French Canadian Population in Missouri by County : 2025 Ranking & Insights
According to the latest U.S. Census estimates, the French Canadian population in Missouri totals 11,891. St. Louis County contains the largest French Canadian community with 1,685 residents, followed by Jackson County (1,561), St. Charles County (1,103), and others contributing to this statewide total. This demographic analysis ranks all counties in Missouri by their French Canadian populations, offering insights into local community distribution and broader settlement trends.
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Top 5 counties with the largest French Canadian population in Missouri
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1St. Louis CountyFrench Canadian population in St. Louis County is 1,6850.17% of St. Louis County population is French Canadian
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2Jackson CountyFrench Canadian population in Jackson County is 1,5610.22% of Jackson County population is French Canadian
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3St. Charles CountyFrench Canadian population in St. Charles County is 1,1030.27% of St. Charles County population is French Canadian
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4Clay CountyFrench Canadian population in Clay County is 9300.36% of Clay County population is French Canadian
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5Greene CountyFrench Canadian population in Greene County is 6870.23% of Greene County population is French Canadian
Overview of French Canadian population in Missouri
- Population Count and Percentage: American Community Survey data indicate Missouri contains 11,891 French Canadian residents (0.19% of 6.2 million total state population), positioning the state at the 41st percentile nationally among U.S. states for French Canadian population concentrations.
- Comparison to State and National Averages: U.S. Census surveys show Missouri's French Canadian demographic representation of 0.19% 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 data indicates Missouri contains 11,891 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 shows Missouri's density of 0.17 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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115 Counties in Missouri Ranked by French Canadian Population
American Community Survey data [1] show French Canadian population in Missouri distributed across multiple counties, led by St. Louis County, Jackson County, St. Charles County, and Clay 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*.
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 Missouri 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:
- % of Total County Population – This shows what percentage of the total state population identifies as French Canadian .
- % of Total Missouri 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
- U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates.
- U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line Shapefiles 2023.