French Population in Massachusetts by County : 2025 Ranking & Insights

According to U.S. Census estimates, the French population in Massachusetts totals 346,470. Every county in the state reports a non-zero population, with Worcester County leading at 72,015, followed by Middlesex County (54,333) and Bristol County (49,071). This demographic analysis ranks all counties in Massachusetts by their French population, offering insights into regional distribution patterns and highlighting county-level concentrations across the state.

Top 5 counties with the largest French population in Massachusetts

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  • 1
    Worcester County
    French population in Worcester County is 72,015
    8.36% of Worcester County population is French
  • 2
    Middlesex County
    French population in Middlesex County is 54,333
    3.35% of Middlesex County population is French
  • 3
    Bristol County
    French population in Bristol County is 49,071
    8.48% of Bristol County population is French
  • 4
    Essex County
    French population in Essex County is 39,310
    4.87% of Essex County population is French
  • 5
    Hampden County
    French population in Hampden County is 37,231
    8.04% of Hampden County population is French

Overview of French population in Massachusetts

  • Population Count and Percentage: American Community Survey documents Massachusetts with 346,470 French residents (5% of 7.0 million total state population), ranking the state at the 91st percentile nationally among U.S. jurisdictions for French demographic representation.
  • Comparison to State and National Averages: U.S. Census data records indicate Massachusetts's French population of 5% exceeds the national average of 2% by a factor of 2.5.
  • Share of Total National Population: Official American Community Survey records show Massachusetts hosts 346,470 French residents, representing 5.2% of the nation's total French population of 6.6 million, establishing the state as a significant demographic concentration center within national boundaries.
  • Population Density per Square Mile: U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey data shows Massachusetts maintains 44.4 French Americans per square mile, representing twenty-three and three-quarters times the national average of 1.9 per square mile, placing the state among jurisdictions with the highest demographic concentrations nationally.
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14 Counties in Massachusetts Ranked by French Population

View Methodology
American Community Survey data [1] show French populations across every county in Massachusetts, with demographic distributions ranging from the highest population in Worcester County to the lowest in $rank_n_geo_name. 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 Massachusetts ranked by French population count
Rank by French Population
County
French Population
% of Total County Population
% of Total Massachusetts French Population
5 Year Rank Trend
1 Worcester County 72,015 8.36% 20.79%
2 Middlesex County 54,333 3.35% 15.68%
3 Bristol County 49,071 8.48% 14.16%
4 Essex County 39,310 4.87% 11.35%
5 Hampden County 37,231 8.04% 10.75%
6 Norfolk County 19,640 2.71% 5.67%
7 Plymouth County 18,980 3.57% 5.48%
8 13,727 8.77% 3.96%
9 12,372 1.58% 3.57%
10 11,893 9.29% 3.43%
11 10,384 4.51% 3.00%
12 6,307 8.89% 1.82%
13 795 3.83% 0.23%
14 412 2.88% 0.12%
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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 Massachusetts 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 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 .
  2. % of Total Massachusetts 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.
  • County 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.