French Population in Mercer County, WV by City : 2025 Ranking & Insights

The French population in Mercer County, WV is reported at 313 residents, according to recent U.S. Census estimates. Each of the three cities in Mercer County in this analysis* shows a French population - Bluefield (56), Princeton (18), and Athens (6). Together they comprise most of the county''s total of 313 residents, with the remainder residing in unincorporated or rural areas. The section below examines how this compares to other counties across West Virginia with similarly low demographic presence.

Top 5 cities with the largest French population in Mercer County

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  • 1
    Bluefield
    French population in Bluefield is 56
    0.59% of Bluefield population is French
  • 2
    Princeton
    French population in Princeton is 18
    0.31% of Princeton population is French
  • 3
    Athens
    French population in Athens is 6
    0.52% of Athens population is French

Overview of French population in Mercer County

  • Population Count and Percentage: American Community Survey data document Mercer County with 313 French residents (0.53% of 59,062 total county population), positioning the jurisdiction at the 43rd percentile nationally among counties and 67th percentile within West Virginia for French population concentrations, despite absolute population figures.
  • Comparison to State and National Averages: Census Bureau's ACS data indicate Mercer County's French population of 0.53% remains below West Virginia's state average of 1.1% 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 show Mercer County's 313 French residents constitute 1.5% of West Virginia's total French population of 20,461.
  • Population Density per Square Mile: U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey show Mercer County maintains 0.75 French Americans per square mile, marginally below West Virginia's state average of 0.85 per square mile, placing the county near state demographic representation levels.
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Mercer County Cities Ranked by French Population

View Methodology
U.S. Census estimates [1] indicate a French populations distributed across three cities in Mercer County included in this analysis*: Bluefield (56 residents), Princeton (18 residents), and Athens (6 residents). The table below provides broader statistics, including total population figures, density measures, and demographic distributions based on most current ACS data.
cities in Mercer County, WV ranked by French population count
Rank by French Population
City
French Population
% of Total City Population
% of Total Mercer County French Population
5 Year Rank Trend
1 Bluefield 56 0.59% 17.89%
2 Princeton 18 0.31% 5.75%
3 Athens 6 0.52% 1.92%
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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 Mercer County, WV 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 Mercer 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.