Census ACS 5-Year · 52 states
States With Most French Speakers
French (including Cajun, Creole-French, and standard French) is most concentrated in Louisiana, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Massachusetts. Louisiana's French-speaking population reflects centuries of French colonial heritage including Cajun (Acadian) and Louisiana Creole communities. Northern New England's French speakers are largely descendants of French-Canadian migrants who settled in textile mill towns. French is also spoken by many recent African and Haitian immigrants.
Key Findings
- 1Maine leads with a French-speaking share of 0.45%, followed by Maryland (0.29%) and Vermont (0.23%).
- 2The national median across all states is 0.06% (Alaska at the midpoint).
- 3The top 10 states are: Maine, Maryland, Vermont, New Hampshire, District of Columbia, Louisiana, New York, Rhode Island, Iowa, Massachusetts.
Full Ranking: States With Most French Speakers
Source: Census ACS 5-Year Estimates
| # | State | French % | French Speakers | Population |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wyoming | 2.1% | 113 | 579,761 |
| 2 | Wisconsin | 2.8% | 1,578 | 5,892,023 |
| 3 | West Virginia | 2.6% | 434 | 1,784,462 |
| 4 | Washington | - | - | 7,740,984 |
| 5 | Virginia | 7.3% | 5,987 | 8,657,499 |
| 6 | Vermont | 22.6% | 1,397 | 645,254 |
| 7 | Utah | - | - | 3,331,187 |
| 8 | Texas | 6.3% | 17,337 | 29,640,343 |
| 9 | Tennessee | 3.8% | 2,503 | 6,986,082 |
| 10 | South Dakota | - | - | 899,194 |
| 11 | South Carolina | 4.1% | 2,022 | 5,212,774 |
| 12 | Rhode Island | 16.3% | 1,700 | 1,095,371 |
| 13 | Puerto Rico | - | - | 3,254,885 |
| 14 | Pennsylvania | 7.3% | 9,037 | 12,986,518 |
| 15 | Oregon | - | - | 4,238,714 |
| 16 | Oklahoma | 2.7% | 1,004 | 3,995,260 |
| 17 | Ohio | 9.4% | 10,384 | 11,780,046 |
| 18 | North Dakota | 9.5% | 689 | 779,361 |
| 19 | North Carolina | 7.9% | 7,866 | 10,584,340 |
| 20 | New York | 16.4% | 30,748 | 19,872,319 |
| 21 | New Mexico | 2.0% | 400 | 2,114,768 |
| 22 | New Jersey | - | - | 9,267,014 |
| 23 | New Hampshire | 21.5% | 2,853 | 1,387,834 |
| 24 | Nevada | 4.8% | 1,434 | 3,141,000 |
| 25 | Nebraska | 9.7% | 1,776 | 1,965,926 |
| 26 | Montana | 4.2% | 440 | 1,105,072 |
| 27 | Missouri | 5.4% | 3,161 | 6,168,181 |
| 28 | Mississippi | 3.6% | 1,009 | 2,951,438 |
| 29 | Minnesota | 9.0% | 4,819 | 5,713,716 |
| 30 | Michigan | 4.7% | 4,447 | 10,051,595 |
| 31 | Massachusetts | 13.0% | 8,633 | 6,992,395 |
| 32 | Maryland | 29.0% | 16,843 | 6,170,738 |
| 33 | Maine | 44.7% | 5,872 | 1,377,400 |
| 34 | Louisiana | 19.0% | 8,212 | 4,621,025 |
| 35 | Kentucky | 10.0% | 4,248 | 4,510,725 |
| 36 | Kansas | - | - | 2,937,569 |
| 37 | Iowa | 14.5% | 4,348 | 3,195,937 |
| 38 | Indiana | 8.1% | 5,156 | 6,811,752 |
| 39 | Illinois | 8.0% | 9,598 | 12,692,653 |
| 40 | Idaho | - | - | 1,893,296 |
| 41 | Hawaii | 4.8% | 649 | 1,445,635 |
| 42 | Georgia | 7.5% | 7,640 | 10,822,590 |
| 43 | Florida | 10.8% | 22,485 | 21,928,881 |
| 44 | District of Columbia | 21.2% | 1,338 | 672,079 |
| 45 | Delaware | 12.4% | 1,176 | 1,005,872 |
| 46 | Connecticut | 12.0% | 4,095 | 3,598,348 |
| 47 | Colorado | 8.0% | 4,375 | 5,810,774 |
| 48 | California | - | - | 39,242,785 |
| 49 | Arkansas | - | - | 3,032,651 |
| 50 | Arizona | 4.3% | 2,937 | 7,268,175 |
| 51 | Alaska | 5.6% | 385 | 733,971 |
| 52 | Alabama | - | - | 5,054,253 |
Methodology
Rankings are based on American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year estimates from the US Census Bureau. All 50 states and the District of Columbia are included. The ACS surveys approximately 3.5 million households annually and provides detailed demographic, social, economic, and housing data. 5-Year estimates offer the most reliable data for state-level comparisons by averaging responses over a 60-month period. Percentages may not sum to 100% due to rounding.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Maine has the highest French-speaking share at 0.45%, according to latest Census ACS data. Maryland and Vermont round out the top three.
South Dakota has the lowest French-speaking share at -. Idaho is second-lowest at -.
The median across all 52 states is 0.06%. Note that the national median and the state-level median are calculated differently, the state median represents the midpoint when all states are ranked.
This data comes from the American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year estimates published by the US Census Bureau. The ACS surveys approximately 3.5 million households annually and provides the most comprehensive demographic data available between decennial censuses.
Rankings are based on the latest available Census ACS 5-Year estimates. The Census Bureau releases new ACS data annually. Our data was last updated on April 12, 2026.
Rankings are based on American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year estimates from the US Census Bureau. All 50 states and the District of Columbia are included. The ACS surveys approximately 3.5 million households annually and provides detailed demographic, social, economic, and housing data. 5-Year estimates offer the most reliable data for state-level comparisons by averaging responses over a 60-month period. Percentages may not sum to 100% due to rounding.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS, 2026.