#27 most spoken · language profile
Greek in the United States
An estimated 251,881 people aged 5 and older speak Greek at home across U.S. metropolitan areas. About 21.8% of them, roughly 54,796 people, speak English less than "very well." Interpreter demand is highest where the limited-English population is largest, such as New York, where about 26% of Greek speakers report speaking English less than "very well."
Where Greek is spoken: top metro areas
Ranked by number of speakers at home. 157 additional metro areas have Greek 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 | 68,438 ±4K | 26% | 23.8–28.1% |
| 2 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI | 26,064 ±2K | 23.8% | 20.5–27.2% |
| 3 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 17,066 ±2K | 24.6% | 20.6–28.6% |
| 4 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 8,649 ±993 | 24% | 19.5–28.4% |
| 5 | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | 8,636 ±1K | 24.6% | 19.6–29.5% |
| 6 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 6,897 ±1K | 15.7% | 11.6–19.7% |
| 7 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 6,809 ±934 | 11.6% | 8.3–14.9% |
| 8 | Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | 5,680 ±2K | 12% | 7.2–16.8% |
| 9 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, FL | 5,189 ±878 | 12.7% | 8.7–16.8% |
| 10 | San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA | 4,818 ±858 | 9.5% | 6–12.9% |
| 11 | Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | 3,900 ±825 | 19.7% | 13.2–26.2% |
| 12 | Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT | 3,763 ±1K | not reliable | — |
| 13 | Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | 3,259 ±824 | 21.5% | 13.8–29.3% |
| 14 | Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | 2,829 ±540 | 22.4% | 14.8–30% |
| 15 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 2,307 ±907 | not reliable | — |
| 16 | Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 2,243 ±542 | 12.8% | 6.8–18.8% |
| 17 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta, GA | 2,078 ±592 | not reliable | — |
| 18 | Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, OH-PA | 2,044 ±801 | not reliable | — |
| 19 | Hartford-East Hartford-Middletown, CT | 1,995 ±470 | 25.2% | 17.8–32.6% |
| 20 | Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | 1,861 ±784 | not reliable | — |
| 21 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 1,853 ±629 | not reliable | — |
| 22 | Worcester, MA-CT | 1,826 ±557 | not reliable | — |
| 23 | Pittsburgh, PA | 1,725 ±463 | 18.8% | 10.9–26.8% |
| 24 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 1,472 ±333 | 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 Greek 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 Greek in the United States?
- An estimated 251,881 people aged 5 and older speak Greek at home across U.S. metropolitan areas, based on the Census Bureau's 2020 to 2024 American Community Survey.
- What share of Greek speakers have limited English proficiency?
- About 21.8 percent, roughly 54,796 people, report speaking English less than "very well." That is the population professional interpreters serve.
- Which U.S. metro area has the most Greek speakers?
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA, with about 68,438 Greek speakers at home.
- Where is Greek interpreter demand highest?
- Demand tracks the size of the limited-English population. New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA stands out, where about 26 percent of Greek speakers report speaking English less than "very well."