Religion in New York: Churches and Denominations

The Northeast

The history of religion in New York reflects an exceptional balance between colonial traditions and continuous global immigration. Roman Catholicism represents the largest single faith across the Empire State, complemented by historic Protestant denominations, the nation's largest Jewish community, and expanding world religions that shape neighborhoods from Long Island to Buffalo.

Demographics and Traditions in Religion in New York

According to major demographic research, including the Pew Research Center 2014 Religious Landscape Study, Christianity encompasses approximately 60 percent of adults across New York. Roman Catholicism constitutes the largest single faith tradition, claiming roughly 31 percent of the adult population. This substantial Catholic heritage stems from massive nineteenth- and twentieth-century European migrations, reinforced by contemporary arrivals from the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Mexico, and other parts of Latin America. Protestants represent about 26 percent of adult residents, distributed among mainline denominations (11 percent), evangelical Protestant congregations (10 percent), and historically Black churches (5 percent). New York is distinguished nationally by its extensive non-Christian communities. Jewish residents make up approximately 7 percent of the state's population, forming the largest Jewish community outside Israel, with major concentrations in New York City, Long Island, Rockland County, and Westchester County. Muslims represent roughly 2 percent of adults, while Buddhists and Hindus each account for about 1 percent. Approximately 27 percent of New Yorkers identify as religiously unaffiliated, including atheists, agnostics, and those describing their religion as nothing in particular. The 2020 US Religion Census recorded over 3.9 million Catholic adherents, demonstrating the lasting organizational depth of the Archdiocese of New York and the Dioceses of Brooklyn, Rockville Centre, Albany, Syracuse, Rochester, Buffalo, and Ogdensburg. For broader context on regional distribution, consult our nationwide review of Catholic churches by state.

Church Directory Data for New York

Our directory records 3,420 congregations across New York, offering a detailed perspective on the institutional presence of individual denominations. Consistent with population figures, Catholic parishes lead all groups with 932 listings, representing 27.3 percent of the statewide total. Protestant bodies maintain deep roots in both rural counties and urban centers: Methodist congregations hold the second position with 451 listings (13.2 percent), followed by Presbyterian and Reformed bodies with 396 listings (11.6 percent), Lutheran congregations with 339 listings (9.9 percent), and Baptist assemblies with 300 listings (8.8 percent). Historic liturgical traditions also include 236 Episcopal and Anglican listings (6.9 percent). Synagogues and Jewish institutions account for 228 directory listings (6.7 percent), spanning Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, and Reconstructionist congregations. Evangelical, Pentecostal, and Non-Denominational congregations together total 348 listings (10.2 percent), while Eastern and Oriental Orthodox churches account for 58 listings (1.7 percent). Smaller denominations include the Church of the Nazarene and Holiness groups (56 listings), Seventh-day Adventists (24 listings), Churches of Christ (20 listings), independent fundamentalist assemblies (12 listings), and Latter-day Saints (6 listings).

Churches in New York in our directory, by denomination

Denomination	Churches listed	Share
Catholic	932	27%
Methodist	451	13%
Presbyterian/Reformed	396	12%
Lutheran	339	10%
Baptist	300	9%
Episcopal / Anglican	236	7%
Jewish	228	7%
Pentecostal	191	6%
Non-Denominational/Evangelical	157	5%
Orthodox	58	2%
Holiness / Church of the Nazarene	56	2%
Adventist	24	1%
Church of Christ	20	1%
Independent Fundamentalist	12	0%
Christian	10	0%
Mormon/Latter Day Saints	6	0%
Metaphysical	4	0%

Cities with the most churches

All 3,420 churches in New York

Worshipers and researchers seeking local congregations can browse our complete roster of churches in New York, or locate specific faith families by searching our listings for Catholic churches in New York, Methodist churches in New York, and Presbyterian churches in New York.

Colonial Foundations and the Burned-over District

New York's religious character was forged through distinct historical epochs that combined early colonial pluralism with intense revivalist experimentation. In the early seventeenth century, the Dutch West India Company established the colony of New Netherland, making the Dutch Reformed Church the official ecclesiastical body with the founding of the Collegiate Church in New Amsterdam in 1628. Despite official preferences, Dutch authorities tolerated diverse settlers, including Sephardic Jews who arrived from Brazil in 1654 to establish Congregation Shearith Israel, the oldest Jewish congregation in North America. In 1657, English settlers in Queens signed the Flushing Remonstrance, a landmark document articulating freedom of conscience on behalf of persecuted Quakers. Following the British conquest in 1664, the Church of England gained preferential standing, culminating in the 1697 royal charter of Trinity Church in lower Manhattan. Nevertheless, New York maintained substantial diversity, absorbing French Huguenots in New Paltz and New Rochelle, German Palatines along the Mohawk Valley, and Scottish Presbyterians in upstate settlements. During the early nineteenth century, the completion of the Erie Canal transformed Western and Central New York into an economic powerhouse and a fertile ground for religious enthusiasm known historically as the Burned-over District. Intense revivals led by Presbyterian evangelist Charles Grandison Finney produced waves of conversions and social reforms, including abolitionism and women's rights. This unique spiritual atmosphere birthed several indigenous American religious movements. In Palmyra, Joseph Smith reported visions that led to the publication of the Book of Mormon in 1830 and the founding of the Latter Day Saint movement. Nearby in Hampton and Low Hampton, William Miller began preaching the imminent return of Christ, giving rise to the Millerite movement and eventually the Seventh-day Adventist Church. In Hydesville, the Fox sisters sparked modern Spiritualism in 1848, while John Humphrey Noyes established the communal Oneida Community based on perfectionist theology. Concurrently, massive nineteenth-century Irish, German, and Italian immigration remade New York City, Buffalo, and Rochester into major urban Catholic strongholds.

