Amish Population Boom: A Silent Migration Reshapes Rural America
In a remarkable demographic shift, the Old Order Amish population in North America has nearly doubled in the past two decades, surpassing 350,000 members. This rapid growth, driven by large families and high retention rates, is reshaping rural communities across the United States and beyond.
According to recent estimates from the Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies at Elizabethtown College, the horse-and-buggy Amish population has increased by 97% since 2000. This trend suggests the community could double again in the coming decades, potentially reaching over 700,000 by 2040[5].
While Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Indiana remain the heartland of Amish America, new settlements are sprouting up across the country. States like Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, New York, and Wisconsin have seen significant growth, with New York’s Amish population quadrupling since 2000 to over 21,000[5].
“There are continually more Amish in areas they haven’t been before,” explains Steve Nolt, senior scholar at the Young Center. “This means new relationships are opening up, from buggies on the road to health-care providers meeting Amish patients for the first time”[5].
The Amish population boom is primarily attributed to two factors: large families and high retention rates. On average, Amish families have five or more children, and approximately 85% of Amish youth choose to be baptized into the faith as adults[5][7].
This growth has led to a rapid increase in Amish settlements and church districts. Since 1992, the number of Amish settlements has more than doubled, growing from 227 to 469 in 2013. Similarly, the number of church districts has increased from 930 to 2,056 in the same period[7].
The expansion of Amish communities is not limited to the United States. Small but growing populations have been established in Canada, Bolivia, and Argentina, reflecting the global reach of this traditionally insular group[5].
As Amish communities continue to grow and spread, they bring with them unique challenges and opportunities for their new neighbors. From adapting local infrastructure to accommodate horse-drawn buggies to navigating cultural differences in healthcare and education, the silent Amish migration is quietly reshaping rural America, one settlement at a time.
Citations:
[1] https://plainanabaptistjournal.org/index.php/JPAC/article/download/7953/5927
[2] https://www.ohiosamishcountry.com/articles/the-changing-face-of-the-amish
[3] https://www.reddit.com/r/actuary/comments/10cnxmk/amish_population_growth/
[4] https://ideaexchange.uakron.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1047&context=amishstudies
[5] https://groups.etown.edu/amishstudies/statistics/amish-population-profile-2022/
[6] https://paa2005.populationassociation.org/papers/51593
[7] https://groups.etown.edu/amishstudies/statistics/population-trends-1992-2013/