It depends on which nation they originated from. The French usually settled in areas where pelts, fish and other goods were available. The demographics were what you usually see in trading societies(e.g. the Hanseatic league) where the bulk of the settlers are males, often young. They moved back home, however and these colonies were often simply for trade.

I don't have much info on the Spanish, so others will have to do them.

The Dutch followed in the same pattern as the French, although with fewer settlements, and not as many luxuries for the taking. This is also one of the reasons for the trade of New Amsterdam to the English for Suriname and consequently control of the Spice Islands, a possesion they valued more.

The English are a different story, and I'm just going to go very superficial on this, as I presume there are others who know more than me on this. The English started out trying to contest the French settlements, but were mostly unsuccessful. Then there were "waves" of immigrants, often in the shape of William Penn or other religious groups trying to establish a safe haven. Still, most of the immigrants who came to the new World went back home.

Those who stayed, were those who saw potential for more expansion, although that was extremely expensive. And it wasn't before the true American dream, that the great expanse into the West really started. So in the 17^th century, the Spanish and the French controlled North America, with a distinct shift in the Seven years' war in the mid-18^th century