Which states have the most Amish communities? I should first note that this post is about individual communities, also known as settlements, not total Amish population. The two have some correlation, but are not the same thing. Scroll down or jump to list Amish Settlement Facts An Amish settlement is a distinct geographic location where Amish live. The roughly 400,000-strong Amish population is found in…
A quick look at a couple of communities in the more distant corners of Amish America. First, Bonnet Strings author Saloma Furlong gives an update on the Amish community near Brownington, Vermont via her blog. Vermont photos: Mike Dougherty/VTDigger Amish moved there in 2015, making Vermont the second New England state with a community. In 2018 there was talk of a second settlement possibly starting, but…
As it does around this time each year, the Young Center at Elizabethtown College has just published its Amish population estimates for 2020 (update: see the latest 2022 numbers here). The total estimated Amish population is 350,665, found in 31 states, four Canadian provinces, and two South American countries. Some interesting takeaways from the figures: 1. Four Large Settlements. The largest settlement, Lancaster County, now…
A look at one of Kentucky‘s oldest Amish settlements – plus another Amish business map to add to the growing collection. This one is in Crittenden County, near the town of Marion. There are four church districts; Amish have been here for over 40 years. An article which ran in the Crittenden Press in 2018 marked the completion of their fourth decade in the community:…
Over the past decade, we’ve seen Amish in Maine slowly expand their footprint in the state. Lately they’ve been adding a community at the rate of about one every two years. The best-known is probably the seeker-friendly Unity settlement, which features in the news fairly frequently. But there are seven other settlements in Maine now, and last autumn, reader Jillian York had a chance to…
Two days ago, reader Mike Sparks visited the Amish settlement at Fredericktown/Bellville, in Knox County, Ohio. He shares his visit and photos with us today. You might remember Mike’s previous trips to Ashland County and Holmes County. This is far from the only Amish community in Knox County. In fact the county has proven quite attractive to the Amish, with all or parts of 7…
Back when I was tallying up the list of Amish communities I’ve already visited, I got to thinking about the ones I haven’t been to yet, but would like to visit. The list below is my current “top seven.” Maybe one of these is on your list? 1. Conewango Valley, New York This plainer-side Amish settlement, as of 2025 approaching 3,000 people in size, has…
Amish have lived in Pontotoc County, Mississippi for a quarter-century. I made an unplanned visit to this community in late January. It was slightly out of the way, but well worth it. I hope you enjoy these photos and my comments on this Swartzentruber Amish settlement of two church districts. Amish came here in the mid-1990s, mainly from the settlement at Ethridge, Tennessee, and close…
Here’s a look at an Amish community that’s among the most isolated of all – the one at Burke’s Garden, Virginia. Some of you will remember I visited this place last Thanksgiving. I actually made two stops in this community – once on the way up to Holmes County, and once again on Thanksgiving morning on the way home to NC. Today’s photos were all…
A comment by Al in KY got me thinking about how many Amish settlements I’ve actually visited. I had tallied this up before, but it was years ago. So I thought it a good idea to put together a fresh list. I believe the very first settlement I went to was Lancaster County, but that would have been with my parents as a young child…