Irish Population in Franklin County, MA by City : 2025 Ranking & Insights

The Irish population in Franklin County, MA is recorded at 12,338 residents, based on the latest U.S. Census estimates. Each city in Franklin County, MA has some Irish population, but the county''s higher total suggests additional rural or non-municipal representation. The analysis below explores how Irish communities are spread across Franklin County, MA and comparable counties throughout Massachusetts.

Top 5 cities with the largest Irish population in Franklin County

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  • 1
    Montague town
    Irish population in Montague town is 1,469
    17.28% of Montague town population is Irish
  • 2
    Deerfield town
    Irish population in Deerfield town is 1,404
    27.34% of Deerfield town population is Irish
  • 3
    Orange town
    Irish population in Orange town is 1,139
    15.02% of Orange town population is Irish
  • 4
    Sunderland town
    Irish population in Sunderland town is 604
    16.53% of Sunderland town population is Irish
  • 5
    Bernardston town
    Irish population in Bernardston town is 528
    25.40% of Bernardston town population is Irish

Overview of Irish population in Franklin County

  • Population Count and Percentage: American Community Survey data document Franklin County with 12,338 Irish residents (17.4% of 70,922 total county population), placing the jurisdiction at the 82nd percentile nationally among counties and 14th percentile within Massachusetts for Irish population density, with demographic concentrations among the highest nationwide.
  • Comparison to State and National Averages: Census Bureau's ACS data documents Franklin County's Irish demographic representation of 17.4%, exceeding the national average of 9.4% while remaining below Massachusetts's elevated state average of 18.7%, placing the county above national concentration levels while below state demographic averages.
  • Share of Total State Population: Official American Community Survey data indicates Franklin County contains 12,338 Irish residents, representing less than 1% of Massachusetts's total Irish population of 1.3 million.
  • Population Density per Square Mile: U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey documents Franklin County with 17.6 Irish Americans per square mile, below Massachusetts's average of 167.4 per square mile, placing the county among the least concentrated jurisdictions within the state.
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22 Cities in Franklin County Ranked by Irish Population

View Methodology
ACS data [1] confirm Irish populations in every incorporated city in the county, with the largest counts in Montague town, Deerfield town, Orange town, and Sunderland town. The table below provides detailed figures, including total population, density measures, and demographic distributions, based on the current ACS data for all 22 incorporated cities included in this analysis*.
cities in Franklin County, MA ranked by Irish population count
Rank by Irish Population
City
Irish Population
% of Total City Population
% of Total Franklin County Irish Population
5 Year Rank Trend
1 Montague town 1,469 17.28% 11.91%
2 Deerfield town 1,404 27.34% 11.38%
3 Orange town 1,139 15.02% 9.23%
4 Sunderland town 604 16.53% 4.90%
5 Bernardston town 528 25.40% 4.28%
6 Northfield town 446 15.51% 3.61%
7 Shutesbury town 414 22.17% 3.36%
8 367 18.34% 2.97%
9 320 17.69% 2.59%
10 303 19.92% 2.46%
11 301 17.66% 2.44%
12 297 28.07% 2.41%
13 281 15.35% 2.28%
14 275 16.78% 2.23%
15 256 24.29% 2.07%
16 224 12.75% 1.82%
17 187 11.24% 1.52%
18 151 10.23% 1.22%
19 95 11.64% 0.77%
20 91 10.57% 0.74%
21 86 11.00% 0.70%
22 84 12.92% 0.68%
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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 Franklin County, MA by their Irish population, using the most recent ACS data available.

How the Census defines Irish 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 Irish 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 Irish alone, while others identify as Irish along with another race (such as Irish and German).
  • We’ve used the “Irish alone or in any combination” category unless noted otherwise, which gives a broader picture of the Irish population in each area.

How We Ranked the Data

This ranking is based on the total number of people who identified as Irish 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 Irish .
  2. % of Total Franklin County Irish Population – This tells us how much of the entire U.S. Irish 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 Irish 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 Irish 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 Irish populations are most concentrated while keeping the numbers easy to understand.

Sources

  1. 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates.
  2. 2023.