French Canadian Population in Alaska by County : 2025 Ranking & Insights

According to the latest U.S. Census estimates, Alaska is home to 4,842 French Canadian residents. Fairbanks North Star Borough contains the largest French Canadian community with 1,681 individuals, followed by Anchorage Municipality (1,230), Matanuska-Susitna Borough (673), and several other counties contributing to this statewide total. The remaining difference may reflect French Canadian populations in lower-population counties not listed above or minor reporting adjustments in the census data. This demographic breakdown ranks all counties in Alaska by their French Canadian population, offering insights into community patterns across the state.

Top 5 counties with the largest French Canadian population in Alaska

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  • 1
    Fairbanks North Star Borough
    French Canadian population in Fairbanks North Star Borough is 1,681
    1.76% of Fairbanks North Star Borough population is French Canadian
  • 2
    Anchorage Municipality
    French Canadian population in Anchorage Municipality is 1,230
    0.43% of Anchorage Municipality population is French Canadian
  • 3
    Matanuska-Susitna Borough
    French Canadian population in Matanuska-Susitna Borough is 673
    0.61% of Matanuska-Susitna Borough population is French Canadian
  • 4
    Kenai Peninsula Borough
    French Canadian population in Kenai Peninsula Borough is 584
    0.98% of Kenai Peninsula Borough population is French Canadian
  • 5
    Juneau City and Borough
    French Canadian population in Juneau City and Borough is 154
    0.48% of Juneau City and Borough population is French Canadian

Overview of French Canadian population in Alaska

  • Population Count and Percentage: American Community Survey data indicate Alaska contains 4,842 French Canadian residents (0.66% of 733,971 total state population), positioning the state at the 14th percentile nationally among U.S. states for French Canadian population concentrations.
  • Comparison to State and National Averages: U.S. Census data records indicate Alaska's French Canadian population of 0.66% exceeds the national average of 0.51% by a factor of 1.3.
  • Share of Total National Population: Official American Community Survey data indicates Alaska contains 4,842 French Canadian residents, representing less than 1% of the nation's total French Canadian population of 1.7 million, constituting a minimal fraction of the national demographic community relative to the state's overall population size.
  • Population Density per Square Mile: U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey data indicate Alaska maintains fewer than 1 French Canadian per square mile, compared to the national average of 0.48 per square mile, placing the state among jurisdictions with minimal demographic representation nationally.
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23 Counties in Alaska Ranked by French Canadian Population

View Methodology
American Community Survey data [1] show French Canadian population in Alaska distributed across multiple counties, led by Fairbanks North Star Borough, Anchorage Municipality, Matanuska-Susitna Borough, and Kenai Peninsula Borough, while several other counties recorded no residents identified as Americans of French-Canadian descent. The table below provides broader statistics, including total population figures, density measures, and demographic distributions based on current ACS data for all counties included in this analysis*.
counties in Alaska ranked by French Canadian population count
Rank by French Canadian Population
County
French Canadian Population
% of Total County Population
% of Total Alaska French Canadian Population
5 Year Rank Trend
1 Fairbanks North Star Borough 1,681 1.76% 34.72%
2 Anchorage Municipality 1,230 0.43% 25.40%
3 Matanuska-Susitna Borough 673 0.61% 13.90%
4 Kenai Peninsula Borough 584 0.98% 12.06%
5 Juneau City and Borough 154 0.48% 3.18%
6 North Slope Borough 71 0.65% 1.47%
7 Ketchikan Gateway Borough 48 0.35% 0.99%
8 44 0.77% 0.91%
9 43 0.33% 0.89%
10 41 1.77% 0.85%
11 39 0.46% 0.81%
12 27 0.39% 0.56%
13 25 0.47% 0.52%
14 19 0.56% 0.39%
15 12 0.57% 0.25%
16 9 0.09% 0.19%
17 8 0.39% 0.17%
18 4 0.08% 0.08%
19 2 0.04% 0.04%
19 2 0.20% 0.04%
20 0 - -
20 0 - -
20 0 - -
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Methodology

This ranking list is based on data from the American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates, conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. The ACS is one of the most reliable sources for understanding population trends across different locations, and it provides estimates for various racial and ethnic groups at city, county, state and all geography levels down to the Census block group.
This list ranks county in Alaska by their French Canadian population, using the most recent ACS data available.

How the Census defines French Canadian population

The U.S. Census Bureau allows people to self-identify their ancestry, meaning individuals can write upto ancestries when responding to the survey. In this ranking, we include everyone who identifies as having French Canadian ancestry, whether alone or in combination with another ancestry.
Here are a few important things to know about how ancestry is reported:
  • Some people identify as French Canadian alone, while others identify as French Canadian along with another race (such as French Canadian and German).
  • We’ve used the “French Canadian alone or in any combination” category unless noted otherwise, which gives a broader picture of the French Canadian population in each area.

How We Ranked the Data

This ranking is based on the total number of people who identified as French Canadian alone or in combination in county. To provide additional context, we’ve also included two key percentages:
  1. % of Total County Population – This shows what percentage of the total state population identifies as French Canadian .
  2. % of Total Alaska French Canadian Population – This tells us how much of the entire U.S. French Canadian population lives in that state.
To keep things simple, all population numbers have been rounded to the nearest whole number, and percentages are rounded to one decimal place. Because of rounding, some percentages may not add up to exactly 100%.

Things to Keep in Mind

Like all survey-based data, ACS estimates come with some limitations. Here are a few things to be aware of:
  • In places with very small French Canadian populations, the numbers may not be reported at all due to privacy protections or sampling variability in the survey.
  • Since the ACS is based on a sample, the numbers are estimates, not exact counts. That means they may slightly differ from other sources like the decennial U.S. Census.
  • County that don’t have any reported French Canadian population are not included in the ranking but are listed separately below for reference.
This ranking is meant to provide a clear, data-driven look at where French Canadian populations are most concentrated while keeping the numbers easy to understand.

Sources

  1. 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates.
  2. 2023.