#73 most spoken · language profile
Croatian in the United States
An estimated 45,574 people aged 5 and older speak Croatian at home across U.S. metropolitan areas. About 27.2% of them, roughly 12,405 people, speak English less than "very well." Interpreter demand is highest where the limited-English population is largest, such as New York, where about 34.7% of Croatian speakers report speaking English less than "very well."
Where Croatian is spoken: top metro areas
Ranked by number of speakers at home. 79 additional metro areas have Croatian 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 | 10,060 ±1K | 34.7% | 30.3–39.1% |
| 2 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI | 4,228 ±818 | 29.4% | 21.9–36.9% |
| 3 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 3,702 ±973 | 31% | 22.8–39.3% |
| 4 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 1,174 ±557 | not reliable | — |
| 5 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | 889 ±345 | not reliable | — |
| 6 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, FL | 787 ±311 | not reliable | — |
| 7 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 723 ±323 | not reliable | — |
| 8 | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | 711 ±253 | not reliable | — |
| 9 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta, GA | 638 ±280 | not reliable | — |
| 10 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 601 ±243 | not reliable | — |
| 11 | Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | 594 ±292 | not reliable | — |
| 12 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 521 ±217 | not reliable | — |
| 13 | Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO | 451 ±220 | 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 Croatian 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 Croatian in the United States?
- An estimated 45,574 people aged 5 and older speak Croatian at home across U.S. metropolitan areas, based on the Census Bureau's 2020 to 2024 American Community Survey.
- What share of Croatian speakers have limited English proficiency?
- About 27.2 percent, roughly 12,405 people, report speaking English less than "very well." That is the population professional interpreters serve.
- Which U.S. metro area has the most Croatian speakers?
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA, with about 10,060 Croatian speakers at home.
- Where is Croatian interpreter demand highest?
- Demand tracks the size of the limited-English population. New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA stands out, where about 34.7 percent of Croatian speakers report speaking English less than "very well."