How many Americans live in Paris - and where else are they choosing in France?
Over a quarter of all US nationals in France live in the capital city
Paris is the top choice for Americans who move to France, followed by regions in the south of the country
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Ile-de-France is the most attractive region for American nationals moving to France, most recent figures by the official state statistics body Insee show.
The detailed figures were published in June 2024, using administrative data from 2021, and show that almost half (46.6%) of all US nationals living in France are in Ile-de-France.
This region centres around Paris and is the smallest yet most populated region of metropolitan France.
The Ile-de-France region is itself split into eight departments:
Paris (75) - 8,474 American residents
Hauts-de-Seine (92) - 1,619
Yvelines (78) - 1,169
Val-de-Marne (94) - 912
Seine-Saint-Denis (93) - 534
Seine-et-Marne (77) - 466
Essonne (91) - 447
Val-d'Oise (95) - 394
This means that 60.4% of all Americans in Ile-de-France live in Paris, and over a quarter (28.2%) of all Americans in France reside in the capital.
In contrast, only 5% of British nationals in France choose to live in Paris - Britons are more likely to opt for the region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine.
Americans also enjoy the south of France
The number of Americans living in other French regions can also be calculated using Insee reports:
Ile-de-France – 14,015 American residents
Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes – 3,133
Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur – 2,847
Occitanie – 2,694
Nouvelle-Aquitaine – 1,977
Grand Est – 1,280
Hauts-de-France – 809
Brittany – 782
Pays de la Loire – 686
Normandy – 629
Centre-Val de Loire – 621
Bourgogne-Franche-Comté – 572
A total of 30,102 Americans were officially recorded as living in metropolitan France in 2021 - 13,230 males and 16,872 females. Note that Insee does not include individuals having acquired French nationality within the breakdown of residents by nationality.
While the vast majority of Americans opt for Paris and the surrounding area, figures show that in 2021, the second most popular destinations for US nationals were regions in the south and south-east of the country.
Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
The region of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes is home to 10.4% of all Americans in France. It is the third largest region in the country and second most populous after Ile-de-France. Major cities include Lyon, Grenoble, Saint-Etienne and Annecy.
The most popular department for Americans in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes is Rhône, home to just over a quarter (27.6%) of all Americans in the region.
Lyon is located in Rhône, with Insee recording 554 US nationals residing in the city. The department of Ain also borders Lyon and was home to 637 Americans in 2021.
Breakdown of American residents in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes departments:
Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur
9.4% of all US nationals in France live in the region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur. The largest cities here are Marseille, Nice, Toulon and Aix-en-Provence, each located along the south coast of the country.
It has been reported that the number of American residents in this region - especially in Nice - has further increased since 2021.
Côte d'Azur France Tourisme recorded 620,000 stays by Americans in hotels in the region in 2024, with US tourists being attracted by the fresh food, art museums and the historical links between the Riviera and the United States.
Breakdown of American residents in Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur departments:
Alpes-Maritimes (06) - 1,081 American residents
Bouches-du-Rhône (13) - 942
Var (83) - 346
Vaucluse (84) - 328
No specific data is available for US nationals in Alpes-de-Haute-Provence (04) and Hautes-Alpes (05)
The department of Alpes-Maritimes is home to the majority (38%) of American residents in Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur. It is located on the Italian border and Mediterranean coast and includes cities such as Nice, Grasse, Cannes and Antibes.
Bouches-du-Rhône is also a popular choice with a third (33.1%) of all US nationals in the region living here. This department hosts cities including Marseille and Aix-en-Provence.
Read also: Which French departments are most popular with retirees?
Methodology notes and definitions
Insee defines residents as: “persons of any nationality who have their principal place of residence in France, with the exception of foreign civil servants and military personnel stationed in France who are non-residents regardless of the duration of their assignment.”
It states that a person needs to have lived in France for at least 12 consecutive months to be counted as a resident.
Read also: Long life: Which areas of France are set to have many centenarians and why?
Seasonal workers and border workers are not included, and neither are members of the diplomatic corps (however foreign staff of Embassies residing permanently in France are counted).
Tourists, exchange students and people on short stays in France are not counted in the census.
