# Which U.S. city has the most churches per capita? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 9, 2004, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-u-s-city-has-the-most-churches-per-capita/259112 "2004-08-09T23:19:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![bonhoeffer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/96bed5/32.png) [@bonhoeffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bonhoeffer)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2004, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-u-s-city-has-the-most-churches-per-capita/259112/1 "2004-08-09T23:19:56Z")
I live in Louisville KY and I have always heard that we have the most churches per capita. While hunting online to verify this fact, I saw that Las Vegas and Cincinnati also claim to have the most churches per capita. I could not find verification for any of these claims. Can anyone find verifiable data on this? Thank you! ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2004, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-u-s-city-has-the-most-churches-per-capita/259112/2 "2004-08-09T23:33:32Z")
Well…according to my research, and the Guinness Book of Records, that title goes to, or at least went to: **Turlock, California**. But then there are other sites that claim Wheaton, Ill. and Abilene, Tx as having the most. Louisville isn’t mentioned anywhere. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Abbie\_Carmichael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/49beb7/32.png) [@Abbie\_Carmichael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Abbie_Carmichael)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2004, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-u-s-city-has-the-most-churches-per-capita/259112/3 "2004-08-10T01:13:01Z")
[Huntington, West Virginia](http://www.huntingtonchamber.org/localinfo/lifestyle_guide/worship.html) claims 2 records: 1. Most churches per capita 2. Most churches on one particular street than any other street in the country #1 is probably false. I’d put money on #2, though. Throw a rock on 5th Avenue and you’ll hit a church. Probably 5th Avenue Baptist, because as the website says it’s a monster of a building. ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2004, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-u-s-city-has-the-most-churches-per-capita/259112/4 "2004-08-10T03:37:12Z")
Must be Centralia, PA. A once fully occupied coal mining town that has been virtually abandoned since an underground coal fire went out of control and will take decades (centuries?) to burn out. I believe something like two people remain in town. If there is just once church, then that is 1 church for every 2 people. ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2004, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-u-s-city-has-the-most-churches-per-capita/259112/5 "2004-08-10T03:45:05Z")
I think this is probably one of those superlatives that every small city tries to lay claim to as the one I am currently living in – Dallas, Oregon – is said to have the same distinction. ---
**Author:** ![Askia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Askia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askia)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2004, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-u-s-city-has-the-most-churches-per-capita/259112/6 "2004-08-10T04:44:35Z")
I used to think this was especially true of Aiken, SC. Whole damn town is covered with churches – black, white, non-denominational, storefront, revival camps… ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2004, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-u-s-city-has-the-most-churches-per-capita/259112/7 "2004-08-10T13:05:05Z")
Just for laughs, you all may be interested in hearing about the town of Liberal, Missouri. It was founded in 18[sub]mumblemumble[/sub] by a forward-thinking (for the time) visionary who disdained organized religion, the demon rum, and Republicans. In that order. He set out to create a utopia, as it were, where there were no bars or churches. The townsfolk would be like-minded, well-educated liberals who could raise their children in an environment free of religion. Today Liberal, Missouri has no more or no fewer churches (and bars, for that matter) than any town of similar size in western Missouri. As for its residents’ politics, one can only guess. But I note that rural western Missouri tends to lean heavily to the right. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2004, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-u-s-city-has-the-most-churches-per-capita/259112/8 "2004-08-10T14:04:00Z")
I have heard this about Wheaton, IL (as mentioned) and also about Nashville, TN (which I doubt). I think it’s more likely to be a small town. If you have three churches in a town of 1500 (like many small towns), that’s one for every 500 people. In a city of 500,000 people, you’d need 1,000 churches for the same ratio. ---
**Author:** ![jfortun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/2acd7d/32.png) [@jfortun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jfortun)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2004, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-u-s-city-has-the-most-churches-per-capita/259112/9 "2004-08-10T14:23:39Z")
My son goes to a private (non-religous) school in Wheaton, IL and I for one believe the claim. The number of churches is almost frightening. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2004, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-u-s-city-has-the-most-churches-per-capita/259112/10 "2004-08-10T14:41:11Z")
Well, I don’t know about churches, but Sunnydale, CA has the most cemeteries per capita. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Duke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e8c25b/32.png) [@Duke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2004, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-u-s-city-has-the-most-churches-per-capita/259112/11 "2004-08-10T16:10:55Z")
> [@Philster](#): > > Must be Centralia, PA. (snip)… I believe something like two people remain in town. > > If there is just once church, then that is 1 church for every 2 people. [Twenty people](http://www.roadsideamerica.com/attract/PACENmine.html), actually. But it’s rather a moot point–I would figure that the OP is inquiring about active congregations. If there’s nobody around, there’s nobody to go to church. ---
