European Ancestry By State

[RINO Tom]

I'll start by saying this entire thing was fueled by my dad saying that Mississippi and the Deep South would have a lot of English ancestry during a conversation about ancestry across the United States.  That got me thinking, though, that he was really talking about "among White people," as due to Mississippi's high Black population, they only have 20.10% identifying as having English ancestry, putting them behind states like Wyoming just because Wyoming is Whiter.  So, I decided to try to figure out the European ancestry statistics by state.  Here are a few disclaimers and notes:

- I calculated the numbers by taking each state's population (2016 estimate) and multiplying it by the percent of White residents (2010 Census numbers, as the 2015 estimates seemed funky to me) to get the total White population.  Then I took the reported ancestry statistics (2000 Census, as they didn't ask this question for 2010), figured out the total number for each ancestry and then divided that number to get each ancestry's portion of the state's White population.
- For simplicity's sake, I combined "English" and "American" results for my "English" numbers ... I know it's not a fool-proof method, but seriously, I hate that "American" is an option in these.
- I did NOT combine "French" and "French Canadian," as I'm totally ignorant about that subject ... should I combine them, or are they good to be separate?
- I couldn't find numbers for each state's Spanish or Portuguese ancestry unless it was listed in each state's top five.  If anyone could help with these numbers, I'd happily accept.
- If you're aware of more recent ancestry numbers for a given state, I'll gladly replace!  Just used 2000 as a nice starting point, given the data was all in one place.

THE SOUTHERN UNITED STATES
Alabama
35.91% English
11.24% Irish
  8.32% German
  2.92% Scots-Irish
  2.34% Scottish

Arkansas
27.79% English
17.66% Irish
16.23% German
  3.12% French
  2.73% Scots-Irish

Florida
22.67% English
15.73% German
13.73% Irish
  8.40% Italian
  3.73% French

Georgia
33.00% English
15.91% Irish
13.74% German
  3.85% Italian
  3.18% Scottish

Kentucky
31.09% English
15.95% German
13.78% Irish
  2.28% Italian
  2.28% Scottish

Louisiana
33.55% English
19.49% French
11.34% Irish
11.34% German
  7.03% Italian

Mississippi
34.01% English
11.68% Irish
  7.61% German
  3.89% French
  3.21% Scots-Irish

North Carolina
33.87% English
13.87% German
10.80% Irish
  4.67% Scots-Irish
  3.36% Italian

Oklahoma
27.15% English
17.45% German
14.27% Irish
  3.19% French
  2.35% Scots-Irish

South Carolina
33.08% English
12.69% German
11.93% Irish
  4.38% Scots-Irish
  3.02% Italian

Tennessee
34.02% English
11.98% Irish
10.70% German
  3.35% Scots-Irish
  2.32% Scottish

Texas
20.60% English
14.06% German
10.23% Irish
  3.13% French
  2.41% Irish

Virginia
32.80% English
17.06% German
14.29% Irish
  5.25% Italian
  3.21% Scots-Irish

West Virginia
30.35% English
14.91% German
11.71% Irish
  4.15% Italian
  2.24% Scots-Irish

THE NORTHEASTERN UNITED STATES
Connecticut
23.97% Italian
21.39% Irish
17.40% English
12.63% German
10.70% Polish

Delaware
26.42% English
24.09% Irish
20.75% German
13.50% Italian
  7.55% Polish

Maine
32.35% English
15.86% Irish
14.92% French
  8.60% French Canadian
  6.70% German

Maryland
26.98% German
25.09% English
20.10% Irish
  8.76% Italian
  6.01% Polish

Massachusetts
27.99% Irish
19.03% English
16.79% Italian
  9.95% French
  7.34% German

New Hampshire
25.56% English
20.66% Irish
15.55% French
10.97% French Canadian
  9.16% German

New Jersey
24.52% Italian
21.90% Irish
17.36% German
12.81% English
  6.90% Polish

New York
21.92% Italian
20.85% Irish
19.63% German
17.05% English
  7.91% Polish

Pennsylvania
31.01% German
19.66% Irish
16.00% English
14.16% Italian
  6.70% Polish

