Mississippi Most Religious State, Vermont the Least

If you’re looking for religion, head to Mississippi; if you want to avoid it, choose Vermont, a new Gallup survey suggests. Mississippi is ranked as America’s most religious state, with 85% saying religion is “an important part of daily life.” At the other end of the scale is Vermont at 42%, USA Today reports. Other Bible-belt states fill out the top spots, while New England dominates among the nonbelievers.

"New England is now slightly ahead of the Pacific Northwest in terms of the high rate of unchurched people," said one expert. After Mississippi, most-religious states include Alabama (82%) and South Carolina (80%). Least-religious leaders include New Hampshire (46%) and Maine (48%). Overall, 65% of Americans said religion was a key part of daily life. (More religion stories.)