#23 most spoken · language profile
Filipino in the United States
An estimated 423,672 people aged 5 and older speak Filipino at home across U.S. metropolitan areas. About 29.4% of them, roughly 124,483 people, speak English less than "very well." Interpreter demand is highest where the limited-English population is largest, such as Stockton, where about 44.3% of Filipino speakers report speaking English less than "very well."
Where Filipino is spoken: top metro areas
Ranked by number of speakers at home. 221 additional metro areas have Filipino 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 | 48,333 ±3K | 29.7% | 27.4–32% |
| 2 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | 42,109 ±3K | 26.8% | 24–29.5% |
| 3 | San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA | 27,263 ±2K | 31.8% | 28–35.5% |
| 4 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI | 22,182 ±2K | 24.3% | 21–27.6% |
| 5 | Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV | 16,514 ±2K | 30.2% | 25.9–34.5% |
| 6 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 13,608 ±1K | 35.4% | 31.2–39.6% |
| 7 | Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | 12,807 ±2K | 27.9% | 23.3–32.5% |
| 8 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 11,565 ±1K | 32.4% | 27.6–37.2% |
| 9 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 10,667 ±2K | 32.4% | 27.1–37.7% |
| 10 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 9,425 ±1K | 25.6% | 20.9–30.3% |
| 11 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 8,561 ±1K | 29.2% | 22.8–35.5% |
| 12 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 8,022 ±2K | 35.5% | 28.7–42.2% |
| 13 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | 7,799 ±995 | 23.5% | 18.7–28.4% |
| 14 | Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 7,218 ±1K | 22.7% | 16.6–28.7% |
| 15 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 5,445 ±829 | 33.6% | 25.6–41.6% |
| 16 | Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC | 5,302 ±937 | 29.3% | 23.2–35.4% |
| 17 | Stockton, CA | 4,461 ±961 | 44.3% | 37.1–51.5% |
| 18 | Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | 4,333 ±1K | 18.4% | 10.5–26.4% |
| 19 | Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | 4,332 ±906 | 17.5% | 11.2–23.8% |
| 20 | Vallejo, CA | 4,313 ±858 | 27.8% | 21.8–33.8% |
| 21 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, FL | 4,258 ±709 | 20.1% | 12.6–27.6% |
| 22 | Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | 4,110 ±948 | 22.9% | 15.9–29.9% |
| 23 | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | 3,188 ±871 | 28.4% | 20.5–36.4% |
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 Filipino 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 Filipino in the United States?
- An estimated 423,672 people aged 5 and older speak Filipino at home across U.S. metropolitan areas, based on the Census Bureau's 2020 to 2024 American Community Survey.
- What share of Filipino speakers have limited English proficiency?
- About 29.4 percent, roughly 124,483 people, report speaking English less than "very well." That is the population professional interpreters serve.
- Which U.S. metro area has the most Filipino speakers?
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA, with about 48,333 Filipino speakers at home.
- Where is Filipino interpreter demand highest?
- Demand tracks the size of the limited-English population. Stockton, CA stands out, where about 44.3 percent of Filipino speakers report speaking English less than "very well."