The distribution of Episcopal churches by state is heavily shaped by American colonial history and subsequent urban expansion. While Episcopalians make up roughly one percent of the national population, their congregations are concentrated most densely in New England, the Mid-Atlantic, and the historic Tidewater region of Virginia and Maryland.
National overview: The Episcopal population by state
According to national surveys conducted by the Pew Research Center's Religious Landscape Study, approximately 1.2% of American adults identify with the Episcopal Church or related Anglican communions. The 2020 U.S. Religion Census reported that the Episcopal Church encompasses roughly 1.5 million baptized adherents across more than 6,000 active parishes throughout the United States, supplemented by roughly 130,000 members belonging to the conservative Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) and smaller traditionalist jurisdictions.
When analyzing the Episcopal population by state, two distinct patterns emerge. In terms of population proportion, the tradition is strongest in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic. States such as Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, and Maryland report the highest percentages of residents who identify as Episcopalian. Here, the church has functioned for centuries as a cornerstone of civic, cultural, and educational life, rooted in the foundational events detailed in our history of the Episcopal Church and the liturgical principles outlined in what Episcopalians believe.
Conversely, the western and west-central states report far lower concentrations of Episcopalians. In states such as Utah, Idaho, North Dakota, and Kansas, Episcopalians generally account for less than half of one percent of the population, reflecting nineteenth-century settlement patterns where Baptist, Methodist, and Catholic missionaries established dominant networks across the rural frontier.
Where Episcopalians are strongest in our directory
Our church directory reflects these historical realities and modern demographic migrations. Our directory lists 2,700 Episcopal and Anglican congregations across the fifty states, representing roughly 3.9% of all church listings in our national database.
When sorted by raw listing counts, populous coastal states lead the nation. New York ranks first with 236 Episcopal and Anglican listings, followed by Florida with 221 listings, California with 211 listings, Texas with 180 listings, and Pennsylvania with 152 listings. Virginia ranks sixth in total listings with 146 parishes, reflecting its unique status as the mother colony of American Anglicanism. In Pennsylvania, historic parishes like Christ Church in Philadelphia—where founding fathers worshipped and Bishop William White served as rector—continue to anchor the Mid-Atlantic presence.
However, when measuring Episcopal and Anglican churches as a percentage of each individual state's listings, New England and the Mid-Atlantic dominate. Rhode Island leads the entire nation: Episcopal and Anglican parishes account for 18.5% of all directory listings in the state. Massachusetts follows at 10.7%, the District of Columbia at 10.4%, Connecticut at 9.8%, and New Hampshire at 8.9%. In these older northeastern states, historic Episcopal parishes anchor town squares and city centers, preserving colonial architectural heritage and continuous liturgical worship.
Colonial cradles: Virginia, Maryland, and the Chesapeake
The deepest historical roots of American Anglicanism lie in the Tidewater region of Virginia and Maryland. Following the 1607 founding of Jamestown, Virginia designated the Church of England as its established state church. The colonial assembly divided Virginia's counties into geographic parishes, supported by public land grants known as glebes, and vestries composed of leading planters managed local government, tax collection, and poor relief.
Virginia and Maryland remain home to the nation's most celebrated colonial church buildings. Historic landmarks such as Bruton Parish Church in Williamsburg (established in 1674), Christ Church in Alexandria (where George Washington and Robert E. Lee attended), Pohick Church in Fairfax County, and St. Anne's Parish in Annapolis, Maryland, continue to host active worshipping congregations. In Virginia, Episcopal churches account for 6.8% of all listings in our directory, a proportion substantially higher than neighboring southern states where Southern Baptists and Methodists heavily predominate.
Throughout the Chesapeake, the Episcopal Church retains a revered cultural presence. Even after disestablishment following the American Revolution, the tradition educated Virginia's political dynasties and helped establish regional educational institutions, including the College of William & Mary and the Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria, the largest accredited seminary in the Episcopal Church today.
Regional profiles: New York, Florida, and California
Three states—New York, Florida, and California—demonstrate the modern regional breadth of Episcopal and Anglican congregational life across the United States.
In New York, the church possesses immense historic prestige and real estate heritage. As explored in our comprehensive guide to churches and religion in New York, Manhattan is home to the world's largest Anglican cathedral, the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, as well as historic Trinity Church Wall Street, chartered by King William III in 1697. Worshippers across the state can find diverse parish communities among the Episcopal and Anglican churches in New York from Long Island to Buffalo.
In Florida, rapid twentieth-century population growth transformed the state into the second-largest Episcopal center in our directory. As detailed in our overview of religion and denominations in Florida, northern retirees, Caribbean immigrants, and native Floridians have established flourishing congregations. Parishes across the state range from historic downtown cathedrals to suburban missions among the Episcopal and Anglican churches in Florida, encompassing both progressive dioceses and traditional Anglo-Catholic communities.
In the West, California hosts large metropolitan dioceses in Los Angeles and San Francisco. As examined in our study of religion and denominations in California, landmarks such as Grace Cathedral on Nob Hill in San Francisco have served as centers for progressive theological thought, liturgical excellence, and community advocacy. Visitors across the West Coast can explore the hundreds of Episcopal and Anglican churches in California from the Bay Area to San Diego.
The geographic distribution of ACNA congregations
Any comprehensive geographic look at American Anglicanism must account for the conservative congregations that departed the Episcopal Church following the 2003 consecration of Bishop Gene Robinson. These congregations united in 2009 to form the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA).
ACNA congregations are not distributed evenly across the United States. They are concentrated heavily in specific regions where conservative theological convictions were strongest. The Diocese of South Carolina, which severed ties with the Episcopal Church in 2012, brought dozens of historic coastal parishes into ACNA, making the Charleston lowcountry a major conservative Anglican hub. Similarly, ACNA maintains dense networks of parishes across Texas, Florida, Northern Virginia, and Western Pennsylvania.
In many metropolitan communities today, churchgoers will find both an Episcopal parish affiliated with the worldwide Anglican Communion and an ACNA congregation affiliated with the Global South Fellowship of Anglican Churches, offering distinct theological perspectives while sharing the historic Book of Common Prayer.
Finding Episcopal and Anglican churches near you
Whether you appreciate the solemn beauty of Anglo-Catholic choral evensong, the family warmth of a neighborhood parish, or the theological focus of an evangelical Anglican congregation, finding a local church is straightforward.
Our online directory of Episcopal and Anglican churches allows you to search congregations by city, county, and state, verifying service times and location details. If you are preparing for your first visit, consulting our practical guide to attending an Episcopal church will help you navigate the service bulletin, communion customs, and parish fellowship.