#59 most spoken · language profile
Indonesian in the United States
An estimated 73,341 people aged 5 and older speak Indonesian at home across U.S. metropolitan areas. About 39.1% of them, roughly 28,700 people, speak English less than "very well." Interpreter demand is highest where the limited-English population is largest, such as Philadelphia, where about 60.4% of Indonesian speakers report speaking English less than "very well."
Where Indonesian is spoken: top metro areas
Ranked by number of speakers at home. 105 additional metro areas have Indonesian 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 | 11,363 ±1K | 46% | 41.9–50.1% |
| 2 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | 6,996 ±1K | 42.7% | 37.6–47.9% |
| 3 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 5,707 ±1K | 48% | 41.2–54.7% |
| 4 | San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA | 4,816 ±929 | 33.4% | 26.4–40.4% |
| 5 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 4,385 ±966 | 43.4% | 34–52.9% |
| 6 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 3,714 ±889 | 33.2% | 25–41.4% |
| 7 | Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | 3,087 ±1K | not reliable | — |
| 8 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 2,614 ±934 | 60.4% | 48.9–72% |
| 9 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 1,858 ±585 | not reliable | — |
| 10 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 1,634 ±482 | not reliable | — |
| 11 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 1,599 ±464 | not reliable | — |
| 12 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI | 1,463 ±654 | not reliable | — |
| 13 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta, GA | 1,203 ±359 | 39.7% | 27.1–52.4% |
| 14 | Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO | 1,185 ±412 | 48.1% | 35.9–60.3% |
| 15 | Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV | 932 ±336 | not reliable | — |
| 16 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | 819 ±347 | not reliable | — |
| 17 | Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | 543 ±245 | not reliable | — |
| 18 | Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | 425 ±204 | 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.
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Frequently asked questions
- How many people speak Indonesian in the United States?
- An estimated 73,341 people aged 5 and older speak Indonesian at home across U.S. metropolitan areas, based on the Census Bureau's 2020 to 2024 American Community Survey.
- What share of Indonesian speakers have limited English proficiency?
- About 39.1 percent, roughly 28,700 people, report speaking English less than "very well." That is the population professional interpreters serve.
- Which U.S. metro area has the most Indonesian speakers?
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA, with about 11,363 Indonesian speakers at home.
- Where is Indonesian interpreter demand highest?
- Demand tracks the size of the limited-English population. Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD stands out, where about 60.4 percent of Indonesian speakers report speaking English less than "very well."