List of U.S. states by Amish population explained

There were 32 states of the United States with an Amish population in 2024 that consists of at least one Amish settlement of Old or New Order Amish, excluding more modern Amish groups like e.g. the Beachy Amish. New Order Amish are seen as part of the Old Order Amish despite the name by most scholars.

The Amish have settled in as many as 32 US-states though about 2/3 are located in Pennsylvania, Ohio and Indiana. The largest Amish settlement is Lancaster County, Pennsylvania and adjacent counties followed by Holmes and adjoining counties in northeast Ohio, about 78 miles south of Cleveland. Third in size is the settlement in Elkhart, LaGrange and surrounding counties in northeastern Indiana which is geographically merging with the Nappanee settlement due to the growth of both settlements, which filled the gap between the two. According to Albrecht Powell, the Pennsylvania Amish has not always been the largest group of U.S. Amish as is commonly thought.

The Amish population in the U.S. numbers more than 390,000 and is growing rapidly (around 3-4% per year), due to large family size (seven children on average) and a church-member retention rate of approximately 80%."[1]

Statistics of states

Amish population by state and date
data-sort-type="text" State data-sort-type="number" 1992data-sort-type="number" 2000data-sort-type="number" 2010data-sort-type="number" 2020data-sort-type="number" 2024data-sort-type="number" Change
2020–2024
data-sort-type="number" % of the state
population, 2024
data-sort-type="number" % of the total U.S.
Amish population
32,710 44,62059,350 81,500 92,660 13.7% 0.71% 23.5%
34,830 48,545 58,590 78,280 85,965 9.8% 0.73% 21.8%
23,405 32,840 43,710 59,305 65,540 10.5% 0.96% 16.6%
6,785 9,390 15,360 22,235 26,365 18.6% 0.45% 6.7%
4,050 4,505 12,015 21,230 24,325 14.6% 0.12% 6.2%
5,150 8,495 11,350 16,525 20,690 25.2% 0.21% 5.2%
3,745 5,480 9,475 14,520 17,635 21.4% 0.28% 4.5%
2,625 4,850 7,750 13,595 15,915 17.1% 0.35% 4.0%
3,525 4,445 7,190 9,780 10,540 7.8% 0.33% 2.7%
2,940 3,785 6,860 7,240 9,050 25.0% 0.07% 2.3%
1,135 1,420 3,150 4,740 5,560 17.3% 0.10% 1.4%
750 1,270 2,125 3,325 4,030 21.2% 0.06% 1%
675 990 1,485 2,025 2,650 30.9% 0.09% >
75 335 300 1,590 2,210 39.0% > >
810 1,020 1,350 1,650 1,995 20.9% > >
1,200 1,080 1,350 1,750 1,990 13.7% 0.19% >
270 335 675 935 1,520 62.6% 0.13% >
25 225 955 1,245 30.4% 0.09% >
810 650 1,020 56.9% > >
70 225 390 750 92.3% > >
540 620 675 675 730 8.1% > >
150 355 585 64.8% > >
220 535 143.2% > >
75 240 75 270 310 14.8% > >
35 225 265 225 15.1% > >
95 140 47.4% > >
90 75 290 130 55.2% > >
120 55 115 109.1% > >
Florida75 100 75 100 100 > >
75 60 90 50.0% > >
405 45 75 65 75 15.4% > >
30 > >
Total US pop. 125,850 174,810 244,770 344,670 394,720 14.5% 0.12% 100%
Sources of the statisticsThe data for 1992 are from "Amish Studies - The Young Center".[2]

The data for 2000 are from a book published in 2001 (Donald Kraybill, The Riddle of Amish Culture)[3] and from "Amish Studies – The Young Center".[4]

The data for 2010 are from "Amish Studies - The Young Center".[5] The 2010 census of Amish population was published in 2012, compiled by Elizabeth Cooksey, professor of sociology, and Cory Anderson, a graduate student in rural sociology, both at The Ohio State University.[6] It was commissioned by the Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies for the 2010 U.S. Religion Census (published in 2012).[6] [7] [8] [9]

