#6 most spoken · language profile
French in the United States
An estimated 1,164,265 people aged 5 and older speak French at home across U.S. metropolitan areas. About 21.6% of them, roughly 251,494 people, speak English less than "very well." Interpreter demand is highest where the limited-English population is largest, such as Indianapolis, where about 46.7% of French speakers report speaking English less than "very well."
Where French is spoken: top metro areas
Ranked by number of speakers at home. 151 additional metro areas have French 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 | 143,202 ±7K | 24.2% | 22.5–25.9% |
| 2 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 70,576 ±4K | 25% | 22.7–27.2% |
| 3 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, FL | 49,581 ±3K | 26.6% | 24.8–28.5% |
| 4 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 46,436 ±3K | 13% | 11.3–14.8% |
| 5 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 34,995 ±3K | 18.9% | 17–20.8% |
| 6 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta, GA | 32,641 ±3K | 20.8% | 17.7–23.8% |
| 7 | San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA | 31,241 ±2K | 12.7% | 10.9–14.5% |
| 8 | Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | 30,742 ±4K | 16.5% | 12.9–20.1% |
| 9 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 29,993 ±3K | 26.6% | 22.6–30.6% |
| 10 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI | 27,331 ±2K | 18.1% | 14.9–21.4% |
| 11 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 25,753 ±3K | 30.1% | 25.2–35% |
| 12 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 16,650 ±2K | 20.5% | 17.4–23.7% |
| 13 | Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | 16,117 ±2K | 25.9% | 20.7–31.1% |
| 14 | Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO | 14,327 ±2K | 23.9% | 19–28.9% |
| 15 | Lafayette, LA | 14,279 ±1K | 11.3% | 9–13.6% |
| 16 | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | 14,027 ±2K | 23.2% | 19.1–27.3% |
| 17 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 13,005 ±2K | 27.6% | 19.4–35.8% |
| 18 | Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 12,603 ±2K | 14.2% | 11–17.4% |
| 19 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 12,123 ±1K | 15.1% | 10.4–19.8% |
| 20 | Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | 11,480 ±2K | 33.4% | 25.6–41.2% |
| 21 | Portland-South Portland, ME | 10,704 ±1K | 17.5% | 12.9–22.2% |
| 22 | Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | 10,604 ±1K | 21.2% | 17.1–25.2% |
| 23 | Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, IN | 10,437 ±2K | 46.7% | 39.5–54% |
| 24 | Columbus, OH | 10,052 ±1K | 34.2% | 26.3–42.2% |
| 25 | Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | 10,024 ±1K | 13.2% | 9.4–17% |
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 French in the United States?
- An estimated 1,164,265 people aged 5 and older speak French at home across U.S. metropolitan areas, based on the Census Bureau's 2020 to 2024 American Community Survey.
- What share of French speakers have limited English proficiency?
- About 21.6 percent, roughly 251,494 people, report speaking English less than "very well." That is the population professional interpreters serve.
- Which U.S. metro area has the most French speakers?
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA, with about 143,202 French speakers at home.
- Where is French interpreter demand highest?
- Demand tracks the size of the limited-English population. Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, IN stands out, where about 46.7 percent of French speakers report speaking English less than "very well."