French Population in Centre County, PA by City : 2025 Ranking & Insights

The French population in Centre County, PA is reported at 2,400 residents, according to recent U.S. Census estimates. Several cities in Centre County - including State College, Patton township, Ferguson township, and others - contribute to the French population, but the total county figure of 2,400 indicates additional presence beyond municipal borders. The sections below explores how French residents are distributed in Pennsylvania and the U.S.

Top 5 cities with the largest French population in Centre County

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  • 1
    State College
    French population in State College is 1,031
    2.54% of State College population is French
  • 2
    Patton township
    French population in Patton township is 321
    2.04% of Patton township population is French
  • 3
    Ferguson township
    French population in Ferguson township is 312
    1.64% of Ferguson township population is French
  • 4
    College township
    French population in College township is 77
    0.71% of College township population is French
  • 5
    Potter township
    French population in Potter township is 60
    1.68% of Potter township population is French

Overview of French population in Centre County

  • Population Count and Percentage: American Community Survey data shows Centre County contains 2,400 French residents (1.5% of 158,041 total county population), ranking the jurisdiction at the 82nd percentile nationally among counties and 67th percentile within Pennsylvania for French demographic concentrations across both absolute and proportional measures.
  • Comparison to State and National Averages: Census Bureau's ACS indicate Centre County's French population of 1.5% exceeds Pennsylvania's state average of 1.3% while remaining below the national average of 2%, placing the county above regional demographic benchmarks while below national concentration levels.
  • Share of Total State Population: Official American Community Survey show Centre County's 2,400 French residents constitute 1.4% of Pennsylvania's total French population of 172,381.
  • Population Density per Square Mile: U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey data documents Centre County contains 2.2 French Americans per square mile, below Pennsylvania's average of 3.9 per square mile, while maintaining moderate community presence relative to state demographic concentration standards.
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32 Cities in Centre County Ranked by French Population

View Methodology
ACS data [1] show French populations distributed across multiple cities in the county, led by State College, Patton township, Ferguson township, and College township. The table below provides additional context, including total population, population density, and demographic distributions, based on current ACS data for 32 incorporated cities included in this analysis*.
cities in Centre County, PA ranked by French population count
Rank by French Population
City
French Population
% of Total City Population
% of Total Centre County French Population
5 Year Rank Trend
1 State College 1,031 2.54% 42.96%
2 Patton township 321 2.04% 13.38%
3 Ferguson township 312 1.64% 13.00%
4 College township 77 0.71% 3.21%
5 Potter township 60 1.68% 2.50%
6 Huston township 52 3.54% 2.17%
7 Haines township 51 2.40% 2.13%
8 46 2.97% 1.92%
9 45 0.76% 1.88%
10 43 1.54% 1.79%
11 41 0.68% 1.71%
11 41 0.88% 1.71%
12 37 0.46% 1.54%
13 35 0.40% 1.46%
14 23 1.27% 0.96%
15 22 0.81% 0.92%
16 17 1.02% 0.71%
17 16 0.44% 0.67%
18 15 2.72% 0.63%
19 14 2.06% 0.58%
20 12 1.51% 0.50%
21 11 0.88% 0.46%
22 10 0.95% 0.42%
22 10 1.69% 0.42%
23 7 0.33% 0.29%
24 5 0.66% 0.21%
24 5 0.44% 0.21%
25 4 0.58% 0.17%
26 3 0.24% 0.13%
27 2 0.12% 0.08%
28 0 - -
28 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 city in Centre County, PA by their French population, using the most recent ACS data available.

How the Census defines French 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 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 alone, while others identify as French along with another race (such as French and German).
  • We’ve used the “French alone or in any combination” category unless noted otherwise, which gives a broader picture of the French population in each area.

How We Ranked the Data

This ranking is based on the total number of people who identified as French 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 .
  2. % of Total Centre County French Population – This tells us how much of the entire U.S. French 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 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 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 populations are most concentrated while keeping the numbers easy to understand.

Sources

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