New York—Lexington is the most Bible-minded city in Kentucky, according to a new survey that rates municipalities based on the frequency of online Scripture reading and other measures.

Louisville was rated No. 2 and Paducah No. 3 in the commonwealth in a survey released last week by the American Bible Society.

“I’m glad to know that these Kentucky cities are getting positive recognition,” said Paul Chitwood, executive director of the Kentucky Baptist Convention. “We know understanding the Bible is crucial to the Christian life. And this gives us encouragement that our churches are having an impact across our state.”

All three Kentucky cities were listed among the top 25 most Bible-minded cities in the country.

Nationally, Lexington ranked 15th; Louisville 17th, and Paducah 23rd.

The No. 1 spot went to Birmingham, Ala.

Survey respondents were considered Bible-minded if they had read the Bible in the past seven days and believed the Scriptures to be accurate.

Nationally, the survey found that only 27 percent of the population is considered Bible-minded.

Other notable findings:

Small cities performed better than large cities.

Southern cities ranked higher than cities in the Northeast.

Dallas dropped off the list for the first time in three years, and New York City debuted at No. 91.

A recent study by LifeWay Research found similar statistics about Bible engagement.

The research arm of LifeWay Christian Resources found that 19 percent of people surveyed in 2012 read the Bible every day, while 14 percent say they read the Bible once a week. (KBC)