U.S. Basque Population
How many are we? Not many but a few good ones. Basques have never been counted in large numbers. Today in the Basque Country there are about three million people. Supposedly there are more than that number of people of Basque descent living in the Euskal Diaspora (Basque Diaspora) Below are recent figures of people who self-define as also being Basque in the United States. The numbers are not high, but then again Basque culture has not endured for centuries because of large numbers. We've never had many but just a few good ones that have keep up work of keeping our Basque culture alive.
U.S. Basque Population by State
The 2000 United States Census lists 57,793 persons of Basque ancestry. The states with the largest Basque communities include:
1.California- 20,868
2. Idaho- 6,637
3. Nevada- 6,096
4. Washington- 2,665
5. Oregon- 2,627
The following is a breakdown of the Basque-American population, by state:
State
Basque-American
PopulationBasque-Americans as a Percentage of Total
Alabama
107
0.0
Alaska
276
0.0
Arizona
1,655
0.0
Arkansas
71
0.0
California
20,868
0.1
Colorado
1,674
0.0
Connecticut
262
0.0
DC
180
0.0
Delaware
12
0.0
Florida
2,127
0.0
Georgia
282
0.0
Hawaii
175
0.0
Idaho
6,637
0.5
Illinois
533
0.0
Indiana
168
0.0
Iowa
50
0.0
Kansas
146
0.0
Kentucky
55
0.0
Louisiana
354
0.0
Maine
57
0.0
Maryland
399
0.0
Massachusetts
383
0.0
Michigan
306
0.0
Minnesota
195
0.0
Mississippi
64
0.0
Missouri
180
0.0
Montana
564
0.1
Nebraska
85
0.0
Nevada
6,096
0.3
New Hampshire
158
0.0
New Jersey
643
0.0
New Mexico
600
0.0
New York
1,252
0.0
North Carolina
330
0.0
North Dakota
39
0.0
Ohio
230
0.0
Oklahoma
126
0.0
Oregon
2,627
0.1
Pennsylvania
278
0.0
Rhode Island
23
0.0
South Carolina
76
0.0
South Dakota
64
0.0
Tennessee
145
0.0
Texas
1,691
0.0
Utah
1,361
0.1
Vermont
34
0.0
Virginia
515
0.0
Washington
2,665
0.0
West Virginia
8
0.0
Wisconsin
98
0.0
Wyoming
869
0.2
Source: United States 2000 Census
More information on ethnic population statistics is available at the Census page
U.S. Basques by City
The above map shows U.S. cities with the highest percentages of people of Basque ancestry. Move your mouse over points on the map to see city names and percentages, and to link to in-depth community information.
People of Basque heritage trace their roots to a region of southwestern France and north-central Spain. Many early immigrants to the U.S., drawn by the California gold rush, came via South America.
ePodunk mapped the top Basque communities by percentage of population. The map and the following list show communities in which 1,000 or more people listed an ancestry group, and in which at least 1 percent of those people said they were Basque.
The links at left lead to information on other races and ethnicities.
Community
Place type
% Basque
city
4.2
city
4.1
populated place
4.1
city
3.7
city
3.4
city
3.2
city
2.6
populated place
2.2
city
2.1
city
1.8
populated place
1.7
city
1.7
city
1.6
city
1.5
city
1.4
city
1.4
city
1.3
village
1.3
city
1.3
city
1.2
city
1.2
city
1.2
populated place
1.2
city
1.1
populated place
1.1
populated place
1.1
city
1.1
populated place
1.0
city
1.0
populated place
1.0
Sources: 2000 Census, U.S. Census Bureau; Harvard Encyclopedia of American Ethnic Groups, ed. Stephan Thernstrom; Ancestry: 2000, U.S. Census Bureau (June 2004); ePodunk
