#4 most spoken · language profile
Arabic in the United States
An estimated 1,413,538 people aged 5 and older speak Arabic at home across U.S. metropolitan areas. About 33.8% of them, roughly 477,872 people, speak English less than "very well." Interpreter demand is highest where the limited-English population is largest, such as Nashville, where about 52.7% of Arabic speakers report speaking English less than "very well."
Where Arabic is spoken: top metro areas
Ranked by number of speakers at home. 218 additional metro areas have Arabic speakers but did not meet Census reliability standards and are not listed.
| # | Metro area | Speakers (± margin) | Limited English | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | 173,123 ±9K | 34.6% | 33.1–36.2% |
| 2 | Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | 155,565 ±7K | 45.3% | 43.4–47.1% |
| 3 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 79,220 ±5K | 30.7% | 28.9–32.5% |
| 4 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI | 66,512 ±5K | 30.6% | 28.3–32.9% |
| 5 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 57,444 ±4K | 25.4% | 23.2–27.6% |
| 6 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 50,100 ±5K | 30.6% | 27.6–33.6% |
| 7 | Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | 44,748 ±5K | 23.8% | 20.8–26.8% |
| 8 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 34,268 ±4K | 37.5% | 34.4–40.6% |
| 9 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 32,779 ±3K | 34.5% | 31.3–37.7% |
| 10 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 30,311 ±4K | 46.9% | 42.6–51.2% |
| 11 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 28,481 ±4K | 35.7% | 31.5–39.9% |
| 12 | San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA | 24,694 ±3K | 31.7% | 28–35.4% |
| 13 | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | 21,767 ±3K | 35.4% | 30.3–40.4% |
| 14 | Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | 21,019 ±4K | 52.7% | 46.5–58.9% |
| 15 | Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 20,688 ±2K | 33.6% | 29.2–38.1% |
| 16 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 19,559 ±3K | 31.2% | 27.1–35.4% |
| 17 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, FL | 19,330 ±2K | 20.7% | 17.9–23.5% |
| 18 | Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | 18,202 ±2K | 28% | 23.6–32.4% |
| 19 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta, GA | 16,328 ±2K | 24.9% | 20.8–28.9% |
| 20 | Columbus, OH | 12,524 ±2K | 36.8% | 31.5–42.2% |
| 21 | Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX | 12,225 ±3K | 25.2% | 18.9–31.5% |
| 22 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | 11,979 ±2K | 32.1% | 26.7–37.5% |
| 23 | Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO | 11,731 ±2K | 33.7% | 27.5–39.8% |
| 24 | Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | 11,443 ±2K | 37.5% | 31–44% |
Limited English means speaking English less than "very well." Margins of error are at the 90 percent confidence level. "Range" is the 90 percent confidence interval for the limited-English share.
Help Arabic speakers be understood
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Frequently asked questions
- How many people speak Arabic in the United States?
- An estimated 1,413,538 people aged 5 and older speak Arabic at home across U.S. metropolitan areas, based on the Census Bureau's 2020 to 2024 American Community Survey.
- What share of Arabic speakers have limited English proficiency?
- About 33.8 percent, roughly 477,872 people, report speaking English less than "very well." That is the population professional interpreters serve.
- Which U.S. metro area has the most Arabic speakers?
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA, with about 173,123 Arabic speakers at home.
- Where is Arabic interpreter demand highest?
- Demand tracks the size of the limited-English population. Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN stands out, where about 52.7 percent of Arabic speakers report speaking English less than "very well."