Rhode Island
23.34% Italian
22.60% Irish
18.43% English
13.39% French
10.69% Portuguese

Vermont
28.02% English
17.31% Irish
15.22% French
  9.55% German
  9.23% French Canadian

THE MIDWESTERN UNITED STATES
Illinois
29.51% German
18.60% Irish
17.62% English
11.05% Polish
  8.95% Italian

Indiana
26.93% German
24.79% English
12.81% Irish
  3.56% Polish
  2.85% French

Iowa
39.10% German
17.74% English
14.79% Irish
  5.70% Norwegian
  4.60% Dutch

Kansas
30.91% German
23.39% English
13.72% Irish
  3.70% French
  2.86% Swedish

Michigan
25.86% German
19.14% English
13.69% Irish
10.90% Polish
  6.08% Dutch

Minnesota
43.02% German
20.28% Norwegian
11.61% Swedish
10.79% English
  5.74% Polish

Missouri
28.38% German
24.03% English
15.34% Irish
  4.23% French
  3.74% Italian

Nebraska
44.83% German
16.38% English
15.56% Irish
  6.39% Czech
  4.90% Swedish

North Dakota
48.78% German
33.44% Norwegian
  8.56% Irish
  8.11% English
  5.56% Swedish

Ohio
30.47% German
21.52% English
15.48% Irish
  7.26% Italian
  4.59% Polish

South Dakota
47.38% South Dakota
17.81% Norwegian
12.81% English
12.11% Irish
  3.90% Swedish

Wisconsin
49.54% German
12.65% Irish
11.60% English
10.79% Polish
  9.86% Norwegian

THE WESTERN UNITED STATES
Alaska
24.89% German
22.94% English
16.19% Irish
  6.30% Norwegian
  4.80% French

Arizona
21.37% German
20.68% English
13.97% Irish
  6.03% Italian
  3.97% French

California
14.59% English
13.24% German
10.41% Irish
  4.30% Italian
  2.30% French

Colorado
27.06% German
20.91% English
15.01% Irish
  5.78% Italian
  4.06% French

Hawaii
23.48% German
23.08% English
17.81% Irish
17.41% French
16.19% Portuguese

Idaho
29.74% English
21.21% German
11.22% Irish
  4.04% Norwegian
  3.93% Swedish

Montana
30.20% German
19.91% English
16.67% Irish
11.86% Norwegian
  4.70% French

Nevada
22.51% English
21.30% German
16.62% Irish
  9.97% Italian
  4.83% French

New Mexico
18.57% English
14.47% German
13.60% Spanish
10.82% Irish
  3.22% Italian

Oregon
24.52% German
23.51% English
14.23% Irish
  5.14% Norwegian
  4.43% French

Utah
41.35% English
13.36% German
  7.55% Danish
  6.85% Irish
  5.11% Scottish

Washington
24.19% German
22.25% English
14.75% Irish
  8.02% Norwegian
  4.66% Swedish

Wyoming
28.56% German
24.59% English
13.30% Irish
  4.74% Norwegian
  3.86% Swedish

UNITED STATES
21.92% English
20.95% German
14.89% Irish
  7.72% Italian
  4.41% Polish
  4.14% French
  2.34% Scottish
  2.21% Dutch
  2.21% Norwegian
  2.07% Scots-Irish

Map by state:

Red - German
Blue - English
Green - Italian
Yellow - Irish

[RINO Tom]

A little late here, so sorry!  I'm also too dumb to multi-quote or whatever.

Gass - yeah, I never know what to do with that.  In a previous, worse version of this "experiment" or whatever, I counted "American" as "Scots-Irish" back when I had less of an understanding of the term.  The results were less than satisfying, and I have to believe that English ancestry is being underreported somehow.

Kingpoleon - Sounds like too much work, we'll see how boring my lunch hours become.

Mr. Morden - I believe they let you pick multiple, this was just the highest reported "primary" ancestries.  It could have ranged from being 100% German to a plurality of 43.75% German like me.   At least that is how I read their report.

cinyc - Correct, at least AFAIK.

jimrtex - Wow, thanks!  I will definitely be taking a look at that.

