Map of Evangelicals and Mormons

[Orser67]

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/03/upshot/where-the-christian-right-is-strong.html?rref=upshot

For me the most interesting thing is how the map overlaps with my conception of the South. The author of the article also pointed out the Driftless Area.

[CountyTy90]

For me the most interesting thing is how the map overlaps with my conception of the South.
[/quote]

...take note of Florida. Panhandle and North Central are definitely "Southern" as is the rural south central regions around Lake Okeechobee.

Florida is such an interesting place; culturally and geographically.

[Oldiesfreak1854]

Who do they consider to be "evangelical"?

[TDAS04]

Interesting that New England's counties are all the in the lightest shade (for lowest level of religious right), yet most Pacific Northwest counties are darker, when the Pacific Northwest is supposed to be the least religious region.  I'm guessing that Washington and Oregon are just more polarized with plenty of both atheists and conservative Christians. 

[Miles]

The biggest exceptions in south Louisiana:

- Iberville Parish: heavily black.
- Livingston Parish: Lots of transients (by LA standards), regional Evangelical stronghold.
- Washington Parish: Culturally, part of MS.

In NC, that block of dark counties in the southeast around Luberton, Fayetteville have the most residential Dixiecrat presence.

[Indy Texas]

Who do they consider to be "evangelical"?

I'd assume the standard classifications for the better known denominations.

It's common knowledge that within Lutheranism, for example, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ECLA) is the "mainline" branch (which is somewhat ironic), while the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod is the "evangelical/conservative" branch. The same dynamic exists between the Presbyterian Church USA (mainline) and the Presbyterian Church in America (evangelical/conservative); the American Baptist Churches (mainline) and the Southern Baptist Convention (evangelical/conservative).

It's a highly imperfect way to distinguish, especially since pretty much all non-episcopal (in the structural sense) churches give individual congregations pretty wide autonomy regarding doctrine and liturgy. The United Methodist Church is considered a mainline church, but there are plenty of congregations in Texas that are, for all intents and purposes, evangelical in their outlook and behavior. The same dynamic is at play in the Episcopal Church, particularly in the South.

[Mr. Illini]

It always shocks me how abruptly these trends can end at state lines. The Iowa-Missouri line is so strict, as is Oklahoma-Kansas and also Kentucky-Ohio.

[Miles]

^ Also how it drops off outside of southeastern NM.

[Never]

Indeed, those sharp contrasts are interesting. This might seem simplistic, but I suppose that these divides are part of the reason why the state boundaries are where they are.

[Miles]

When I made a 2008/2012 county PVI map last year, the IA/MO border always stuck out to me. The contrast in the religion map is also really stark:

[Never]

When I made a 2008/2012 county PVI map last year, the IA/MO border always stuck out to me. The contrast in the religion map is also really stark:

Wow, that's a neat map!

I initially assumed that Iowa is just more Scandinavian (thus less religious) than Missouri, but that doesn't seem to be the case. Both states have pluralities of German ancestry, but Iowa is more heavily German than Missouri. Still, it seems unclear whether that would fully account for the discrepancy we are seeing here between the two states on politics and religion. 

[Filuwaúrdjan]

I can't find the thread, but isn't that less Evangelical county in southern Indiana the one that voted for Obama in 2012 for reasons that we've been struggling to explain for months?

Perry County? Yeah. It's heavily Catholic.

[bgwah]

The map of top protestant denomination by county is also very informative. The prevalence of Southern Baptists in the Southwest is very interesting. Though obviously Catholics, Mormons, Atheists, and non-Christians make up large majorities in those states, so interpret accordingly.

[Linus Van Pelt]

If I'm reading the above map correctly, Perry county also has the United Church of Christ as its largest Protestant denomination, which is likely also connected to its voting pattern.

This is a Swiss thing, I believe. I don't follow all the theological ins and outs, but some kind of Zwinglian Reformed churches in the midwest ended up merging with the UCC and are now pretty liberal. Green county, WI, also appears to have the UCC shade on the map and has a Swiss heritage.

[muon2]

When I made a 2008/2012 county PVI map last year, the IA/MO border always stuck out to me. The contrast in the religion map is also really stark:

But I would be careful. The religion map shows just as stark of a divide between KS and MO, but there is no matching political difference.

[pbrower2a]

Kern County, California really sticks out despite having a very large city (Bakersfield). The large Hispanic population likely votes strong-D as elsewhere in California.

All that you need to know is that Merle Haggard and Buck Owens are from Kern County. No, Buck Owens wasn't very political and Haggard is erratic in his politics. Think of The Grapes of Wrath, novel or movie.   

[WrathOfTheGods]

Wow, New England is empty o.o

[Skill and Chance]

What's with the random ELCA rural counties between Houston and Austin?

[Sol]

What's with the random ELCA rural counties between Houston and Austin?

Old timey german settlement.

[Rockefeller GOP]

Interesting that New England's counties are all the in the lightest shade (for lowest level of religious right), yet most Pacific Northwest counties are darker, when the Pacific Northwest is supposed to be the least religious region.  I'm guessing that Washington and Oregon are just more polarized with plenty of both atheists and conservative Christians. 

Just to be clear, most "non-religious" people are not, in fact, atheists.