The data from 2024 comes from "Elizabethtown College, the Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies-2024" .[10]

Counties with the highest percentage

Data from 2010 according to "Association of Religion Data Archives" (ARDA)[11]

And from 2020 according to the "US Religion Census" report.[12] [13] Data are only shown for Old Order Amish and exclude related groups such as Beachy Amish-Mennonite Churches, Maranatha Amish-Mennonite, Amish-Mennonites and Mennonites in general.

CountyStateAdherents
(2010)
Adherents
(2020)
Change
2010-20
%
2010
%
2020
Ohio17,65419,79312.1%41.67%44.76%
Indiana14,01117,56725.4%37.74%43.43%
Indiana6,3438,08827.5%18.44%22.59%
Iowa1,3551,76830.5%15.48%19.41%
Indiana3,7085,10637.7%11.72%15.30%
Iowa323962197.8%5.04%14.81%
Kentucky1,6462,48651.0%9.04%12.89%
Illinois2,3612,2823.3%11.81%11.56%
Wisconsin2,7863,54427.2%9.36%11.54%
Ohio8,5379,54911.8%9.14%10.01%
Missouri156322106.4%4.12%9.10%
Indiana1,1051,35122.3%6.37%8.36%
Pennsylvania2,8993,60924.5%6.21%7.82%
Ohio9,2839,1301.6%8.10%7.81%
Missouri59665710.2%7.07%7.79%
Missouri25630619.5%5.78%7.59%
Illinois1,2601,07015.1%8.49%7.37%
Iowa5485008.7%7.24%6.94%
Ohio1,7602,53343.9%4.77%6.92%
Wisconsin1,9862,37919.8%5.72%6.86%
Missouri2,2522,58614.8%6.22%6.62%
Nebraska10316863.1%3.71%6.60%
Iowa1,2411,2964.4%5.92%6.30%
Indiana1,0241,27224.2%4.82%6.21%
Kentucky103747625.2%0.89%5.86%
Pennsylvania152397161.2%1.97%5.69%
Pennsylvania3,5064,66132.9%3.95%5.55%
Michigan1,7842,48839.5%3.94%5.55%
Wisconsin8121,04728.9%4.26%5.51%
Iowa25941560.2%3.06%5.43%
Wisconsin441898103.6%2.62%5.41%
Kentucky103408296.1%1.44%5.41%
Pennsylvania1,3151,98951.2%3.35%5.31%
Missouri30145751.8%3.40%5.27%
Pennsylvania9731,23627.0%3.95%5.26%
Kentucky39477295.9%2.75%5.12%
Pennsylvania26,27028,1727.2%5.06%5.10%
Missouri34849040.8%3.39%5.00%
Minnesota8221,25452.5%3.30%4.96%
Indiana4694700.2%4.42%4.83%
Kentucky61242231.0%6.57%4.69%
Missouri24337956.0%2.71%4.65%
Pennsylvania1,1292,05582.0%2.50%4.62%
Missouri377799111.9%2.04%4.54%
Ohio2,1112,84334.7%3.46%4.53%
Wisconsin50290079.3%2.43%4.52%
Minnesota9789512.8%4.69%4.48%
Kentucky215610183.7%1.50%4.34%
Michigan5611,06890.4%2.18%4.21%
Missouri6066314.1%3.89%4.15%
Kansas0103103.0%0.00%4.15%
Kentucky41449619.8%3.32%4.05%
Missouri131373184.7%1.34%4.02%
Virginia157458191.7%1.25%3.97%
Iowa38718352.7%7.54%3.92%
Wisconsin50982762.5%2.49%3.91%