St. Alphonso - Probably right.  I have noticed, too, that English ancestry (the way I calculated it) tends to be higher when a Midwestern state has a significant "Southernized" component.  For example, Southern Illinois and Southern Indiana have sections that are pretty culturally Southern, and there are probably people out there who outright consider Missouri somewhat of a Southern state.

DavidB - Valid point, but I'm not sure how I will get around that.

NOVA Green - Wow, thanks! That link gives this information for the Peoria metropolitan area, which certainly jives with my experience:

31.9% German
21.2% Other (guessing this has a high African number)
18.7% English (using the way I was calculating it)
13.6% Irish
4.1% Italian
2.7% French
2.4% Polish
2.3% Swedish
1.7% Scottish
1.7% Dutch
1.2% Norwegian

Compared with my current Iowa City metropolitan area:

35.5% German
18.5% Other
16.6% Irish
12.6% English
4.0% Norwegian
3.8% Czech
3.2% Italian
2.8% French
2.8% Dutch
2.7% Swedish
2.1% Polish
2.1% Scottish

shua - Will do!  That will make the results more interesting in Upper New England, for sure.

[RINO Tom]

Use first ancestry and combine some groupings.  The disadvantage of first ancestry reported is it doesn't capture "everyone" but it helps avoid overlap. 

So you can have a British/American group (incorporating English, Scottish, Welsh, unspecified British and American ancestry), a Scandinavian group, French/French Canadian and maybe bring German and Swiss together. 

I might be wrong, but this would be kind of inaccurate, no?  From the reading I've done, someone with ancestry from Northern Germany would actually be more genetically comparable with someone from Denmark or Sweden (both originally Germanic in origin) than they would from someone in Bavaria.

[RINO Tom]

Here are the results when I take the suggestion of combining French and French Canadian and using the more updated (2010) numbers that were so awesomely linked above!  I also used Census regions this time to more easily get the regional numbers as a whole.  Also, remember that this is percent of Whites.

THE NORTHEAST
TOTAL
23.61% Irish
20.38% Italian
20.09% German
18.18% English
  8.36% Polish
  7.92% French
  2.79% Russian

Connecticut
23.27% Italian
20.30% Irish
15.72% English
11.88% German
10.64% French

Maine
31.61% English
25.50% French
18.76% Irish
  8.10% German
  5.70% Italian

Massachusetts
27.53% Irish
18.15% English
16.69% Italian
14.43% French
  7.80% German

New Hampshire
24.30% French
24.17% English
22.90% Irish
11.08% Italian
  9.27% German

New Jersey
23.14% Italian
20.66% Irish
15.70% German
12.67% English
  8.54% Polish

New York
19.40% Italian
18.26% Irish
15.55% German
14.55% English
  7.13% Polish

Pennsylvania
32.20% German
20.94% Irish
15.50% English
14.77% Italian
  8.11% Polish

Rhode Island
22.41% Irish
22.05% Italian
18.87% French
17.33% English
11.32% Portuguese

Vermont
26.37% English
24.05% French
19.30% Irish
10.97% German
  7.91% Italian

THE SOUTH
TOTAL
31.09% English
17.98% German
15.97% Irish
  5.55% Italian
  4.20% French
  3.03% Scottish
  2.52% Polish

Alabama
33.53% English
13.67% Irish
10.36% German
  2.59% Scottish
  2.45% French

Arkansas
26.92% English
14.84% Irish
14.21% German
  2.64% French
  2.14% Scottish

Delaware
25.58% Irish
22.87% English
21.59% German
14.06% Italian
  6.68% Polish

Florida
20.85% English
13.90% German
12.48% Irish
  7.98% Italian
  3.35% Polish

Georgia
32.31% English
13.64% Irish
12.01% German
  3.57% Italian
  2.92% Scottish

Kentucky
35.87% English
16.91% German
14.53% Irish
  2.27% Italian
  2.16% Scottish

Louisiana
25.79% French
25.79% English
12.82% German
12.34% Irish
  7.59% Italian

