#2 most spoken · language profile
Chinese (not specified) in the United States
An estimated 2,106,909 people aged 5 and older speak Chinese (not specified) at home across U.S. metropolitan areas. About 50.9% of them, roughly 1,071,892 people, speak English less than "very well." Interpreter demand is highest where the limited-English population is largest, such as New York, where about 60.2% of Chinese (not specified) speakers report speaking English less than "very well."
Where Chinese (not specified) is spoken: top metro areas
Ranked by number of speakers at home. 153 additional metro areas have Chinese (not specified) 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 | 406,191 ±8K | 60.2% | 59.4–61% |
| 2 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 267,946 ±5K | 54.8% | 53.8–55.7% |
| 3 | San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA | 192,501 ±4K | 50.8% | 49.8–51.7% |
| 4 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 118,165 ±4K | 42.8% | 41.5–44% |
| 5 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 80,015 ±2K | 45.9% | 44.2–47.6% |
| 6 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 77,429 ±3K | 42.7% | 41–44.4% |
| 7 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 59,371 ±3K | 41.5% | 39.7–43.3% |
| 8 | Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | 56,169 ±3K | 48.4% | 46.2–50.6% |
| 9 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI | 55,844 ±3K | 47.1% | 45.2–49% |
| 10 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 53,575 ±3K | 56.2% | 54–58.5% |
| 11 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 44,253 ±2K | 58.9% | 56.7–61.1% |
| 12 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 40,618 ±3K | 42.1% | 39.7–44.5% |
| 13 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta, GA | 34,617 ±2K | 49.2% | 46.4–52.1% |
| 14 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 31,820 ±2K | 47.8% | 44.6–51% |
| 15 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | 24,787 ±2K | 56.9% | 54.6–59.2% |
| 16 | Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV | 19,518 ±1K | 55.4% | 52.2–58.6% |
| 17 | Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 17,643 ±1K | 47.6% | 43.9–51.3% |
| 18 | Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | 16,652 ±2K | 45.6% | 41.6–49.5% |
| 19 | Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | 16,042 ±1K | 48.1% | 44.6–51.5% |
| 20 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, FL | 15,832 ±1K | 53.4% | 49.9–56.9% |
| 21 | Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | 15,216 ±1K | 46.5% | 42.3–50.7% |
| 22 | Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX | 14,139 ±1K | 35.5% | 31.9–39.1% |
| 23 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 13,736 ±2K | 47.4% | 42.2–52.7% |
| 24 | St. Louis, MO-IL | 10,697 ±1K | 45.9% | 41.5–50.2% |
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.
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Frequently asked questions
- How many people speak Chinese (not specified) in the United States?
- An estimated 2,106,909 people aged 5 and older speak Chinese (not specified) at home across U.S. metropolitan areas, based on the Census Bureau's 2020 to 2024 American Community Survey.
- What share of Chinese (not specified) speakers have limited English proficiency?
- About 50.9 percent, roughly 1,071,892 people, report speaking English less than "very well." That is the population professional interpreters serve.
- Which U.S. metro area has the most Chinese (not specified) speakers?
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA, with about 406,191 Chinese (not specified) speakers at home.
- Where is Chinese (not specified) interpreter demand highest?
- Demand tracks the size of the limited-English population. New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA stands out, where about 60.2 percent of Chinese (not specified) speakers report speaking English less than "very well."