#64 most spoken · language profile
Dari in the United States
An estimated 61,907 people aged 5 and older speak Dari at home across U.S. metropolitan areas. About 54.1% of them, roughly 33,514 people, speak English less than "very well." Interpreter demand is highest where the limited-English population is largest, such as Denver, where about 76.3% of Dari speakers report speaking English less than "very well."
Where Dari is spoken: top metro areas
Ranked by number of speakers at home. 76 additional metro areas have Dari speakers but did not meet Census reliability standards and are not listed.
| # | Metro area | Speakers (± margin) | Limited English | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 10,731 ±2K | 45.3% | 39.4–51.2% |
| 2 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | 8,736 ±2K | 70.7% | 65.1–76.3% |
| 3 | San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA | 4,560 ±988 | 47.9% | 39.1–56.6% |
| 4 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 4,351 ±2K | 64.3% | 55.8–72.7% |
| 5 | Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | 2,835 ±919 | 56.2% | 45.2–67.2% |
| 6 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 2,183 ±820 | 58.6% | 42.8–74.5% |
| 7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 2,152 ±665 | 14.9% | 7.7–22% |
| 8 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 1,838 ±621 | 40.5% | 25.5–55.6% |
| 9 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta, GA | 1,260 ±554 | not reliable | — |
| 10 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | 1,045 ±476 | not reliable | — |
| 11 | Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO | 965 ±437 | 76.3% | 62.6–89.9% |
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 Dari 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 Dari in the United States?
- An estimated 61,907 people aged 5 and older speak Dari at home across U.S. metropolitan areas, based on the Census Bureau's 2020 to 2024 American Community Survey.
- What share of Dari speakers have limited English proficiency?
- About 54.1 percent, roughly 33,514 people, report speaking English less than "very well." That is the population professional interpreters serve.
- Which U.S. metro area has the most Dari speakers?
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV, with about 10,731 Dari speakers at home.
- Where is Dari interpreter demand highest?
- Demand tracks the size of the limited-English population. Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO stands out, where about 76.3 percent of Dari speakers report speaking English less than "very well."