A recent report from the Public Religion Research Institute found that Montgomery County is the most religiously diverse county in the country.

The Census of American Religion, released Aug. 29, has gained notoriety since county officials mentioned it last week. The report aims to assess religious diversity by analyzing 18 different religious groups in U.S. counties with populations of more than 10,000 residents. It focuses exclusively on adults.

The report grades counties from 0 to 1 – a 0 represents no religious diversity and a 1 represents complete religious diversity. Montgomery County scored .886. The average value across all counties was 0.615 and the lowest value was 0.217. The study found that diversity was highest in urban centers and lowest in rural areas, particularly in the South.

When the study was last conducted by the Public Religion Research Institute in 2020, Montgomery County ranked third behind New York City boroughs Brooklyn and Queens, according to Religion News Service.

Montgomery County is reportedly among the top ten counties nationwide with the highest concentration of multiple religious minority groups with populations greater than 10,000, including:

– the second largest concentration of Orthodox Christians (2% of the district population),

– the third largest concentration of Hindus (3% of the district population),

– the fourth largest concentration of Jews (9% of the district population),

– the fourth largest concentration of Muslims (3% of the district population,

– the fifth largest concentration of Buddhists (3% of the district population),

– the fifth largest concentration of Unitarian Universalists (1% of the county population)

Black Protestants make up the largest portion of the county’s religious population at 10%, while 17.8% of the county’s residents have no religious affiliation.

There are more than 600 houses of worship in the county, according to Kate Chance, director of faith community outreach for the county’s Office of Community Partnerships.

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