French Population in West Virginia by City : 2025 Ranking & Insights

The French population in West Virginia totals 20,461, according to recent U.S. Census estimates. Leading cities include Huntington (591), followed by Charleston (518) and Wheeling (465), each hosting visible segments of the community. While these urban centers anchor much of the population, the statewide total points to a broader presence in unincorporated areas and smaller towns beyond major city boundaries. The analysis below explores how French residents are distributed across West Virginia''s urban and rural landscape.

Top 5 cities with the largest French population in West Virginia

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  • 1
    Huntington
    French population in Huntington is 591
    1.28% of Huntington population is French
  • 2
    Charleston
    French population in Charleston is 518
    1.08% of Charleston population is French
  • 3
    Wheeling
    French population in Wheeling is 465
    1.74% of Wheeling population is French
  • 4
    Morgantown
    French population in Morgantown is 435
    1.44% of Morgantown population is French
  • 5
    Martinsburg
    French population in Martinsburg is 432
    2.30% of Martinsburg population is French

Overview of French population in West Virginia

  • Population Count and Percentage: American Community Survey documents West Virginia with 20,461 French residents (1.1% of 1.8 million total state population), ranking the state at the 12th percentile nationally among U.S. jurisdictions for French demographic representation.
  • Comparison to State and National Averages: U.S. Census surveys show West Virginia's French demographic representation of 1.1% remains below the national average of 2%, positioning the state below typical U.S. demographic distribution patterns.
  • Share of Total National Population: Official American Community Survey data indicates West Virginia contains 20,461 French residents, representing less than 1% of the nation's total French population of 6.6 million, constituting a minimal fraction of the national demographic community relative to the state's overall population size.
  • Population Density per Square Mile: U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey data shows West Virginia's density of 0.85 French Americans per square mile remains below the national average of 1.9 per square mile, indicating relatively sparse distribution compared to national demographic concentrations.
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150 Cities in West Virginia Ranked by French Population

View Methodology
American Community Survey data [1] show French population in West Virginia present in Huntington, Charleston, and Wheeling, along with several other incorporated cities reporting non-zero populations. The table below provides broader statistics, including total population figures, density measures, and demographic distributions based on current ACS data for all incorporated cities included in this analysis*.
cities in West Virginia ranked by French population count
Rank by French Population
City
French Population
% of Total City Population
% of Total West Virginia French Population
5 Year Rank Trend
1 Huntington 591 1.28% 2.89%
2 Charleston 518 1.08% 2.53%
3 Wheeling 465 1.74% 2.27%
4 Morgantown 435 1.44% 2.13%
5 Martinsburg 432 2.30% 2.11%
6 Parkersburg 413 1.40% 2.02%
7 Weirton 407 2.17% 1.99%
8 289 1.58% 1.41%
9 253 1.86% 1.24%
10 243 1.54% 1.19%
11 221 7.57% 1.08%
12 187 1.10% 0.91%
13 173 2.52% 0.85%
14 108 2.70% 0.53%
15 107 3.49% 0.52%
16 106 2.74% 0.52%
17 102 0.96% 0.50%
18 99 2.03% 0.48%
19 97 1.41% 0.47%
20 91 1.15% 0.44%
21 90 19.31% 0.44%
22 89 7.33% 0.44%
23 82 3.13% 0.40%
24 78 3.04% 0.38%
24 78 1.52% 0.38%
25 74 1.43% 0.36%
26 72 5.03% 0.35%
27 70 1.82% 0.34%
28 68 3.12% 0.33%
29 64 1.15% 0.31%
30 57 2.67% 0.28%
31 56 0.59% 0.27%
32 55 0.68% 0.27%
32 55 0.52% 0.27%
33 54 2.86% 0.26%
34 49 0.53% 0.24%
35 48 1.72% 0.23%
35 48 6.28% 0.23%
36 47 2.84% 0.23%
37 45 4.27% 0.22%
38 39 1.41% 0.19%
39 38 2.47% 0.19%
40 37 3.06% 0.18%
41 35 0.75% 0.17%
41 35 2.56% 0.17%
42 34 3.96% 0.17%
43 32 0.80% 0.16%
43 32 0.82% 0.16%
43 32 1.07% 0.16%
44 31 1.04% 0.15%
45 30 3.02% 0.15%
46 29 1.57% 0.14%
47 28 0.40% 0.14%
48 27 1.93% 0.13%
49 26 2.92% 0.13%
50 25 1.09% 0.12%
50 25 2.03% 0.12%
50 25 1.10% 0.12%
50 25 0.72% 0.12%
51 24 1.82% 0.12%
51 24 2.29% 0.12%
52 23 0.91% 0.11%
53 21 2.16% 0.10%
54 19 1.81% 0.09%
54 19 2.01% 0.09%
54 19 1.28% 0.09%
54 19 0.72% 0.09%
55 18 0.41% 0.09%
55 18 1.18% 0.09%
55 18 0.31% 0.09%
56 16 1.50% 0.08%
57 15 2.69% 0.07%
57 15 0.99% 0.07%
58 14 0.19% 0.07%
58 14 0.47% 0.07%
59 13 3.21% 0.06%
59 13 0.54% 0.06%
59 13 0.77% 0.06%
59 13 0.57% 0.06%
59 13 0.97% 0.06%
59 13 1.99% 0.06%
59 13 1.14% 0.06%
60 10 1.25% 0.05%
60 10 0.67% 0.05%
60 10 0.46% 0.05%
60 10 0.42% 0.05%
61 9 0.66% 0.04%
61 9 0.28% 0.04%
62 8 1.33% 0.04%
62 8 0.65% 0.04%
63 7 0.60% 0.03%
63 7 0.43% 0.03%
63 7 0.10% 0.03%
63 7 0.37% 0.03%
64 6 0.52% 0.03%
64 6 0.20% 0.03%
65 5 0.17% 0.02%
65 5 0.29% 0.02%
65 5 0.29% 0.02%
65 5 0.25% 0.02%
65 5 0.53% 0.02%
66 4 0.44% 0.02%
66 4 0.68% 0.02%
66 4 0.57% 0.02%
66 4 0.26% 0.02%
66 4 0.30% 0.02%
66 4 0.16% 0.02%
67 3 0.25% 0.01%
67 3 0.30% 0.01%
67 3 0.18% 0.01%
67 3 0.35% 0.01%
67 3 0.32% 0.01%
68 2 0.22% 0.01%
68 2 0.23% 0.01%
68 2 0.20% 0.01%
68 2 0.11% 0.01%
68 2 0.23% 0.01%
68 2 0.34% 0.01%
68 2 0.13% 0.01%
69 1 0.14% 0.00%
69 1 0.09% 0.00%
70 0 - -
70 0 - -
70 0 - -
70 0 - -
70 0 - -
70 0 - -
70 0 - -
70 0 - -
70 0 - -
70 0 - -
70 0 - -
70 0 - -
70 0 - -
70 0 - -
70 0 - -
70 0 - -
70 0 - -
70 0 - -
70 0 - -
70 0 - -
70 0 - -
70 0 - -
70 0 - -
70 0 - -
70 0 - -
70 0 - -
70 0 - -
70 0 - -
70 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 West Virginia 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 West Virginia 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.