French Canadian Population in York County, ME by City : 2025 Ranking & Insights

The French Canadian population in York County, ME is recorded at 18,157 residents, based on the latest U.S. Census estimates. Each city in York County, ME has some French Canadian population, but the county''s higher total suggests additional rural or non-municipal representation. The analysis below explores how French Canadian communities are spread across York County, ME and comparable counties throughout Maine.

Top 5 cities with the largest French Canadian population in York County

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  • 1
    Biddeford
    French Canadian population in Biddeford is 3,365
    14.98% of Biddeford population is French Canadian
  • 2
    Saco
    French Canadian population in Saco is 2,021
    9.79% of Saco population is French Canadian
  • 3
    Old Orchard Beach town
    French Canadian population in Old Orchard Beach town is 1,443
    15.77% of Old Orchard Beach town population is French Canadian
  • 4
    Berwick town
    French Canadian population in Berwick town is 941
    11.63% of Berwick town population is French Canadian
  • 5
    Waterboro town
    French Canadian population in Waterboro town is 836
    10.42% of Waterboro town population is French Canadian

Overview of French Canadian population in York County

  • Population Count and Percentage: American Community Survey data shows York County contains 18,157 French Canadian residents (8.5% of 214,731 total county population), ranking the jurisdiction at the 99th percentile nationally among counties and 93rd percentile within Maine for French Canadian demographic concentrations across both absolute and proportional measures.
  • Comparison to State and National Averages: Census Bureau's ACS show York County's French Canadian population of 8.5% surpassing both Maine's state average of 6.5% and the national average of 0.51%, positioning the county as a high-concentration jurisdiction exceeding demographic benchmarks across all geographic scales.
  • Share of Total State Population: Official American Community Survey indicate York County's 18,157 French Canadian residents constitute 20.3% of Maine's total French Canadian population of 89,463, placing the county among jurisdictions with the highest demographic concentrations, with 20.3% of all Maine French-Canadian Americans residing within county boundaries.
  • Population Density per Square Mile: U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey document York County with 18.3 French-Canadian Americans per square mile, more than six times Maine's average density of 2.9 per square mile, placing the county among the most densely concentrated jurisdictions within the state.
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28 Cities in York County Ranked by French Canadian Population

View Methodology
ACS data [1] confirm French Canadian populations in every incorporated city in the county, with the largest counts in Biddeford, Saco, Old Orchard Beach town, and Berwick town. The table below provides detailed figures, including total population, density measures, and demographic distributions, based on the current ACS data for all 28 incorporated cities included in this analysis*.
cities in York County, ME ranked by French Canadian population count
Rank by French Canadian Population
City
French Canadian Population
% of Total City Population
% of Total York County French Canadian Population
5 Year Rank Trend
1 Biddeford 3,365 14.98% 18.53%
2 Saco 2,021 9.79% 11.13%
3 Old Orchard Beach town 1,443 15.77% 7.95%
4 Berwick town 941 11.63% 5.18%
5 Waterboro town 836 10.42% 4.60%
6 Wells town 754 6.53% 4.15%
7 Arundel town 612 14.01% 3.37%
7 612 5.95% 3.37%
8 582 4.98% 3.21%
9 528 3.81% 2.91%
10 472 10.34% 2.60%
11 443 5.24% 2.44%
12 429 6.53% 2.36%
13 425 8.37% 2.34%
14 349 5.00% 1.92%
15 345 11.03% 1.90%
16 334 4.40% 1.84%
17 327 8.23% 1.80%
18 197 4.08% 1.09%
19 180 5.43% 0.99%
20 161 5.97% 0.89%
21 146 6.33% 0.80%
22 141 3.85% 0.78%
23 124 4.20% 0.68%
24 86 5.05% 0.47%
25 76 6.01% 0.42%
26 37 2.45% 0.20%
27 7 0.36% 0.04%
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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 city in York County, ME 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 city. To provide additional context, we’ve also included two key percentages:
  1. % of Total City Population – This shows what percentage of the total state population identifies as French Canadian .
  2. % of Total York County 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.
  • City 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.