Amish Communities – The 10 Largest Amish Groups and Their Distinctive Characteristics

Amish groups differ in beliefs, practices, attitudes, decision-making processes, financing, and values. Despite differences, most Amish groups share certain characteristics, like traditional Amish cuisine and family-centric lifestyles.

Old Order Amish, a conservative faction that withdrew from fellowship with the wider body of Amish, emphasize traditional practices and beliefs. They terminate formal education at the eighth grade, meet in homes for religious services, and wear distinctive plain clothing.

1. Old Order Amish

The Amish have many different beliefs, traditions and lifestyles. This diversity makes them very unique from other people.

The Old Order Amish are known for their simple living, plain dress and Christian pacifism. They also maintain a very low profile and avoid many conveniences of modern technology, such as telephone lines and air travel.

They use horse-and-buggy for most travel, which is a key part of their identity. Some Old Order Amish groups ban tractors and other self-propelled farm equipment in fields, while others allow it as long as it is not used for harvesting crops.

Ohio’s Bing Act requires that children go to school up to age 18. The Old Order Amish resist this law, arguing that it will keep their young people from learning important values and morals at home.

2. Nebraska Amish

Located in central Pennsylvania, the Nebraska Amish are considered among the most traditional and conservative of all Amish groups. They adhere strongly to their tenets of separation from the world and simplicity of life.

They reject the use of indoor plumbing and motorized machinery, dress in plain clothing, and do not allow screens on their doors or windows. These practices are rooted in their European Anabaptist roots and rural colonial life in America.

Unlike other Amish groups, Nebraska Amish members do not attend high school or college, do not hold political office, are conscientious objectors to war, and do not participate in divorce proceedings. They also do not own automobiles or tap electricity from public utility lines.

3. Byler Amish

The Byler Amish are the smallest of the Old Order Amish groups. They use horse-drawn buggies and dress conservatively, with beards for men and head coverings for women.

The Amish also reject many modern conveniences, including public utilities and televisions. They believe in serving others rather than receiving service from other people.

Byler grew up in an Amish settlement where the bishop presided over church services, but members made all decisions together as a group. That’s a major difference from some other Amish groups, where the bishop is in charge of everything.

Byler, who has a daughter and a son, has run two Amish stores in Middlefield, Ohio. Now he and his father have opened Amish Heritage Wood Floors and Furnishings in Cleveland.

4. Reno Amish

The Reno Amish are a small, quiet community in a beautiful part of Kansas. This Amish settlement is located just a short drive southwest of Hutchinson, Kansas.

They are a very conservative group, separating themselves from the world and maintaining a strict religious identity. Their belief system is founded on Jesus Christ’s teachings that life on earth is short and God is in control of everything.

Their way of life combines religion with an agrarian lifestyle. They are against many types of technology and maintain a more traditional way of life.

5. Swartzentruber Amish

The Swartzentruber Amish are a conservative faction of the Old Order Amish. These Amish do not fellowship or intermarry with more liberal Old Order Amish, and they disallow certain technologies such as electricity and indoor plumbing.

They also discourage members from displaying too much vanity, as this can promote egotism. They also have a plainer lifestyle than other Amish, and do not engage in many group activities such as tractor farming and Bible study.

Compared to other Amish, the Swartzentruber Amish have a lower standard of living and are more likely to be uninsured. They also have a more restrictive interpretation of shunning and stricter youth regulations.

They also wear hats with brims, whereas other Old Order Amish groups do not. This is because hat brims are seen as an impediment to traditional values by higher-order Amish groups.

6. Ohio Amish

Located in northeast-central Ohio, Holmes County is home to the largest community of Amish people in the world. This Amish region is a popular tourist destination and a major economic driver for the area.

There are a number of different Amish settlements in Holmes County, each with its own unique culture and traditions. Visitors can shop for handmade Amish furniture, eat delicious Amish food, and visit Amish homes.

Holmes County also is home to New Order Amish, which are a small grouping of Amish who have broken away from the mainstream Old Order churches in order to adhere to stricter courtship standards for youth. They are more open to outreach than other Amish groups and often publish tracts and pamphlets on their beliefs.

7. Pennsylvania Amish

Pennsylvania is home to many Amish communities, and they are a distinctive folk group. Their lifestyle is based on the Ordnung (German, meaning: order).

The Amish are known for their simple lifestyle, plain dress and Christian pacifism. They value rural life, manual labor and humility.

They also refuse to take advantage of modern conveniences such as electricity and automobiles. They believe that these things distract from family time and interfere with face-to-face communication.

They also resist government assistance, and have a religious objection to insurance. Some Amish districts even establish private schools for their children.

8. Delaware Amish

The Delaware Amish are a group of people who live in Central Delaware. They are known for their peaceful way of life and have a rich history in the state.

They are a part of the Anabaptist movement and have been around for hundreds of years. They arrived in America to escape religious persecution in Europe and find land to farm.

These Amish rely on their church and community for support. They do not carry private commercial insurance and have a religious objection to the concept of insurance.

They do not use modern transportation such as cars and trucks, but do own horse and buggy carriages. They also have regular bus service between Amish communities.

9. New York Amish

The New York Amish are one of the largest groups in the state. They are known for their conservative, simple lifestyle based on a religious pacifism, plain dress, and non-reliance on modern technology.

They also have a strong sense of family and rural life. They believe in the importance of manual labor and spend their free time on farms.

Several different Amish communities are found in New York, with many of them clustering around small villages and churches. The state is also home to so-called Swiss Amish settlements, which have a name that reflects their members’ Swiss European origins.

10. Other Amish Groups

The Amish, a Protestant religion that originated in Europe during the European Wars of Religion, is characterized by its strict restrictions on modern technology and plain dress. Amish separate themselves from society for religious reasons and do not join the military or accept Social Security, nor do they participate in insurance or other government assistance.

Old Order Amish follow the Dordrecht Confession of Faith, a Dutch Mennonite confession of faith adopted in 1632. They also practice shunning (known as the ban or Meidung) of members who are excommunicated, and emphasize that a person is only saved by God’s grace.

Amish lifestyle is regulated by the Ordnung, which differs slightly from community to community and district to district within a community. The Ordnung is agreed upon or changed at a meeting called the Ordnungsgemeine in Standard German and Ordningsgmee in Pennsylvania Dutch.