Lutheran Family
Lutheran churches follow the teachings of 16th century reformer Martin Luther, particularly his teaching on justification by faith and scripture alone (sola scriptura). It is one of the most liturgical Protestant movements, along with Episcopalianism. Lutheranism is more prominent in the Midwestern United States, particularly among those with German and Scandinavian ancestry. Lutheran bodies include the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod.
Maps: Lutheran Family1
Adherence Rate per 1,000 (2020)
Congregations (2020)
Top 5 Lutheran Family States (2020)1 [View all states]
| Rank | State | Adherents | Adherence Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Dakota | 173,005 | 222.10 |
| 2 | South Dakota | 142,785 | 161.00 |
| 3 | Minnesota | 875,133 | 153.40 |
| 4 | Wisconsin | 722,802 | 122.60 |
| 5 | Nebraska | 206,057 | 105.10 |
Top 5 Lutheran Family Counties (2020)1 [View all counties]
| Rank | County | Adherents | Adherence Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lac qui Parle County, Minnesota | 4,824 | 718.00 |
| 2 | Nelson County, North Dakota | 2,094 | 694.50 |
| 3 | Renville County, North Dakota | 1,510 | 661.70 |
| 4 | Steele County, North Dakota | 1,133 | 630.10 |
| 5 | Norman County, Minnesota | 3,897 | 605.00 |
Top 5 Lutheran Family Metro Areas (2020)1 [View all Metro Areas]
| Rank | Metro Area | Adherents | Adherence Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Red Wing, MN Micro Area | 19,854 | 417.30 |
| 2 | Fairmont, MN Micro Area | 8,079 | 403.40 |
| 3 | Albert Lea, MN Micro Area | 11,813 | 382.40 |
| 4 | Hutchinson, MN Micro Area | 13,681 | 372.10 |
| 5 | New Ulm, MN Micro Area | 9,538 | 368.10 |
Lutheran Family: Adherence Rates (1980 - 2020)1
Sources
1 The 2020 data were collected by the Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies (ASARB) and include data for 372 religious bodies or groups. Of these, the ASARB was able to gather data on congregations and adherents for 217 and on congregations only for 155. [More information on the data sources]
