#60 most spoken · language profile
Bulgarian in the United States
An estimated 71,485 people aged 5 and older speak Bulgarian at home across U.S. metropolitan areas. About 27.6% of them, roughly 19,750 people, speak English less than "very well." Interpreter demand is highest where the limited-English population is largest, such as Chicago, where about 36.3% of Bulgarian speakers report speaking English less than "very well."
Where Bulgarian is spoken: top metro areas
Ranked by number of speakers at home. 96 additional metro areas have Bulgarian speakers but did not meet Census reliability standards and are not listed.
| # | Metro area | Speakers (± margin) | Limited English | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI | 16,977 ±2K | 36.3% | 31.4–41.2% |
| 2 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | 5,882 ±1K | 19.5% | 14.3–24.8% |
| 3 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 3,309 ±765 | 16.3% | 10.2–22.4% |
| 4 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 2,779 ±638 | not reliable | — |
| 5 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, FL | 2,471 ±777 | 32.2% | 20.7–43.8% |
| 6 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 2,456 ±712 | 27.2% | 16.2–38.1% |
| 7 | San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA | 2,323 ±684 | 28.9% | 20.5–37.3% |
| 8 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 2,203 ±770 | 30.6% | 20.2–40.9% |
| 9 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta, GA | 1,977 ±627 | 22.3% | 13.3–31.3% |
| 10 | Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV | 1,858 ±798 | 22.3% | 10.5–34.2% |
| 11 | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | 1,839 ±602 | not reliable | — |
| 12 | Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | 1,462 ±697 | not reliable | — |
| 13 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 1,436 ±683 | not reliable | — |
| 14 | Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 1,292 ±397 | not reliable | — |
| 15 | Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO | 1,117 ±447 | not reliable | — |
| 16 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 665 ±296 | not reliable | — |
| 17 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 637 ±245 | not reliable | — |
| 18 | Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | 618 ±245 | not reliable | — |
| 19 | Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | 615 ±198 | not reliable | — |
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 Bulgarian speakers be understood
Every dot on this map is a person who deserves to be understood. Medical, legal, and community interpreters turn that need into access. Training is how you start.
Frequently asked questions
- How many people speak Bulgarian in the United States?
- An estimated 71,485 people aged 5 and older speak Bulgarian at home across U.S. metropolitan areas, based on the Census Bureau's 2020 to 2024 American Community Survey.
- What share of Bulgarian speakers have limited English proficiency?
- About 27.6 percent, roughly 19,750 people, report speaking English less than "very well." That is the population professional interpreters serve.
- Which U.S. metro area has the most Bulgarian speakers?
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI, with about 16,977 Bulgarian speakers at home.
- Where is Bulgarian interpreter demand highest?
- Demand tracks the size of the limited-English population. Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI stands out, where about 36.3 percent of Bulgarian speakers report speaking English less than "very well."