The 4 Northeastern States With An Amish Population
Continuing our series on regional Amish populations (if you missed them, read more on Amish in the South and West), today we look at the Northeast.
In this region of nine states, we find two of the most significant “Amish states” – and two with quite small, but growing, populations.
Is the Northeast, in general, an attractive area for the Amish to live?
Going by population density, six of the top ten most densely-populated states are in the Northeast (Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire are the outliers, ranging from #21 to #38).
Generally speaking, land prices are going to be higher than in less-populated areas, not to mention there being an overall lack of rural land and farms.
That likely explains, at least in part, why only four of nine Northeastern states have Amish communities (one notable state without a permanent Amish community – New Jersey, despite bordering three states with significant Amish populations).
However, states are not uniform. For instance while New York has a high population density, most of that is concentrated in the New York City metro area, with much of upstate New York a completely different story.
Amish have in turn been drawn to the available land and dormant farms of the Empire State, revitalizing communities as they find less-cramped quarters to raise their families and run their farms and businesses.
The 4 Northeastern States With An Amish Population
Here are the four states in the Northeast where you’ll find Amish, in order of greatest-to-least population. Numbers are the latest 2025 figures from the Young Center Amish Studies website.
1. Pennsylvania (63 settlements; 95,410 Amish)
Pennsylvania is the quintessential Amish state. It’s home to the largest Amish population, as well as the three oldest Amish communities, all settled in the 1700s.
Besides the well-known Lancaster County settlement, Amish live in over 60 locations statewide. The state’s total Amish population has increased by nearly 20,000 people in the past seven years.
Notable communities include the diverse Big Valley region, the Somerset County settlement (with its unusual church house custom), New Wilmington, and the Crawford County area, home to seven distinct Amish settlements.
2. New York (60 settlements; 25,220 Amish)
New York has the fifth-largest Amish population, behind only Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and Wisconsin. It’s attracted a lot of new Amish residents in recent years.
Combined with natural growth of existing communities, the Empire State has added over 5,000 Amish people since 2018.
Larger communities are found at Conewango Valley, Clymer (Chautauqua County) and at Heuvelton (St. Lawrence County) on the Canadian border.
3. Maine (11 settlements; 1,310 Amish)
The Amish have steadily added new communities to Maine since the state’s oldest was settled at Smyrna Mills in 2000. The number of communities in the state has gone from six to 11 since 2018, with a population increase of over 500.
It still remains small compared to other Amish states, but something continues to draw Amish to start new settlements in the Pine Tree State. And for a low-Amish-population state, Maine’s Amish get a good amount of media attention, with repeated coverage of communities including Fort Fairfield and Unity.
For example, two Unity residents have gotten a lot of attention in years past, but for quite different reasons – Matthew Secich, convert to the Amish, and owner of the Charcuterie meats and cheeses shop, and “Amish atheist” Kenneth Copp.
Here on the site, one of our readers made a visit to the Unity community and reported on her visit to a local bakery and woodworking shop, while another visited the Unity Community Market.
4. Vermont (2 settlements; 130 Amish)
Vermont has one of the lowest estimated Amish populations of the 32 states which Amish call home. That noted, the Amish have slowly been solidifying a foothold in the Green Mountain State.
In 2015, they settled in the Brownington area of the scenic Northeast Kingdom region of the state. Nearly a decade later, they started a new community in the same region, at Newport Center.
Rhode Island
We need an Amish colony in Rhode Island I can picture the Amish taking to aquaculture very well.
Would be interesting to see that Nick, both for the aquaculture and for Amish in RI as the second most-densely populated state.
While it’s not aquaculture, some Amish have been pursuing hydroponics:
http://www.rosebudmag.com/blog/trending-now/amish-hydroponic-natural-garden
Rhode Island.
It would be a wonderful thing but there is no way. The state of Rhode Island is densely populated, small and I could never see horse & buggy’s even being allowed.
People drive fast and what few semi-rural backroads they are windy and narrow. Accidents occur on a regular basis such as people hitting trees etc.
Being from New England I am so happy they are now in Maine and Vermont, lots of very nice farmland and much that has been abandoned from farmers of long ago whose children did not want that kind of life. So so many dairy farms now closed, beautiful old barns just sitting empty. Rural with roads that can accommodate horse and buggy’s.
Northern New Hampshire would also be a great area.
But Rhode Island no way.Far Western Massachusetts but farther up north would be better choices such as Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire. Beautiful country it is.
Eric, when information such as this population data is presented, is it strictly Amish or does it include some Mennonites as well. I recently became acquainted with a group of conservative Mennonites in western New York State that I previously thought was totally Amish. These people us animals for transportation and farming. So in this respect, they are detectable from the Amish only by the astute, noticing such things as lack of facial hair and dress differences.
Bob good question, it is strictly Old Order Amish (and when I say Old Order, that also includes the groups called New Order, which are similar to Old Order in most ways including horse-and-buggy travel). This leaves out for example Old Order Mennonites and groups that are Amish-like in their culture and ways but not recognized by other Amish churches.
Old Order Mennonites do have the horse and buggy and quite a few similarities so that they are sometimes confused with Amish, but yes the men without beards and the different clothing would be among the most noticeable differences. There’s a section in this article with a general comparison of the two groups:
https://amishamerica.com/whats-the-difference-between-amish-and-mennonites/
population
I respectfully disagree. The largest Amish settlement is in Wayne and Holmes counties in Ohio. Lancaster is second with northern Indiana-Goshen,Lagrange,Nappanee, Bourbon.Etna Green area third. Thank you.
Lancaster & Holmes/Wayne
It’s true that Lancaster County and Holmes/Wayne County are quite close in size, and in the past it was arguable which one may be larger (see this post from 2010 when they were estimated to be essentially the same size: https://amishamerica.com/pennsylvania-amish-edge-out-ohio-in-latest-amish-population-figures/).
More recent estimates which these posts are based on have however placed Lancaster a bit ahead of Holmes/Wayne so that’s what was used here.
Third is the northern Indiana area of Elkhart/Lagrange Counties, but the Nappanee area is not included in that as it’s considered a separate settlement (though it’s true that the edges of these settlements have gradually grown quite close to each other and may have even “touched” by this point, historically they have been considered two separate communities).
Here is a list of the 12 largest communities which I was referencing: https://groups.etown.edu/amishstudies/statistics/twelve-largest-settlements-2018/
Welcome
I am delighted to welcome the Amish and Mennonites to the Finger Lakes area of NY state. They only make our area of NY more beautiful & farmland productive again. Bless them all!
We used to live in Yates Co. NY. We mostly had Groffdale Mennonite & car driving Mennonite… We now live in central WI. and have quite a few Amish, both Swartzentruber and Old Order Amish….
Amish in RI
I believe that the Amish can be very comfortable occupying the Foster and Scituate area in RI. There’s plenty of land for farming and rural roads for horses and buggies. Would love it if they came to RI.
LOVE THE AMISH
I WOULD LOVE TO SEE AN AMISH COMMUNITY HERE IN RI. I WOULD LOVE TO SPEND TIME WITH THEM AND GET TO KNOW THEM
Amish
I love amish s history. N respect for em
Amish Population
Very interesting and informative article! I live in Pennsylvania and happy to have the honor living in the state with the highest Amish population.
Penny