French Population in Monterey County, CA by City : 2025 Ranking & Insights

The French population in Monterey County, CA is recorded at 4,887 residents, based on the latest U.S. Census estimates. Each city in Monterey County, CA has some French population, but the county''s higher total suggests additional rural or non-municipal representation. The analysis below explores how French communities are spread across Monterey County, CA and comparable counties throughout California.

Top 5 cities with the largest French population in Monterey County

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  • 1
    Monterey
    French population in Monterey is 915
    3.07% of Monterey population is French
  • 2
    Salinas
    French population in Salinas is 532
    0.33% of Salinas population is French
  • 3
    Seaside
    French population in Seaside is 512
    1.60% of Seaside population is French
  • 4
    Pacific Grove
    French population in Pacific Grove is 399
    2.66% of Pacific Grove population is French
  • 5
    Marina
    French population in Marina is 247
    1.11% of Marina population is French

Overview of French population in Monterey County

  • Population Count and Percentage: American Community Survey data shows Monterey County contains 4,887 French residents (1.1% of 435,834 total county population), ranking the jurisdiction at the 89th percentile nationally among counties and 52nd percentile within California for French demographic concentrations across both absolute and proportional measures.
  • Comparison to State and National Averages: Census Bureau's ACS data indicate Monterey County's French population of 1.1% remains below California'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 Monterey County contains 4,887 French residents, representing less than 1% of California's total French population of 546,919.
  • Population Density per Square Mile: U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey indicate Monterey County's density of 1.5 French Americans per square mile remains below California's average of 3.5 per square mile, with relatively sparse community distribution compared to state demographic concentrations.
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11 Cities in Monterey County Ranked by French Population

View Methodology
ACS data [1] confirm French populations in every incorporated city in the county, with the largest counts in Monterey, Salinas, Seaside, and Pacific Grove. The table below provides detailed figures, including total population, density measures, and demographic distributions, based on the current ACS data for all 11 incorporated cities included in this analysis*.
cities in Monterey County, CA ranked by French population count
Rank by French Population
City
French Population
% of Total City Population
% of Total Monterey County French Population
5 Year Rank Trend
1 Monterey 915 3.07% 18.72%
2 Salinas 532 0.33% 10.89%
3 Seaside 512 1.60% 10.48%
4 Pacific Grove 399 2.66% 8.16%
5 Marina 247 1.11% 5.05%
6 Soledad 104 0.42% 2.13%
7 Carmel-By-The-Sea 32 1.00% 0.65%
8 27 1.74% 0.55%
8 27 0.32% 0.55%
9 18 0.09% 0.37%
9 18 0.13% 0.37%
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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 Monterey County, CA 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 Monterey 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.