Notable Historic Churches and Sacred Architecture

New York possesses some of the most celebrated religious architecture in the Western Hemisphere. Saint Patrick's Cathedral on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, designed by James Renwick Jr. and dedicated in 1879, stands as an internationally renowned Gothic revival monument and the seat of the Archdiocese of New York. In upper Manhattan, the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine serves as the seat of the Episcopal Diocese of New York and ranks among the largest Anglican cathedral buildings in the world, combining Romanesque and Gothic design. Historic downtown Manhattan features Trinity Church at the head of Wall Street and Saint Paul's Chapel, built in 1766, which survived both the Great Fire of 1776 and the collapse of the World Trade Center towers in 2001. In Brooklyn, Plymouth Church of the Pilgrims served as a central station on the Underground Railroad under abolitionist preacher Henry Ward Beecher. In Harlem, the Abyssinian Baptist Church, founded in 1808 and developed under Adam Clayton Powell Sr. and Adam Clayton Powell Jr., became one of the nation's most influential Black congregations. Upstate, the Basilica of Our Lady of Victory in Lackawanna showcases magnificent marble domes and sculptures commissioned by Father Nelson Baker, while the Sacred Grove and Hill Cumorah near Palmyra attract pilgrims from across the globe.

Geographic Centers of Congregational Life

Congregational listings in New York concentrate heavily in major metropolitan boroughs and upstate manufacturing centers. Brooklyn leads all jurisdictions with 316 listings in our database, honoring its historic nineteenth-century reputation as the City of Churches. Those investigating local congregations can explore the diverse churches in Brooklyn, which range from historic brownstone parishes in Brooklyn Heights to active Caribbean Pentecostal ministries in Flatbush and Hasidic yeshivas in Crown Heights and Williamsburg. Manhattan records 209 directory entries, represented in our directory of churches in Manhattan serving historic neighborhoods from Greenwich Village and Midtown to Washington Heights. Across Western New York, the industrial center of Buffalo records 148 listings; our guide to churches in Buffalo highlights historic Polish, Irish, and German Catholic basilicas alongside African American Baptist institutions on the East Side. Rochester ranks fourth with 147 listings, reflecting its rich legacy as a hub of abolitionist activism and religious reform, while the Bronx accounts for 140 listings, serving predominantly Hispanic and Black Catholic and evangelical communities.

Regional Comparison with Surrounding States

Examining New York within the wider context of religion in the Northeast clarifies its unique demographic scale. While New York shares strong Catholic foundations with southern New England neighbors explored in our guides to religion in Massachusetts and religion in Connecticut, New York possesses a far larger Jewish population and a much higher degree of non-Western religious diversity due to its historical role as America's primary immigrant gateway. Furthermore, New York's religious profile contrasts sharply with northern New England states such as those described in our analysis of religion in Vermont, where religious non-affiliation reaches upwards of 35 to 40 percent and formal church membership remains low. In New York, strong urban ethnic enclaves, historic upstate denominational colleges, and established synagogues and parish networks have sustained higher rates of institutional religious involvement across generations.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the most common religion in New York?

Christianity is the most common religion in New York, with about 60 percent of adults identifying as Christian. Roman Catholicism is the largest single branch at roughly 31 percent of the population, followed by diverse Protestant traditions representing 26 percent across mainline, evangelical, and historically Black churches.

What is the largest denomination in New York?

The Roman Catholic Church is the largest single denomination in New York, accounting for 932 parishes in our directory and over 3.9 million adherents statewide. The largest Protestant bodies include the United Methodist Church, the Presbyterian Church (USA), and various Baptist conventions.

What was the Burned-over District in New York?

The Burned-over District refers to Central and Western New York during the Second Great Awakening of the nineteenth century. Evangelist Charles Finney reported that the area had been so thoroughly swept by revival fires that no unconverted fuel remained, giving birth to Mormonism, Adventism, and modern Spiritualism.

Why does New York City have so many churches and synagogues?

New York City grew through massive waves of global immigration, with each arriving group building houses of worship to preserve their faith and language. Brooklyn earned the nickname the City of Churches in the nineteenth century, while Manhattan, Queens, and the Bronx developed rich religious architecture.

How does religion in New York compare to neighboring states?

New York shares Catholic prevalence with Massachusetts and Connecticut, but boasts much higher Jewish, Muslim, and Hindu populations. Compared to northern neighbors like Vermont, New York exhibits lower rates of religious non-affiliation and higher rates of weekly church attendance and congregational engagement.

Keep reading

Religion in the NortheastColonial covenants and waves of immigration shaped religion in New England and the Mid-Atlantic, transforming Puritan meetinghouses and Quaker colonies into dynamic Catholic, Jewish, and pluralistic urban centers.
Religion in Vermont: Churches and DenominationsKnown for its white-steepled village greens and high rates of religious non-affiliation, religion in Vermont unites historic Congregational and Catholic roots with an independent and secular modern culture.
Religion in Massachusetts: Churches and DenominationsPuritan covenants and historic maritime migrations established religion in Massachusetts, creating colonial meetinghouses, grand Catholic archdioceses, and influential modern theological centers across the state.
Religion in Connecticut: Churches and DenominationsPuritan covenants and immigrant migrations shaped religion in Connecticut, turning colonial meetinghouses on town greens into diverse communities anchored by Roman Catholic parishes and historic mainline churches.
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