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

According to the latest U.S. Census estimates, the French Canadian population in Colorado totals 23,556. El Paso County contains the largest French Canadian community with 3,817 residents, followed by Denver County (2,967), Jefferson County (2,455), and others contributing to this statewide total. This demographic analysis ranks all counties in Colorado by their French Canadian populations, offering insights into local community distribution and broader settlement trends.

Top 5 counties with the largest French Canadian population in Colorado

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  • 1
    El Paso County
    French Canadian population in El Paso County is 3,817
    0.52% of El Paso County population is French Canadian
  • 2
    Denver County
    French Canadian population in Denver County is 2,967
    0.42% of Denver County population is French Canadian
  • 3
    Jefferson County
    French Canadian population in Jefferson County is 2,455
    0.42% of Jefferson County population is French Canadian
  • 4
    Arapahoe County
    French Canadian population in Arapahoe County is 2,210
    0.34% of Arapahoe County population is French Canadian
  • 5
    Boulder County
    French Canadian population in Boulder County is 1,710
    0.52% of Boulder County population is French Canadian

Overview of French Canadian population in Colorado

  • Population Count and Percentage: American Community Survey data indicate Colorado contains 23,556 French Canadian residents (0.41% of 5.8 million total state population), positioning the state at the 58th percentile nationally among U.S. states for French Canadian population concentrations.
  • Comparison to State and National Averages: U.S. Census surveys show Colorado's French Canadian demographic representation of 0.41% remains below the national average of 0.51%, positioning the state below typical U.S. demographic distribution patterns.
  • Share of Total National Population: Official American Community Survey document Colorado's 23,556 French Canadian residents constitute 1.4% of the nation's total French Canadian population of 1.7 million, providing the state with a measurable but modest share of the national demographic community.
  • Population Density per Square Mile: U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey data shows Colorado's density of 0.23 French-Canadian Americans per square mile remains below the national average of 0.48 per square mile, indicating relatively sparse distribution compared to national demographic concentrations.
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64 Counties in Colorado Ranked by French Canadian Population

View Methodology
American Community Survey data [1] show French Canadian population in Colorado distributed across multiple counties, led by El Paso County, Denver County, Jefferson County, and Arapahoe County, 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 Colorado ranked by French Canadian population count
Rank by French Canadian Population
County
French Canadian Population
% of Total County Population
% of Total Colorado French Canadian Population
5 Year Rank Trend
1 El Paso County 3,817 0.52% 16.20%
2 Denver County 2,967 0.42% 12.60%
3 Jefferson County 2,455 0.42% 10.42%
4 Arapahoe County 2,210 0.34% 9.38%
5 Boulder County 1,710 0.52% 7.26%
6 Douglas County 1,664 0.45% 7.06%
7 Larimer County 1,379 0.38% 5.85%
8 1,270 0.24% 5.39%
9 1,245 0.37% 5.29%
10 758 0.48% 3.22%
11 571 0.76% 2.42%
12 428 0.76% 1.82%
13 328 0.53% 1.39%
14 300 0.18% 1.27%
15 266 0.85% 1.13%
16 215 1.26% 0.91%
17 170 0.63% 0.72%
18 143 0.26% 0.61%
19 141 0.29% 0.60%
20 111 0.56% 0.47%
21 110 0.25% 0.47%
22 101 0.70% 0.43%
23 95 1.62% 0.40%
24 94 0.71% 0.40%
25 83 0.33% 0.35%
26 78 0.30% 0.33%
27 75 0.55% 0.32%
27 75 0.44% 0.32%
28 72 0.29% 0.31%
29 68 0.73% 0.29%
30 59 0.19% 0.25%
31 54 0.29% 0.23%
32 53 0.30% 0.23%
33 49 0.75% 0.21%
34 40 0.80% 0.17%
35 38 0.13% 0.16%
36 33 0.45% 0.14%
37 26 0.51% 0.11%
38 23 0.35% 0.10%
39 20 0.09% 0.08%
40 19 0.12% 0.08%
40 19 0.16% 0.08%
41 16 0.23% 0.07%
41 16 2.00% 0.07%
42 14 0.60% 0.06%
43 12 0.07% 0.05%
44 11 0.31% 0.05%
45 10 0.21% 0.04%
46 8 0.14% 0.03%
46 8 0.10% 0.03%
47 5 0.35% 0.02%
47 5 0.37% 0.02%
47 5 0.07% 0.02%
48 3 0.05% 0.01%
48 3 0.04% 0.01%
48 3 0.07% 0.01%
49 2 0.12% 0.01%
49 2 0.02% 0.01%
50 1 0.03% 0.00%
51 0 - -
51 0 - -
51 0 - -
51 0 - -
51 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 Colorado 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 Colorado 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.