Mississippi again most religious state, Vermont the least

Feb. 9 (UPI) -- Mississippi has retained its status as the nation's most religious state, according to a new survey, and Vermont is once again home to the smallest percentage of "very religious" people.

The annual survey, conducted by Gallup, found 59 percent of residents of Mississippi are "very religious," the highest number of any state for the ninth straight year. Just 21 percent of Vermont's population falls into the "very religious" category, making it the least religious state for the eighth time in the last nine years.

Gallup classifies Americans as "very religious," "moderately religious" or "not religious" based on survey respondents' answers to two questions: "Is religion important to you?" and "How often do you attend a religious service?" Respondents who rate religion as very important and said they attend services weekly or almost every week are classified "very religious." Americans who said religion is important, or who attend services at least somewhat regularly are classified "moderately religious." Those who said religion is unimportant and rarely or never attend services are rated "not religious."

Nationally, about 38 percent of Americans are rated by Gallup as "very religious." The highest concentration of very religious states is found in the South, otherwise known as the Bible Belt. After Mississippi, the remaining most religious states are Alabama, Utah, South Dakota, South Carolina and Arkansas.

New England is home to the least religious populations. After Vermont, the least religious states are Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Nevada and Alaska.

Gallup's survey was conducted throughout 2016, with 174,969 individuals surveyed in all 50 states and the District of Columbia using land lines and cellphones. The margin of error varies by state.