When it comes to U.S. cities that embrace the Bible, Roanoke/Lynchburg, Va., is at the top of the list. The newly released ranking from American Bible Society finds Roanoke and Lynchburg residents have the #8 highest combined levels of regular Bible reading and belief in the Bible’s accuracy. The next highest ranking city in Virginia is Norfolk/Newport News which ranks as #29 in Bible friendliness.

Most Bible-Minded Cities

Knoxville, Tenn.

Shreveport, La.

Chattanooga, Tenn.

Birmingham, Ala.

Jackson, Miss.

Springfield, Mo.

Charlotte, N.C.

Roanoke/Lynchburg, Va.

Huntsville, Ala.

Charleston, W.Va.

Least Bible-Minded Cities

Providence, R.I./ New Bedford, Mass.

Albany, N.Y.

Burlington, Vt.

Portland, Maine

Hartford/New Haven, Conn.

Boston, Mass.

San Francisco

Phoenix, Ariz.

Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Buffalo, N.Y.

Conducted by Barna Group, the study analyzes 96 geographic regions across the U.S. To view the full list of city rankings, visit BibleMindedCities.com.

American Bible Society’s study of America’s Most Bible-Minded Cities found that while the Bible Belt performed strongly, Colorado Springs, Colo., deemed the No. 1 “holiest city” by Men’s Health just two years ago, has now fallen to the middle of the pack. And, debunking any sense of a single, monolithic region, other stereotypically known Bible Belt cities fell to the mid-range rankings include Houston, Texas; Tulsa, Okla.; and San Antonio, Texas.

–DeMoss Group