Michigan6591,19581.3%2.13%3.87%
New York1,0561,90680.5%2.10%3.85%
Ohio2,2033,72569.1%2.17%3.82%
Indiana6,2447,88626.3%3.16%3.81%
Missouri83393712.5%3.26%3.75%
Missouri3763730.8%3.68%3.72%
Colorado65172164.6%1.53%3.66%
Ohio1,6611,87713.0%3.13%3.58%
Indiana1,4131,63615.8%3.00%3.55%
Ohio54247512.3%3.70%3.55%
Ohio61493752.6%2.13%3.51%
New York1,4372,66685.5%1.79%3.46%
Ohio9391,05111.9%2.93%3.42%
Ohio5901,17599.2%1.69%3.36%
Wisconsin18724631.6%2.50%3.36%
Ohio2,3703,12832.0%2.56%3.35%
Indiana1,0061,58957.9%2.12%3.35%
Wisconsin244522113.9%1.58%3.35%
Pennsylvania44660235.0%2.44%3.32%
Missouri0124124.0%0.00% 3.31%
Pennsylvania2,5252,7087.2%2.84%3.25%
Iowa 21427629.0%2.40%3.20%
New York7311,05644.5%2.07%3.12%
Colorado119232103.5%1.44%3.11%
Indiana2,2772,4728.6%2.94%3.08%
Ohio0434434.0%0.00%3.07%
Pennsylvania5281,375160.4%1.15%3.00%
Ohio73387519.4%2.37%3.00%
Counties under 3% Amish, but above 250 adherents each:
CountyStateAdherents
(2010)
Adherents
(2020)
Change
2010-20
%
2010
%
2020
Ohio3,8645,04430.5%1.84%2.50%
Indiana3,4664,57732.0%0.97%1.19%
Pennsylvania2,5803,87150.0%0.52%0.72%
Pennsylvania2,6022,87510.5%2.23%2.60%
Pennsylvania1,7642,83660.8%1.15%1.79%
New York1,8402,66344.7%1.64%2.45%
Delaware1,4241,76123.7%0.87%0.97%
Michigan1,5331,74914.1%2.50%2.87%
Kentucky1,0191,60257.2%1.38%2.20%
Pennsylvania8621,46870.3%0.32%0.51%
New York1,3171,4409.3%1.33%1.54%
New York1,6721,32920.5%1.24%1.04%
Pennsylvania1,0731,32823.8%0.72%0.85%
Pennsylvania1,1611,29311.4%1.49%1.74%
Pennsylvania7281,27074.4%0.54%0.89%
Tennessee1,4821,25015.6%3.54%2.83%
New York4831,234155.5%0.99%2.66%
Pennsylvania2661,210354.9%0.06%0.27%
Pennsylvania1,4471,14021.2%1.59%1.32%
Wisconsin7941,11540.4%0.80%1.06%
Indiana6251,04567.2%0.91%1.57%
Wisconsin7561,00032.1%1.47%1.92%
Michigan137968606.5%0.25%1.82%
Iowa8589348.9%0.65%0.61%
Pennsylvania60891650.6%1.45%2.37%
Michigan71990325.6%1.68%2.27%
Ohio339875158.1%1.02%2.68%
Wisconsin63187538.7%1.02%1.33%
Pennsylvania8208625.1%1.00%1.07%
Michigan55086156.5%1.28%2.12%
Pennsylvania302825173.2%0.76%2.22%
New York298232737.9%0.01%0.35%
Michigan68182320.8%1.46%1.80%
Indiana379811114.0%1.34%2.88%
Pennsylvania62081130.8%0.66%0.89%
Ohio55280646.0%1.38%2.10%
Maryland48976957.3%0.33%0.46%
Pennsylvania43674971.8%0.18%0.29%
Ohio64073815.3%1.39%1.60%
Pennsylvania62071515.3%0.53%0.63%
New York181704288.9%0.35%1.48%
Michigan277695150.9%0.39%1.08%