Maryland
25.34% German
21.98% English
19.46% Irish
  8.89% Italian
  5.70% Polish

Mississippi
32.44% English
14.79% Irish
  9.41% German
  4.20% French
  3.03% Italian

North Carolina
31.18% English
15.17% German
12.64% Irish
  3.93% Scots-Irish
  3.51% Scottish

Oklahoma
24.33% English
19.39% German
16.31% Irish
  2.94% French
  2.41% Scottish

South Carolina
32.16% English
14.77% German
14.33% Irish
  4.09% Italian
  2.40% Scots-Irish

Tennessee
34.14% English
13.96% Irish
13.07% German
  3.05% Scots-Irish
  2.66% Scottish

Texas
15.43% English
13.05% German
  9.16% Irish
  2.76% French
  2.38% Italian

Virginia
31.62% English
17.09% German
14.53% Irish
  5.84% Italian
  3.13% Scottish

West Virginia
26.39% English
19.76% German
16.03% Irish
  4.91% Italian
  2.35% Dutch

THE MIDWEST
TOTAL
35.48% German
18.84% English
16.13% Irish
  6.84% Polish
  5.68% Italian
  4.26% Norwegian
  3.74% French

Illinois
25.23% German
15.91% Irish
14.36% English
  9.57% Polish
  8.15% Italian

Indiana
28.09% German
23.43% English
16.69% Irish
  4.20% Italian
  3.96% French

Iowa
43.55% German
16.78% English
15.80% Irish
  5.50% Norwegian
  4.50% Dutch

Kansas
33.45% German
20.88% English
14.76% Irish
  3.34% French
  2.77% Italian

Michigan
26.85% German
19.20% English
14.18% Irish
11.04% Polish
  6.15% Dutch

Minnesota
41.57% German
18.38% Norwegian
10.89% English
10.30% Swedish
  5.50% Polish

Missouri
30.61% German
23.77% English
16.69% Irish
  4.20% Italian
  3.96% French

Nebraska
43.55% German
15.71% Irish
14.59% English
  5.50% Czech
  5.16% Swedish

North Dakota
50.11% German
32.17% Norwegian
  9.14% Irish
  8.58% English
  5.08% Swedish

Ohio
32.16% German
21.04% English
16.93% Irish
  7.86% Italian
  4.72% Polish

South Dakota
48.19% German
16.26% Norwegian
12.98% Irish
11.81% English
  3.50% Swedish

Wisconsin
48.29% German
12.90% Irish
10.96% English
10.39% Polish
  9.02% Norwegian

THE WEST
TOTAL
24.43% English
24.24% German
16.41% Irish
  7.63% Italian
  4.58% French
  3.82% Norwegian
  3.82% Scottish

Alaska
26.69% German
19.04% English
16.64% Irish
  6.00% Norwegian
  5.85% French

Arizona
20.41% German
19.59% English
13.56% Irish
  6.03% Italian
  3.56% French

California
15.97% English
15.28% German
11.98% Irish
  4.00% Italian
  1.90% French

Colorado
26.45% German
19.56% English
  6.40% Italian
  3.81% French

Hawaii
25.51% German
21.05% English
19.43% Irish
15.79% Portuguese
  8.79% Spanish

Idaho
29.18% English
20.76% German
15.01% Irish
  7.24% Norwegian
  4.66% Italian

Montana
30.31% German
21.70% English
16.67% Irish
10.51% Norwegian
  5.15% French

New Mexico
16.37% English
13.60% German
10.82% Spanish
  9.94% Irish
  3.51% Italian

Oregon
24.16% German
20.81% English
14.83% Irish
  4.78% Norwegian
  4.55% Italian

Utah
37.17% English
13.47% German
  7.20% Irish
  6.16% Danish
  5.34% Scottish

Washington
24.32% German
20.57% English
15.01% Irish
  7.24% Norwegian
  4.66% Italian

Wyoming
29.00% German
25.03% English
14.99% Irish
  3.75% Norwegian
  3.64% French

And, of course, a revised plurality map:

Red = English
Blue = German
Yellow = Irish
Green = Italian
Navy = French