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
Apr 2, 2026 - One In Four US Radio Stations Has Faith Focus
- About a quarter of all AM and FM radio stations in the US have a religious focus, according to the Pew Research Center. Religion (including stations featuring religious teaching, hymns and other related content) has surpassed country for the first time ever, hitting a new 2,156-station high. Religious radio is not limited strictly to sermons or worship. Pew found that stations frequently address everyday issues through a religious lens. Topics such as personal advice, social and political commentary, and family life each account for roughly two hours of daily programming per station on average.
- 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.
- About 29% of adults who responded to the 2024 General Social Survey never attend religious services, up from about 10% in 1972. More than 30% of adults who responded to the 2021 through 2023 surveys reported never attending. Weekly attenders outnumbered never-attenders by roughly four to one in the early 1970s.
- 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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