#66 most spoken · language profile
Cebuano in the United States
An estimated 55,093 people aged 5 and older speak Cebuano at home across U.S. metropolitan areas. About 33.6% of them, roughly 18,508 people, speak English less than "very well." Interpreter demand is highest where the limited-English population is largest, such as Houston, where about 45.3% of Cebuano speakers report speaking English less than "very well."
Where Cebuano is spoken: top metro areas
Ranked by number of speakers at home. 125 additional metro areas have Cebuano speakers but did not meet Census reliability standards and are not listed.
| # | Metro area | Speakers (± margin) | Limited English | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 4,914 ±877 | 31% | 24.5–37.6% |
| 2 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | 3,785 ±769 | 28.2% | 20.5–35.9% |
| 3 | Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | 3,514 ±1K | 45.3% | 31.5–59.1% |
| 4 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI | 2,580 ±646 | not reliable | — |
| 5 | San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA | 2,278 ±712 | 33.6% | 22.7–44.6% |
| 6 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 1,592 ±672 | not reliable | — |
| 7 | Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 1,531 ±474 | 32.5% | 21–44.1% |
| 8 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 1,512 ±544 | not reliable | — |
| 9 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 1,485 ±440 | 39.7% | 28.5–50.9% |
| 10 | Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV | 1,359 ±471 | not reliable | — |
| 11 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 1,219 ±469 | 28.7% | 19.6–37.8% |
| 12 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | 1,091 ±327 | 44.7% | 31.7–57.8% |
| 13 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 943 ±388 | not reliable | — |
| 14 | Stockton, CA | 643 ±281 | not reliable | — |
| 15 | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | 636 ±275 | not reliable | — |
| 16 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta, GA | 628 ±288 | not reliable | — |
| 17 | Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | 549 ±264 | not reliable | — |
| 18 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 254 ±122 | 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 Cebuano 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 Cebuano in the United States?
- An estimated 55,093 people aged 5 and older speak Cebuano at home across U.S. metropolitan areas, based on the Census Bureau's 2020 to 2024 American Community Survey.
- What share of Cebuano speakers have limited English proficiency?
- About 33.6 percent, roughly 18,508 people, report speaking English less than "very well." That is the population professional interpreters serve.
- Which U.S. metro area has the most Cebuano speakers?
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA, with about 4,914 Cebuano speakers at home.
- Where is Cebuano interpreter demand highest?
- Demand tracks the size of the limited-English population. Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX stands out, where about 45.3 percent of Cebuano speakers report speaking English less than "very well."