Despite falling populations in other parts of the U.S., the Amish population is growing. A report from Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies at Elizabethtown College found that the Amish population in North America has risen to 373,620, in 2022, an increase of 12,150 since 2021. 

The Amish generally call 32 states and four Canadian provinces home, with 62 percent living within Ohio, Pennsylvania and Indiana. Additional settlements can be found in South America following the organization of a New Order Amish community from the Midwest to Bolivia and Argentina. 

In the last 19 years, 19 new settlements were established, while five existing ones were dissolved. Nearly 50 percent of North American Amish settlements have a single church district, while older settlements can have more than 200 districts. Within large settlements, there can also be a number of subgroups of Amish of varying orders and belief systems. 

The number of districts grew between 2021 and 2022 rising from 2,718 to 2,827. It’s estimated that the overall North American population grew by more than 195,000 rising from 117,910 in 2000 to 373,620 in 2022. This is an increase of 110 percent, outpacing the overall U.S. population growth rate, which sits at an average 0.1 percent. 

The most common reasons for starting a new community include:

● Fertile farmland at reasonable prices.

● Non-farm work in specialized occupations.

● Rural isolation that supports their traditional, family-based lifestyle.

● Social and physical environments (climate, governments, services, economy) conducive to their way of life.

● Proximity to family or other similar Amish church groups.

● To resolve church or leadership conflicts.

The population of the Amish community doubles approximately every 20 years, with most families having five or more children. Additionally, most children remain in the community once they reach adulthood at a rate of 85 percent. There is also a low likelihood of people joining the Amish community, meaning the community is self-sustaining.