Michigan39468774.4%0.62%1.03%
Pennsylvania236678187.3%0.34%1.03%
Kentucky45466045.4%1.08%1.48%
Maine138627354.3%0.19%0.93%
Ohio38761959.9%0.24%0.38%
Iowa5636108.3%2.59%2.70%
New York223602170.0%0.36%1.03%
Ohio44760234.7%0.12%0.16%
Illinois217594173.7%0.40%1.27%
Michigan5935802.2%2.52%2.53%
Ohio6165717.3%0.36%0.31%
Ohio269570111.9%0.62%1.32%
Minnesota37055550.0%0.72%1.12%
Maryland61054910.0%0.58%0.48%
Kentucky47353012.0%1.91%2.18%
Illinois36052946.9%0.60%1.00%
New York40152731.4%0.62%0.88%
Indiana59352311.8%2.99%2.63%
New York183506176.5%0.19%0.55%
Ohio4715016.4%1.65%1.82%
Pennsylvania34449644.2%0.87%1.25%
Kentucky27348979.1%1.36%2.39%
Illinois197479143.1%1.17%2.96%
Wisconsin30746350.8%0.73%1.13%
Missouri182 462153.8%0.97%2.54%
Michigan29045556.9%0.60%0.91%
Wisconsin37145422.3%0.28%0.33%
Illinois34545331.3%0.89%1.22%
Michigan30845046.1%0.28%0.41%
Ohio29344953.2%0.34%0.52%
Arkansas0449449.0%0.00%0.16%
Wisconsin35144627.1%1.22%1.45%
New York217440102.7%0.29%0.65%
Wisconsin33643830.4%1.37%1.79%
Ohio0435435.0% 0.00%0.43%
Wisconsin4504324.0%0.79%0.74%
Ohio30542940.7%1.92%2.96%
Michigan29842944.0%0.22%0.32%
Wisconsin27542554.5%1.52%2.46%
Missouri4304173.0%1.11%1.10%
Illinois24841366.5%1.25%2.21%
Iowa46741112.0%2.57%2.41%
Virginia20540899.0%0.56%1.20%
Kansas173407135.3%0.80%2.02%
Kansas51405694.1%0.31%2.55%
New York107404277.6%0.09%0.34%
Kansas4354037.3%0.67%0.65%
Oklahoma272 39244.1%0.66%1.00%
Pennsylvania33239218.1% 0.60%0.78%
Wisconsin115381231.3%0.25%0.82%
New York24 3741458.3%0.04%0.60%
Ohio3133439.6%0.25%0.27%
Missouri18634283.9%0.60%1.09%
New York63337434.9%0.13%0.72%
Missouri162334106.2%1.31%2.87%
New York17633389.2% 0.15%0.29%
Wisconsin0331331.0%0.00%0.35%
Pennsylvania20532860.0% 0.16%0.27%
Wisconsin143326128.0%0.19%0.44%
Maryland26132223.4%0.87%1.12%
Kentucky50232036.2%1.87%1.17%
Michigan76318318.4%0.13%0.51%
Missouri170 31786.5%0.66%1.25%
Missouri126302139.7%0.48%1.23%
Kentucky18129864.6%0.49%0.81%
Wisconsin19229553.6%0.37%0.57%
Kentucky81287254.3%0.52%1.83%
Pennsylvania115285147.3%0.08%0.21%
Missouri75284278.7%0.33%1.29%
Kentucky20327033.0%1.16%1.58%
Pennsylvania121265119.0%0.180.41%
Minnesota114264131.6%0.35%0.75%
DelawareIowa42646500%<0.01%1.5%
New York18826239.4% 0.69%1.00%
Wisconsin51262413.7%0.31%1.63%
Minnesota17026052.9%0.30%0.43%
Missouri13125292.4%0.25%0.47%
Michigan53251373.6%0.20%0.94%

