Buddhism - Religious Tradition
Buddhism is a world religion founded by Siddhartha Gautama, who became known as the Buddha, in the sixth or fifth century BCE in India. Teaching reincarnation and freedom from worldly attachments, Buddhism has three major branches: Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana. According to Buddhism, the origin of suffering comes from ignorance, and one must follow the Eightfold Path to reach nirvana. Following the passage of the 1965 Immigration and Nationality Act, which allowed for more immigration from Asia, the Buddhist population has grown rapidly in the U.S.
Maps: Buddhism1
Adherence Rate per 1,000 (2020)
Congregations (2020)
Top 5 Buddhism States (2020)1 [View all States]
| Rank | State | Adherents | Adherence Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hawaii | 55,240 | 38.00 |
| 2 | District Of Columbia | 9,062 | 13.10 |
| 3 | Washington | 73,387 | 9.50 |
| 4 | California | 311,273 | 7.90 |
| 5 | New Mexico | 15,575 | 7.40 |
Top 5 Buddhism Counties (2020)1 [View all counties]
| Rank | County | Adherents | Adherence Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Saguache County, Colorado | 3,055 | 479.70 |
| 2 | Nelson County, Virginia | 2,000 | 135.40 |
| 3 | Archuleta County, Colorado | 1,500 | 112.30 |
| 4 | Mendocino County, California | 10,118 | 110.50 |
| 5 | Grant County, New Mexico | 2,400 | 85.20 |
Top 5 Buddhism Metro Areas (2020)1 [View all Metro Areas]
| Rank | Metro Area | Adherents | Adherence Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ukiah, CA Micro Area | 10,118 | 110.50 |
| 2 | Silver City, NM Micro Area | 2,400 | 85.20 |
| 3 | Taos, NM Micro Area | 2,782 | 80.70 |
| 4 | Urban Honolulu, HI Metro Area | 40,926 | 40.30 |
| 5 | Hilo, HI Micro Area | 7,717 | 38.50 |
Buddhism Groups: Adherence Rates (1980 - 2020)1
| Group | Family | Adh. Rate 2020 | Adh. Rate 2010 | Adh. Rate 2000 | Adh. Rate 1990 | Adh. Rate 1980 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buddhism, Mahayana | Buddhism | 1.66 | 2.37 | |||
| Buddhism, Theravada | Buddhism | 0.88 | 0.66 | |||
| Buddhism, Vajrayana | Buddhism | 0.60 | 0.18 | |||
| Buddhists | Buddhism | |||||
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]
