French Population in Cleveland County, NC by City : 2025 Ranking & Insights

The French population in Cleveland County, NC is reported at 1,198 residents, according to recent U.S. Census estimates. Several cities in Cleveland County - including Shelby, Kings Mountain, Polkville, and others - contribute to the French population, but the total county figure of 1,198 indicates additional presence beyond municipal borders. The sections below explores how French residents are distributed in North Carolina and the U.S.

Top 5 cities with the largest French population in Cleveland County

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  • 1
    Shelby
    French population in Shelby is 439
    2.01% of Shelby population is French
  • 2
    Kings Mountain
    French population in Kings Mountain is 99
    0.86% of Kings Mountain population is French
  • 3
    Polkville
    French population in Polkville is 40
    7.38% of Polkville population is French
  • 4
    Boiling Springs
    French population in Boiling Springs is 39
    0.84% of Boiling Springs population is French
  • 5
    Fallston
    French population in Fallston is 27
    4.49% of Fallston population is French

Overview of French population in Cleveland County

  • Population Count and Percentage: American Community Survey data shows Cleveland County contains 1,198 French residents (1.2% of 100,170 total county population), ranking the jurisdiction at the 72nd percentile nationally among counties and 65th percentile within North Carolina for French demographic concentrations across both absolute and proportional measures.
  • Comparison to State and National Averages: Census Bureau's ACS data indicate Cleveland County's French population of 1.2% remains below North Carolina's state average of 1.4% and the national average of 2%, placing the county below demographic benchmarks across multiple geographic scales.
  • Share of Total State Population: Official American Community Survey data indicates Cleveland County contains 1,198 French residents, representing less than 1% of North Carolina's total French population of 149,213.
  • Population Density per Square Mile: U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey show Cleveland County maintains 2.6 French Americans per square mile, marginally below North Carolina's state average of 3.1 per square mile, placing the county near state demographic representation levels.
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10 Cities in Cleveland County Ranked by French Population

View Methodology
ACS data [1] show French populations distributed across multiple cities in the county, led by Shelby, Kings Mountain, Polkville, and Boiling Springs. The table below provides additional context, including total population, population density, and demographic distributions, based on current ACS data for 10 incorporated cities included in this analysis*.
cities in Cleveland County, NC ranked by French population count
Rank by French Population
City
French Population
% of Total City Population
% of Total Cleveland County French Population
5 Year Rank Trend
1 Shelby 439 2.01% 36.64%
2 Kings Mountain 99 0.86% 8.26%
3 Polkville 40 7.38% 3.34%
4 Boiling Springs 39 0.84% 3.26%
5 Fallston 27 4.49% 2.25%
6 Patterson Springs 21 2.14% 1.75%
7 Grover 6 1.00% 0.50%
8 0 - -
8 0 - -
8 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 Cleveland County, NC 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 Cleveland 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.