**Author:** ![CaveMike](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cavemike/32/16379_2.png) [@CaveMike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaveMike)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2004, 8:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-u-s-city-has-the-most-churches-per-capita/259112/12 "2004-08-11T08:17:38Z")
I have often heard Wheaton, IL too, but I don’t think it can be true. The population of Wheaton is [55,416](http://www.commerce.state.il.us/communityprofiles/profiles/WHEATON.HTM) and their website lists [32](http://www.wheaton.il.us/Community/Related-Li/churches.htm_cvt.htm) churches. Yahoo yellow pages lists [46](http://yp.yahoo.com/py/ypResults.py?Pyt=Typ&city=Wheaton&state=IL&uzip=60187&country=us&msa=1600&cs=4&ed=OeV.DK1o2TypM27jkA0VB_0szcW3JuZYqZ4v8aM_qvbn&tab=B2C&stx=85537085&stp=y&desc=All+Churches&offset=19&FBoffset=0&toggle=&stat=ClkNxtUpper&ls=&lp=&xargs=02u3hs9yoaKCstSjWzAFC1QsyyctTTIMQYAAGMUQwG). That means churches per capita of either 1732 or 1205. Doesn’t seem that high. Contrast that with Evanston, IL. The population is [74,239](http://www.cityofevanston.org/facts.html). Their website lists (very roughly) [97](http://www.epl.org/city/worship.html) houses of worship. Yahoo yellow pages lists 104. With churches per capita of either 765 or 714. However, there must be tons of rural towns with 100 people and one church. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2004, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-u-s-city-has-the-most-churches-per-capita/259112/13 "2004-08-11T12:40:05Z")
I grew up on a farm where the nearest town had 300 people and two churches. The next nearest town had 350 people and also had two churches. Most of the people in those churches didn’t live in town but in the surrounding rural areas. There was nothing remotely special about these towns, I suspect. A lot of small towns in the U.S. have approximately the same numbers. I think that it’s probably impossible to come up with a useful answer to the question in the OP unless you specify a minimum size for the town. In most very small towns, the congregation of the churches consists mostly of people who live in nearby farms and such and not in the town itself. ---
**Author:** ![Turlock\_turkeys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5daacb/32.png) [@Turlock\_turkeys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turlock_turkeys)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2012, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-u-s-city-has-the-most-churches-per-capita/259112/14 "2012-05-30T23:47:38Z")
Yes, I live in Turlock and altho’ we are an agriculture town. There has got to be atleast 4/5 churches almost on every bust street. I was just thinking abt counting them again. But, just because you have lots of churches doesn’t mean it is the safest city. I know, my daughter is a victim ofa crime. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2012, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-u-s-city-has-the-most-churches-per-capita/259112/15 "2012-05-31T00:52:24Z")
As of the 2010 census, Turlock had a population of more than 80,000. While it’s true that there was once a claim that Turlock had the most churches per capita, that claim dates back to the 1930’s. This was probably because it was very ethnically diverse and had a separate church for each ethnic group: > **[Turlock, California](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turlock,_California)** > > Turlock is a city in Stanislaus County, California, United States. Its estimated 2019 population of 73,631 made it the second-largest city in Stanislaus County after Modesto. > Founded on December 22, 1871, by prominent grain farmer John William Mitchell, the town consisted of a post office, a depot, a grain warehouse and a few other buildings. Mitchell declined the honor of having the town named for himself. The name "Turlock" was then chosen instead. The name is believed to originate from the ... As I said in my post (back in 2004), I think this is very unlikely to be true. There are probably some small towns with, say, 400 people in the town itself with two or three churches. This is because the churches actually serve the entire surrounding area which has a lot of rural residents. So there are really two or three churches for 3,000 to 5,000 people. A small town of 400 people with two churches has one church _within the town itself_ for each 200 people. Turlock would have to have 400 churches to equal this. I really suspect this isn’t the case. An honest, valid comparison would have to take into account the population of the area that the churches actually serve. ---
**Author:** ![smile5everyday](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6de8d8/32.png) [@smile5everyday](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smile5everyday)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2013, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-u-s-city-has-the-most-churches-per-capita/259112/16 "2013-05-07T15:43:14Z")
Tallmadge [1] is a city in Summit County. The city holds the Guinness Book of World Records for the most churches per capita. ---
**Author:** ![smile5everyday](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6de8d8/32.png) [@smile5everyday](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smile5everyday)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2013, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-u-s-city-has-the-most-churches-per-capita/259112/17 "2013-05-07T15:45:12Z")
Tallmadge, Ohio which is situated in Summit County has the most churches per capita in the U.S. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2013, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-u-s-city-has-the-most-churches-per-capita/259112/18 "2013-05-07T18:08:36Z")
> [@smile5everyday](#): > > Tallmadge, Ohio which is situated in Summit County has the most churches per capita in the U.S. Never heard of that before. According to this [random church listing page](http://www.churchangel.com/WEBOH/tallmadge.htm) there are 26 churches there for 17,570 people. Kirtland, the opposite way up Rt. 91, [has 10 churches](http://www.kirtlandohio.com/info/worship.html) for 6,880 people. They’re both at about 680 people per church. That can’t hardly be a record. Both places do have historical churches, though. ---
**Author:** ![Hershele\_Ostropoler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e47c2d/32.png) [@Hershele\_Ostropoler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hershele_Ostropoler)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-u-s-city-has-the-most-churches-per-capita/259112/19 "2013-05-08T00:47:27Z")
I’m wondering if there can be different answers depending on definitions (including or excluding unincorporated suburbs, say, or juggling what you consider a house of worship). ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-u-s-city-has-the-most-churches-per-capita/259112/20 "2013-05-08T00:50:11Z")
I’m dying to tell one of my favorite Jewish jokes, it’s exactly on point, but I just did a couple weeks ago in another thread. Somebody coax me… [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-u-s-city-has-the-most-churches-per-capita/259112.md?page=2)