Does Maine have the nation’s highest rate of French ancestry? | Fact brief

Maine has the highest percentage of residents claiming French ancestry than in any other state, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.

An estimated 161,928 Maine residents reported French ancestry in 2023, according to the survey. Given the state’s total population of about 1,377,400, that means 11.5% of Mainers indicated French roots.

New Hampshire ranked second, with 151,664 of its 1,387,834 residents, or about 10.7% of the state’s population, claiming French ancestry. Louisiana was third at 9.6%, followed by Vermont at 9%.

Meanwhile, New Hampshire had the highest share of residents claiming French Canadian ancestry at 106,575, or 7.5%. Vermont was second at 7.2%, followed by Maine at 6.3%.

Nationally, about 6.3 million Americans, or roughly 1.9% of the population, reported French ancestry. About 1.6 million claimed French Canadian roots, 91,700 indicated Cajun ancestry, and 62,700 reported Basque origins.