#13 most spoken · language profile
German in the United States
An estimated 754,278 people aged 5 and older speak German at home across U.S. metropolitan areas. About 13.5% of them, roughly 102,092 people, speak English less than "very well." Interpreter demand is highest where the limited-English population is largest, such as El Paso, where about 44.9% of German speakers report speaking English less than "very well."
Where German is spoken: top metro areas
Ranked by number of speakers at home. 102 additional metro areas have German 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 | 41,535 ±2K | 9.4% | 7.9–10.9% |
| 2 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 27,405 ±2K | 9.2% | 7.3–11% |
| 3 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI | 22,212 ±2K | 11.4% | 9.5–13.3% |
| 4 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 18,656 ±1K | 10.3% | 7.7–12.9% |
| 5 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 15,177 ±2K | 15.9% | 12.2–19.6% |
| 6 | San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA | 14,838 ±1K | 10.6% | 8.5–12.7% |
| 7 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, FL | 13,905 ±2K | 10% | 7.6–12.4% |
| 8 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 13,343 ±1K | 5.8% | 4.2–7.5% |
| 9 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 13,292 ±2K | 9.6% | 7.4–11.8% |
| 10 | Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | 12,934 ±2K | 11.7% | 8.3–15% |
| 11 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta, GA | 12,164 ±1K | 9% | 6.8–11.2% |
| 12 | Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | 11,946 ±2K | 10.7% | 7.1–14.3% |
| 13 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 11,407 ±1K | 9.7% | 7.1–12.2% |
| 14 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 9,738 ±1K | 19.5% | 14.8–24.1% |
| 15 | Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 9,695 ±1K | 10.9% | 8.2–13.7% |
| 16 | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | 9,684 ±1K | 8.6% | 6.2–11.1% |
| 17 | Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO | 9,651 ±1K | 7% | 4.9–9.2% |
| 18 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 9,595 ±1K | 11.1% | 8.2–14.1% |
| 19 | El Paso, TX | 9,215 ±1K | 44.9% | 36–53.7% |
| 20 | Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | 9,114 ±1K | 15.6% | 12–19.3% |
| 21 | Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | 8,312 ±1K | 12.7% | 7.8–17.6% |
| 22 | St. Louis, MO-IL | 8,244 ±1K | 18% | 13.5–22.4% |
| 23 | San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | 8,093 ±967 | 14.6% | 11–18.2% |
| 24 | Pittsburgh, PA | 7,325 ±1K | 22.7% | 16.9–28.4% |
| 25 | Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | 7,149 ±1K | 11.3% | 7.5–15.1% |
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 German in the United States?
- An estimated 754,278 people aged 5 and older speak German at home across U.S. metropolitan areas, based on the Census Bureau's 2020 to 2024 American Community Survey.
- What share of German speakers have limited English proficiency?
- About 13.5 percent, roughly 102,092 people, report speaking English less than "very well." That is the population professional interpreters serve.
- Which U.S. metro area has the most German speakers?
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA, with about 41,535 German speakers at home.
- Where is German interpreter demand highest?
- Demand tracks the size of the limited-English population. El Paso, TX stands out, where about 44.9 percent of German speakers report speaking English less than "very well."