Churches & Religious Organizations NAICS 813110
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Industry Summary
The 184,591 churches and religious organizations in the US provide spiritual worship, guidance, and education. Some organizations operate hospitals or schools. While such ancillary programs are generally managed separately from their associated organization, churches often provide financial support.
Slow-growing Membership
Church membership among major denominations has been flat or declining in recent years, challenging organizations to discover innovative ways to attract new members.
Ideological Conflict
Disagreements over controversial issues can cause congregations to split, significantly reducing revenue for the original organization.
Recent Developments
Jun 2, 2026 - Religion Is Top Radio Format
- Religion has been the most programmed radio format in the US since February 2026, according to Inside Radio/PrecisionTrak’s monthly station counts. The number of stations featuring religious teaching, hymns, and other related content increased by 73 during the 12-month period ending on May 31, 2026, up 3.4% year over year. Thirty-two of those stations joined the format in 2026.
- Reports that young US males are returning to the church at a rate far exceeding that of young women have been contradicted by a 2024-25 Gallup poll which found that self-reported rates of church attendance for the two groups are almost the same. About 39% of young women and about 40% of young men said that they go to church once a month or more. Some 42% of men between the ages of 18 to 29 said that religion is “very important” to them, which is up from 28% in 2022-2023, but that did boost attendance, according to Gallup. The figure surpassed that for young women, who held steady at 30%.
- The US ranks first in religious diversity among the world’s most populous nations, according to the Pew Research Center. Christianity remains the majority faith in many regions but believers increasingly live in religiously plural societies. Pew found that despite examples of pluralism, a single religious group forms a majority in most countries.
- Small church communities are increasingly threatened by decreasing membership and the greater popularity of ‘megachurches’, according to the authors of The Great Dechurching: Who’s Leaving, Why Are They Going, and What Will It Take to Bring Them Back? The authors point out that only 10% of America’s faith communities currently have more than 250 people at weekly services, yet around 70% of churchgoers attend such churches. The authors also note that once vibrant churches are slowly closing their doors. About 3,000 Protestant churches were officially opened in 2019 while 4,5000 closed. About 4,000 Protestant churches were officially opened in 2014 while 3,700 closed.
Industry Revenue
Churches & Religious Organizations
Industry Structure
Industry size & Structure
A typical church or religious organization operates out of a single location, employs fewer than 10 workers and generates about $933,000 million annually.
- Churches and religious organizations consist of about 184,591 organizations, which employ nearly 1.5 million workers and generate $172 billion in annual revenue.
- Religious organizations include temples, synagogues, mosques, and shrines.
- Church size can be classified by average weekly attendance: Small (less than 200 people), medium (200 to 400), large (400 to 2,000), and megachurch (2,000+).
- About 21% of Americans claim to attend weekly, and about 9% claim to attend nearly weekly or monthly, according to Gallup.
- Large religious organizations include the Catholic Church (53 million members), the Southern Baptist Convention (12.9 million), the United Methodist Church (5.4 million), and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (6.9 million).
Industry Forecast
Industry Forecast
Churches & Religious Organizations Industry Growth
Source: Vertical IQ and Inforum
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