Largest designated settlements

Settlement inStateEstimated
population
in 2020
Estimated
population
in 2021
Estimated
population
in 2022
Estimated
population
in 2023
Change
2022–2023
Lancaster, Chester, York and Berks counties area40,52541,79543,01043,4000.9%
Holmes, Wayne, Coshocton, Tuscarawas and Stark counties OH36,95537,77038,63539,5252.3%
LaGrange, Elkhart and Noble counties area IN26,38027,10527,81528,2751.6%
Geauga, Trumbull, Ashtabula and Portage counties area OH18,82019,42019,90020,4402.7%
Adams / Jay counties area IN10,30510,63011,08010,6803.6%
Nappanee, Elkhart, St. Joseph, Marshall and Kosciusko counties area IN6,3006,4456,5706,6951.9%
Daviess / Martin counties area IN5,4655,5955,7605,9653.6%
Arthur, Moultrie, Douglas and Coles counties area IL4,0954,2704,3604,4903.0%
PA4,0904,2054,2404,2700.7%
IN3,4453,5503,6453,7502.9%
MO3,1703,1103,2303,5309.3%
PA3,3552,9453,0703,1903.9%
Lawrence / Mercer counties area PA2,7402,8202,8902,9702.8%
NY2,5402,6402,7702,9054.9%
NY2,4502,5152,5902,7004.2%
Clearfield / Jefferson counties area PA1,8502,5602,6202,6802.3%
PA2,3352,4252,5252,6153.6%
Monroe / Vernon counties area WI2,4202,3602,4752,4950.8%
Medina / Ashland counties area OH2,1652,2452,3602,4604.2%
KY2,3402,3602,4302,3901.6%
Christian / Trigg counties area KY2,0252,1252,2352,3254.0%
Columbia, Marquette and Green Lake counties area WI1,9802,0502,1552,2403.9%
Ethridge, Lawrence countyTN2,0802,1902,3002,2054.1%
Centreville, St. Joseph countyMI1,8151,8701,9201,9803.1%
Dover, Kent countyDE1,7501,7951,8651,9152.7%
IN1,5051,5351,7151,8105.5%
IA1,6401,8001,8651,7904.0%
PA1,6451,7001,7401,7902.9%
Clinton / Centre counties areaPA1,3951,4501,6001,6503.1%
Audrain / Monroe counties areaMO1,5301,5401,6101,6452.2%
WI1,4151,4951,5701,6303.8%
NY1,4751,5201,5651,6102.9%
IN1,4251,4801,5501,6003.2%
Branch / Hillsdale County counties areaMI1,3351,4401,5201,6005.3%
St. Mary's / Charles counties areaMD1,3801,450 1,5151,5754.0%
PA1,4401,3451,4851,5252.0%
IA1,4901,5501,5951,4956.3%
PA1,3251,3551,3951,4403.2%
IA1,9351,5351,6651,38017.1%
WI1,1951,2651,3201,3754.2%
PA1,3001,1751,2851,3505.1%
PA1,2351,2401,3151,3351.5%
PA1,1351,1701,2751,3102.8%
WI1,2301,2901,3551,3103.3%
Richland / Vernon counties areaWI1,1051,1751,2401,2803.2%
PA1,3701,4151,4551,27512.4%
WI1,1201,1701,2051,2705.4%
PA1,0701,1251,2201,2552.9%
Hardin / Marion counties areaOH1,3201,3551,1551,1953.5%
Morrow / Knox counties areaOH1,9202,0051,1251,2309.3%
PA1,0401,0751,1101,1554.0%
Cumberland / Franklin counties areaPA1,0501,0651,1101,1453.2%
NY1,0651,0901,1151,1402.2%
IA8659009551,12017.3%
Daviess, Grundy and Livingston counties areaMO9901,0151,0451,0904.3%
Clare, Clare countyMI9851,0201,0401,0803.9%
Stanwood, Mecosta countyMI9559859951,0354.0%
OH670695 1,0051,0302.5%
OH940 970980980
WI8608909359703.7%
NY7658159259603.8%
PA8358759159503.8%
MI8208809204.5%
Huron, Sanilac and Tuscola counties areaMI855 855 8809052.8%
NY845 845 855 8954.7%
Knox / Licking counties area OH8608608858800.6%
OH805 805 840 8754.2%
MI970 970 805 8505.6%

