American Orthodoxy by the Numbers

Monthly Select Month October 2010  (39) September 2010  (211) August 2010  (206) July 2010  (224) June 2010  (190) May 2010  (201) April 2010  (182) March 2010  (153) February 2010  (137) January 2010  (140) December 2009  (123) November 2009  (123) October 2009  (94) September 2009  (149) August 2009  (176) July 2009  (221) June 2009  (172) May 2009  (125) April 2009  (133) March 2009  (144) February 2009  (122) January 2009  (97) December 2008  (113) November 2008  (106) October 2008  (118) September 2008  (157) August 2008  (134) July 2008  (93) June 2008  (87) May 2008  (26) April 2008  (40) March 2008  (69) February 2008  (113) January 2008  (181) December 2007  (100)

There about 820,000 Orthodox Christians in the United States, of whom about 200,000 regularly attend church, according to the 2010 Census of Orthodox Churches in the United States. The number rises to 1,050,000 and 280,000 if the Oriental Orthodox Churches that are not in communion with Orthodoxy are included (these churches are sometimes called the “monophysite churches” because they reject the fourth Ecumenical Council).  The Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox make up 0.34% of the American population.

The census, which got its data from parishes and not from official church bodies, counted only “adherents,” meaning those who had some connection with the life of the Church, which includes many who consider themselves Orthodox but don’t. It also distinguished adherents from regular attenders.

The census reports that the Orthodox Churches grew in the number of parishes from 2000 to 2010, from 2,036 to 2,370, but does not say anything about change in membership. Almost half the parishes belong to the Orthodox Church in America (551) or the Greek Orthodox Church (525), and the average  average parish has 438 adherents (the Greeks having the highest average, with 908 adherents in each parish). The smallest are the Albanians (700 adherents in two parishes) and the Bulgarians (2,600 adherents in nine parishes).

California has the most Orthodox citizens (14.5% of the total) and the highest number of parishes (255), New York the second most (13.5% in 240 parishes).

As a percentage of the state’s population, Alaska has the most Orthodox (1.93%), followed by Massachusetts(0.93%), New Jersey, New York, and Rhode Island. The states with the lowest percentages are New Mexico (0.1%), North Dakota (0.2%), Mississippi and Hawaii (0.3%), and Kentucky, Idaho, and Vermont (0.5%).

A great many more details and all the tables are available here.

Thanks to Byzantine, TX for the lead.

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