 8 | 1,173 |
Religious Body | Tradition | Family | Congregations | Adherents |
Zoroastrian | Other | Other Groups | 2 | 417 |
TOTALS | 5,773 | 5,214,110 |
** Estimated by the Los Angeles Almanac.
Source: Assn. of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies and Los Angeles Almanac research.
With 14 congregations in 2010, Los Angeles County is home to the largest number of Sikh congregations in the United States.
The First Congregational Church, founded in 1867 and currently located at 540 South Commonwealth Avenue in Los Angeles, is the oldest continually operating Protestant church in Los Angeles County. Since its founding in the home of Amanda Scott in 1867, the church has regularly met in five different buildings. The current Gothic edifice was completed in 1932. Among its past ministers was Lloyd C. Douglas, author of The Robe.
The First African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church, located on South Harvard Boulevard, is the oldest African American church in Los Angeles. It was founded in 1872 in the home of Biddy Mason, a former slave who had become a successful Downtown Los Angeles landowner.
The first Protestant church established in Los Angeles was founded by William Money in 1841. He was run out of town by the Catholic Church. The first Methodist sermon in Los Angeles was preached by Reverend James Brier in 1850. His congregation consisted of his family and L.A.'s mayor at that time.