Catholic Extension Society’s mission is to work in solidarity with people to build up vibrant and transformative Catholic faith communities in America’s poorest regions. Currently, we support 87 dioceses in the U.S. and its territories.
The most recent U.S. Census data gives us vital information about population trends, and the corresponding challenges and opportunities that exist for the Catholic Church in our dioceses and around the U.S.
Catholic Extension Society has compiled some of the existing census data, and overlaid diocesan boundaries, to help visualize population growth and decline, from 2010 to 2020. We have also compiled the most recently available poverty figures to understand economic realities in the dioceses we serve.
These figures, of course, represent the general population, not necessarily the Catholic population. But, we can safely assume a that a fair amount of Catholics are represented in these numbers.
Listen to our Vice President of Mission, Joe Boland, describe the census data on Relevant Radio.
See the interactive map of this data below:
These are some of our initial takeaways:
Top 10 population growth among U.S. dioceses
| Diocese | 2010 Pop | 2020 Pop | Total Change | Percent Change | Rank |
| Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston | 5,930,526 | 7,117,111 | 1,186,585 | 16.67% | 1 |
| Diocese of Atlanta | 6,803,247 | 7,698,983 | 895,736 | 11.63% | 2 |
| Diocese of Orlando | 4,199,193 | 5,064,237 | 865,044 | 17.08% | 3 |
| Archdiocese of Seattle | 5,229,486 | 6,037,688 | 808,202 | 13.39% | 4 |
| Diocese of Austin | 2,797,636 | 3,508,824 | 711,188 | 20.27% | 5 |
| Diocese of Dallas | 3,770,433 | 4,447,373 | 676,940 | 15.22% | 6 |
| Diocese of Phoenix | 4,362,757 | 5,015,145 | 652,388 | 13.01% | 7 |
| Diocese of Fort Worth | 3,288,327 | 3,915,123 | 626,796 | 16.01% | 8 |
| Archdiocese of Denver | 3,352,228 | 3,881,149 | 528,921 | 13.63% | 9 |
| Diocese of Salt Lake City | 2,763,885 | 3,271,616 | 507,731 | 15.52% | 10 |
Everything is, in fact, bigger in Texas! Four of the top 10 dioceses for population growth are Texan dioceses—Galveston-Houston, Austin, Dallas and Ft. Worth—adding a combined total of 3.2 million people within their diocesan boundaries.
It is worth noting that all 15 dioceses in Texas grew during the last decade, some by a little and some obviously by a significant amount. Today, 8 of Texas’ 15 dioceses are supported by Extension.
The same population growth was true in all of California’s 12 dioceses, a state where 6 of the dioceses receive support from Catholic Extension Society.
Top 10 population growth among Extension dioceses
| Diocese | 2010 Pop | 2020 Pop | Total Change | Percent Change | Rank |
| Diocese of Salt Lake City | 2,763,885 | 3,271,616 | 507,731 | 15.52% | 10 |
| Diocese of Charleston | 4,625,364 | 5,118,425 | 493,061 | 9.63% | 11 |
| Diocese of Nashville | 2,418,763 | 2,843,770 | 425,007 | 14.95% | 14 |
| Diocese of San Bernardino | 4,224,851 | 4,599,839 | 374,988 | 8.15% | 20 |
| Diocese of Sacramento | 3,502,959 | 3,809,812 | 306,853 | 8.05% | 29 |
| Diocese of Boise | 1,567,582 | 1,839,106 | 271,524 | 14.76% | 31 |
| Diocese of Fresno | 2,808,697 | 3,017,096 | 208,399 | 6.91% | 39 |
| Diocese of Colorado Springs | 1,011,062 | 1,197,957 | 186,895 | 15.60% | 40 |
| Diocese of Birmingham | 3,018,193 | 3,178,170 | 159,977 | 5.03% | 43 |
| Diocese of Knoxville | 2,364,692 | 2,509,421 | 144,729 | 5.77% | 47 |
55 Extension-supported dioceses around the country have grown! They’ve added 4.7 million souls, representing many future opportunities for outreach and pastoral care. These dioceses follow the general pattern that the greatest population growth is occurring in the southern and in the western regions of the U.S.
Meanwhile, dioceses in the Northeast and Midwest are either flat or are declining in population.
Even in dioceses experiencing population decline, there is still hope and signs of vitality!
Population decline does not suggest that the end is near for a diocese. Some of the “best church” happening in the country is occurring in dioceses where population decline is a reality. In many cases, dioceses with population decline have adapted their pastoral ministry and institutions and found new and innovative ways to serve as a leavening force among their people and the communities they serve.
Puerto Rico is a great example of this. We know that economic downturn and natural disasters have hit Puerto Rico particularly hard this past decade, resulting in all 6 Puerto Rican dioceses losing significant population.
This is why Catholic Extension Society is working with them so closely to help recover through our long-term disaster recovery efforts. We recognize that despite their population losses, Puerto Rico remains a predominantly Catholic land. And, the poor, elderly and vulnerable who have remained on the island are not forgotten by the Church, nor by Catholic Extension Society. In fact, the poor and vulnerable on the island recognize the Church as a beacon of hope, which continues to do so much good for so many Puerto Ricans in response to the many challenges they face as a society.