#14 most spoken · language profile
Cantonese in the United States
An estimated 551,557 people aged 5 and older speak Cantonese at home across U.S. metropolitan areas. About 54% of them, roughly 298,140 people, speak English less than "very well." Interpreter demand is highest where the limited-English population is largest, such as Chicago, where about 61% of Cantonese speakers report speaking English less than "very well."
Where Cantonese is spoken: top metro areas
Ranked by number of speakers at home. 129 additional metro areas have Cantonese speakers but did not meet Census reliability standards and are not listed.
| # | Metro area | Speakers (± margin) | Limited English | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA | 127,709 ±5K | 57.2% | 55.6–58.8% |
| 2 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | 109,677 ±5K | 58.5% | 56.8–60.1% |
| 3 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 92,450 ±4K | 57.8% | 56.1–59.5% |
| 4 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 23,874 ±2K | 55.5% | 52.1–58.9% |
| 5 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 21,915 ±2K | 43.8% | 40.8–46.9% |
| 6 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 17,235 ±2K | 50.6% | 46.5–54.6% |
| 7 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI | 14,462 ±2K | 61% | 56.6–65.5% |
| 8 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | 12,241 ±2K | 51.2% | 47.4–55% |
| 9 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 9,113 ±1K | 57% | 51.3–62.7% |
| 10 | Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | 7,900 ±1K | 49.7% | 43.3–56% |
| 11 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 7,479 ±1K | 50.6% | 46.3–55% |
| 12 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 6,689 ±1K | 39.9% | 33–46.8% |
| 13 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 6,258 ±679 | 42.4% | 36.3–48.6% |
| 14 | Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV | 5,176 ±1K | 51.8% | 42.7–61% |
| 15 | Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | 5,089 ±954 | 48.5% | 41.6–55.4% |
| 16 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta, GA | 4,053 ±910 | 44.3% | 35.3–53.4% |
| 17 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 3,886 ±780 | 36.4% | 28.7–44.1% |
| 18 | Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | 3,560 ±1K | 48.3% | 40.2–56.4% |
| 19 | Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 3,425 ±1K | 49.7% | 40.2–59.1% |
| 20 | Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | 3,026 ±1K | 40.9% | 28.2–53.6% |
| 21 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, FL | 2,793 ±576 | 48.4% | 39.2–57.5% |
| 22 | Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX | 2,500 ±683 | 26.4% | 17.1–35.7% |
| 23 | Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO | 2,455 ±657 | 44.9% | 32.5–57.3% |
| 24 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 2,047 ±609 | 41% | 26.6–55.5% |
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 Cantonese 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 Cantonese in the United States?
- An estimated 551,557 people aged 5 and older speak Cantonese at home across U.S. metropolitan areas, based on the Census Bureau's 2020 to 2024 American Community Survey.
- What share of Cantonese speakers have limited English proficiency?
- About 54 percent, roughly 298,140 people, report speaking English less than "very well." That is the population professional interpreters serve.
- Which U.S. metro area has the most Cantonese speakers?
- San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA, with about 127,709 Cantonese speakers at home.
- Where is Cantonese interpreter demand highest?
- Demand tracks the size of the limited-English population. Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI stands out, where about 61 percent of Cantonese speakers report speaking English less than "very well."