Religious Beliefs In Vermont

Vermont is a US state in the New England area which is surrounded by Quebec (Canadian province), New York, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts. It is the sixth smallest by area and second least populated state of the fifty US states. Its capital, Montpelier, is the least populous capital in the country. Burlington is the most densely populated city in Vermont. Vermont was ranked as the safest US state in 2016.

History of Vermont

The present-day Vermont territory was occupied by various indigenous communities like the Abenaki and the Mohawks for thousands of year before the French claimed it as part of their colony. Jacques Cartier was the first European to see the Vermont territory in 1535. Samuel de Champlain (a French explorer) claimed Vermont as part of France and then erected the Fort Sainte Arine in 1666. The French ruled for about a century before ceding Vermont to the British after being defeated in the seven-year war in 1763. A group of settlers who were given the New Hampshire titles established Vermont as an independent state in 1777. Vermont was the first state, and it became the fourteenth state to gain statehood in 1791. Vermont was one of the US states which were sovereign states given that the original thirteen states were colonies.

Population of Vermont

The population of Vermont was 626,042 by April 15, 2015, which was a growth of only 297 individuals in five years. The increase included 3,178 (28,538 deaths and 31,716 births) and a decrease of 2,432 individuals who migrated to other states. Vermont had the second lowest birthrate of 42 births in 1000 ladies in 2006. As at 2014, about 51.3% of the community was Vermont-born. Only 16 out of the 251 towns in Vermont experienced a population growth while over 180 municipalities had a population decrease from 2010 to 2013.

Religious Beliefs in Vermont

In 2016, Vermont was ranked as the least religious state in the country (dethroning New Hampshire). Over 37% of the people in Vermont were not affiliated with any religious denomination in 2014, and this has increased to over 58% in 2016. In 2016, only 21% of the people in Vermont considered themselves religious which was a decrease as compared to 2014 when over 30% were Protestants while 22% were Catholics and 1% were adherents of the Eastern Orthodox. The Jewish community represents about 2% of the population while Buddhist and Hindu each represent only 1% of the population.