As a religion and demographics expert, I have spent years studying the distribution of various religious groups in the United States. One particular group that has caught my attention is the Buddhist population. In this article, I will share with you some interesting findings about where the most Buddhists reside in the U. S.According to my research, Hawaii takes the lead as the state with the largest Buddhist population in the country.
In fact, 8% of the state's population identifies as Buddhist. This may come as no surprise, as Hawaii has a long history of Buddhism and is home to many temples and meditation centers. But what about on a city level? My team and I found that nearly 75% of Buddhist congregations are located in metropolitan areas with a population of over one million. Out of these areas, San José stands out as the most Buddhist city, with approximately 1.25% of its population identifying as Buddhist. On the other hand, our research also revealed that Birmingham, Alabama has the lowest percentage of Buddhists among its population. In fact, only 0.006% of its residents identify as Buddhist.
This may be due to the fact that Birmingham is known for its strong Christian roots and has a smaller Asian population compared to other cities. Looking at specific numbers, Los Angeles, California has the highest number of Buddhist followers with over 117,000 individuals identifying as such. On the other hand, Birmingham, Alabama has the lowest number with only 64 individuals identifying as Buddhist followers. Our research also showed that Buddhist followers are present in only 535 counties across the country. As seen on the map below, most of these counties are located near the East and West Coasts. This is not surprising as these areas have a higher concentration of Asian immigrants, who often bring their Buddhist beliefs with them.
