American Bible Society Ranks the Top 10 Most Bible-Minded Cities in the US
Tennessee is the home of America's most Bible-minded city for the second consecutive year, according to new rankings from the American Bible Society.
Chattanooga jumped two places since last year to take over the top spot in the rankings, according to a press release. The title was previously held by Knoxville, which is now ranked 10th on the list.
The least Bible-minded place in the United States is the Providence, R.I./New Bedford, Mass., metropolitan area.
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"An analysis of interaction with and views of the Bible continues to help us evaluate the Bible landscape in America," Geoffrey Morin, chief communications officer at American Bible Society, said in a statement. "To help people engage with the best-selling book of all time's life-changing message, we need to understand where people are starting from. But ultimately, we want people to know whether you live in one of the most or least Bible-minded cities, the Bible can speak to your needs, challenges and concerns, and help you make sense of life."
The list ranks the 100 most populated metropolitan areas in the U.S. based on the level of regular scripture reading and residents' belief in the accuracy of the Bible. The study, which ABS conducted in partnership with the California-based Barna Group, is based on data obtained through interviews with more than 46,000 American adults over the course of seven years.
The study suggests that more densely populated cities are generally less Bible-minded than smaller cities. Of the top 25 most populated cities in the nation only one of them – Charlotte, N.C. – also received a top 10 ranking in Bible-mindedness. Of the top 25 scripture-minded cities, only Charlotte, Dallas and Nashville have more than one million households.
The majority of the cities on the top 10 most Bible-minded list were in the top 10 last year, too, with a few exceptions. The Greenville, S.C./Spartanburg, S.C./Asheville, N.C., metropolitan area and Little Rock, Ark., broke into the top 10 this year after being ranked 11th and 12th, respectively, last year. They replaced Huntsville-Decatur, Ala., and the Charleston/Huntington, W.Va., metropolitan area in the top 10.
Below are the lists for the top 10 most and least Bible-minded cities in the U.S. The full rankings can be found here.
Most Bible-minded cities:
1. Chattanooga, Tenn.
2. Birmingham, Ala.
3. Roanoke/Lynchburg, Va.
4. Springfield, Mo.
5. Shreveport, La.
6. Charlotte, N.C.
7. Greenville/Spartanburg, S.C./Asheville N.C.
8. Little Rock, Ark.
9. Jackson, Miss.
10. Knoxville, Tenn.
Least Bible-minded cities:
1. Providence, R.I./New Bedford, Mass.
2. Albany, N.Y.
3. Boston, Mass.
4. San Francisco, Calif.
5. Cedar Rapids, Iowa
6. Buffalo, N.Y.
7. Hartford/New Haven, Conn.
8. Phoenix, Ariz.
9. Burlington, Vt.
10. Portland, Maine