Sources: 2020,[14] [15] 2021,[16] [17] 2022,[8] and 2023.[18]

Amish settlements outside the US

There are Amish settlements in four Canadian provinces, Ontario, founded in the 1820s, Manitoba, founded in 2018,[19] New Brunswick in 2015 and Prince Edward Island, in 2016.

There was an Amish settlement in Honduras from about 1968 to 1978 but the settlement failed.[20]

In 2015 new settlements of New Order Amish were founded in Argentina and Bolivia.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Powell. Albrecht. Amish 101 - Amish Beliefs, Culture & Lifestyle, History of the Amish in America. about.com. April 26, 2012. April 22, 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120422172847/http://pittsburgh.about.com/cs/pennsylvania/a/amish.htm. dead.
  2. Web site: Amish Population Change 1992-2013 (Alphabetical Order) . Population Trends 1992-2013. 21-Year Highlights . 5 September 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160306140703/https://groups.etown.edu/amishstudies/files/2015/08/Population_Change_1992-2013.pdf . 6 March 2016 . dead .
  3. Book: The Riddle of Amish Culture. Donald Kraybill. Donald Kraybill. 2001. Johns Hopkins University Press. 978-0-8018-6772-9.
  4. Web site: Amish Population Change, 2000-2021 . August 12, 2021 . Elizabethtown College, the Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies . March 19, 2022 .
  5. https://groups.etown.edu/amishstudies/files/2016/06/Population_Change_2010-2015.pdf Amish Studies: "Population Change 2010-2015"
  6. News: Estimate: A new Amish community is founded every three and a half weeks in US . Emily Caldwell . July 27, 2012 . Phys.org . July 27, 2012.
  7. http://www.rcms2010.org/ 2010 U.S. Religion Census
  8. Web site: Amish Population 2022: Amish Call New Mexico Home . July 29, 2022 . Elizabethtown College, the Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies . August 2, 2022 .
  9. Web site: Amish Population 2020 . World Population Review . August 25, 2020.
  10. Web site: Amish Population Profile, 2024 . August 19, 2024 . Elizabethtown College, the Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies . August 20, 2024 .
  11. https://www.thearda.com/us-religion/census/congregational-membership?y=2010&t=0&c=39075#REPORT Association of Religion Data Archives
  12. https://www.usreligioncensus.org/node/1638 2020 Study Information
  13. https://www.usreligioncensus.org/sites/default/files/2023-06/2020_USRC_Group_Detail.xlsx U.S. Religion Census | Maps and data files for 2020
  14. Web site: Twelve largest settlements, 2020. Groups.etown.edu. August 26, 2019.
  15. https://groups.etown.edu/amishstudies/files/2020/10/Amish_Pop_by_state_and_county_2020.pdf Amish Population in the United States by State and County, 2020
  16. Web site: The Amish Population in 2021 . August 12, 2021 . Elizabethtown College, the Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies . August 22, 2021 .
  17. http://groups.etown.edu/amishstudies/files/2021/08/Amish-Pop-2021_by-state-and-county.pdf Amish Population in the United States by State and County, 2021
  18. Web site: Amish Population Profile, 2023 . September 2, 2023 . Elizabethtown College, the Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies . September 3, 2023 .
  19. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/amish-in-manitoba-1.4937694/ 1st Amish settlement west of Ontario prepares for Prairie winter in quiet Manitoba town.
  20. Cory Anderson and Jennifer Anderson. "The Amish Settlement in Honduras, 1968-1978" in Journal of Amish and Plain Anabaptist Studies 4,1, pages 1-50.