Is West Texas the Heart of Faith in America? Here’s the Data

The latest Pew Research Center Religious Landscape Study numbers show that Texans are among the most spiritual and religious people in America. About 89% of adults in Texas believe people have a soul or spirit in addition to their body. That’s above the national average of 86% and puts Texas right in line with Bible Belt powerhouses like: Mississippi, Louisiana, and North Carolina.

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Pew also found that roughly seven-in-ten Americans in every state believe there is “something beyond the natural world,” proving spirituality is not just a Southern thing, it’s everywhere. Plus, in West Texas from El Paso on up to Amarillo the numbers are the same.

Why Abilene's The Bible Belt’s Buckle

Closer to home, Abilene has long carried the title of a faith hub. Back in 2017, statistics showed that 85,200 of the city’s 117,000 residents identified as Christian. The 2020 U.S. Religion Census confirmed the trend, reporting that over 60% of the Abilene metro population were religious adherents.

With three major Christian universities, Abilene Christian University (Church of Christ), Hardin-Simmons University (Baptist), and McMurry University (Methodist), plus a deep Catholic presence. So, you see why Abilene has been called a “buckle of the Bible Belt.” Spend a Sunday in the Key City and it’s not hard to see why.

San Angelo and Its Strong Roots

Just down the road, San Angelo mirrors Abilene almost exactly. In Tom Green County, about 60% of residents are affiliated with a church. The largest groups are Southern Baptists and Catholics, with non-denominational churches also thriving. These numbers show that San Angelo isn’t just a regional hub for business and ranching, it’s a stronghold of faith.

Smaller Towns Keep the Flame Burning

Look beyond the bigger metros and the picture is even more striking. Rural West Texas counties like Stonewall, Haskell, King, and Kent counties have extraordinarily high church-to-population ratios, sometimes just a couple hundred people per congregation. That density shows how deeply faith is woven into community life outside the city limits.

Why West Texas Matters in the Faith Story

Nationally, Pew ranks Texas as “upper-tier religious,” with 36% considered highly religious by its strict measures of prayer, attendance, and belief. But in West Texas, the numbers consistently trend higher. Whether in Abilene, San Angelo, Lubbock, or Wichita Falls, faith remains more than cultural identity, it’s an active part of daily life.

As for me, I’ve worshiped at many churches across West Texas, from ACU’s Church of Christ roots to Baptist and Methodist congregations, and more recently at places like Wylie Christian Church, First Church of the Nazarene, Beltway Church, Sacred Heart, and Lighthouse Church. Along the way I’ve been blessed to broadcast live from faith fairs, fall festivals (like the ones coming up at Sacred Heart and Nazarene), and support non-denominational churches in both Abilene and San Angelo.

Whether it’s helping families in need like at Love and Care for mission thanksgiving or making sure no one spends the holidays alone. That’s why these numbers don’t surprise me. Abilene’s faith shows up not only in the pews, but in the way people serve each other every day.