#11 most spoken · language profile
Hindi in the United States
An estimated 930,772 people aged 5 and older speak Hindi at home across U.S. metropolitan areas. About 16.7% of them, roughly 155,216 people, speak English less than "very well." Interpreter demand is highest where the limited-English population is largest, such as Sacramento, where about 28.3% of Hindi speakers report speaking English less than "very well."
Where Hindi is spoken: top metro areas
Ranked by number of speakers at home. 174 additional metro areas have Hindi 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 | 131,062 ±5K | 17.9% | 16.8–19% |
| 2 | San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA | 67,948 ±3K | 14.9% | 13.2–16.5% |
| 3 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 53,589 ±3K | 13.6% | 11.7–15.6% |
| 4 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 49,094 ±3K | 13.7% | 11.6–15.8% |
| 5 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI | 40,951 ±3K | 16.3% | 14.3–18.3% |
| 6 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 40,382 ±3K | 18% | 15.9–20.2% |
| 7 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 39,242 ±3K | 10.7% | 9–12.3% |
| 8 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 38,220 ±2K | 14.5% | 12.6–16.4% |
| 9 | Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | 32,921 ±3K | 20.1% | 17.3–22.9% |
| 10 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta, GA | 31,107 ±2K | 18.7% | 15.8–21.7% |
| 11 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 27,264 ±2K | 15% | 12.5–17.5% |
| 12 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 22,342 ±2K | 21.4% | 18.4–24.4% |
| 13 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | 19,064 ±2K | 28.3% | 24.2–32.4% |
| 14 | Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX | 13,615 ±2K | 12.9% | 9.7–16.1% |
| 15 | Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | 13,588 ±2K | 14.9% | 9.7–20.2% |
| 16 | Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 12,829 ±2K | 13.7% | 10.2–17.2% |
| 17 | Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | 10,915 ±2K | 16.9% | 12.3–21.4% |
| 18 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, FL | 10,125 ±2K | 17.7% | 12.6–22.9% |
| 19 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 9,393 ±2K | 12.6% | 8.3–16.8% |
| 20 | Raleigh-Cary, NC | 9,152 ±1K | 16.5% | 12.1–21% |
| 21 | Columbus, OH | 8,915 ±2K | 13.7% | 9.1–18.2% |
| 22 | Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | 8,710 ±1K | 23.7% | 17.8–29.6% |
| 23 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 8,605 ±1K | 22.1% | 17.6–26.6% |
| 24 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 7,555 ±1K | 10.5% | 5.7–15.4% |
| 25 | Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | 7,505 ±1K | 10% | 6.6–13.4% |
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 Hindi 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 Hindi in the United States?
- An estimated 930,772 people aged 5 and older speak Hindi at home across U.S. metropolitan areas, based on the Census Bureau's 2020 to 2024 American Community Survey.
- What share of Hindi speakers have limited English proficiency?
- About 16.7 percent, roughly 155,216 people, report speaking English less than "very well." That is the population professional interpreters serve.
- Which U.S. metro area has the most Hindi speakers?
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA, with about 131,062 Hindi speakers at home.
- Where is Hindi interpreter demand highest?
- Demand tracks the size of the limited-English population. Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA stands out, where about 28.3 percent of Hindi speakers report speaking English less than "very well."