#16 most spoken · language profile
Italian in the United States
An estimated 508,490 people aged 5 and older speak Italian at home across U.S. metropolitan areas. About 23.9% of them, roughly 121,744 people, speak English less than "very well." Interpreter demand is highest where the limited-English population is largest, such as Rochester, where about 31.1% of Italian speakers report speaking English less than "very well."
Where Italian is spoken: top metro areas
Ranked by number of speakers at home. 198 additional metro areas have Italian 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 | 146,454 ±4K | 29.6% | 28.2–31% |
| 2 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI | 24,042 ±2K | 24.9% | 22.1–27.6% |
| 3 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 22,349 ±2K | 21.4% | 18.6–24.2% |
| 4 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 18,467 ±2K | 29.8% | 25.9–33.8% |
| 5 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 18,165 ±1K | 16.7% | 13.7–19.6% |
| 6 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, FL | 18,078 ±2K | 23.2% | 20.2–26.1% |
| 7 | San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA | 11,207 ±1K | 13.3% | 10.4–16.2% |
| 8 | Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | 10,542 ±1K | 27.2% | 22.9–31.4% |
| 9 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 9,818 ±1K | 16.4% | 12.8–19.9% |
| 10 | Hartford-East Hartford-Middletown, CT | 8,864 ±1K | 25% | 20.3–29.6% |
| 11 | Pittsburgh, PA | 7,465 ±964 | 22.7% | 17.1–28.2% |
| 12 | Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT | 7,081 ±1K | 26% | 18.4–33.6% |
| 13 | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | 6,677 ±894 | 25.8% | 21.1–30.3% |
| 14 | New Haven-Milford, CT | 5,266 ±888 | 29.6% | 22.8–36.5% |
| 15 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 5,107 ±786 | 12.9% | 8.6–17.2% |
| 16 | Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 4,979 ±856 | 23.8% | 16.5–31.1% |
| 17 | Rochester, NY | 4,965 ±788 | 31.1% | 26–36.3% |
| 18 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 4,865 ±1K | 23.2% | 15.4–31.1% |
| 19 | Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | 4,820 ±878 | 19.3% | 14.2–24.4% |
| 20 | Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | 4,720 ±1K | 20% | 14–26% |
| 21 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta, GA | 3,985 ±701 | 14% | 9.6–18.4% |
| 22 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 3,980 ±789 | 10.8% | 6.1–15.6% |
| 23 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 3,867 ±819 | 18.9% | 14.2–23.5% |
| 24 | Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | 3,823 ±582 | 18.8% | 13.1–24.4% |
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.
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Frequently asked questions
- How many people speak Italian in the United States?
- An estimated 508,490 people aged 5 and older speak Italian at home across U.S. metropolitan areas, based on the Census Bureau's 2020 to 2024 American Community Survey.
- What share of Italian speakers have limited English proficiency?
- About 23.9 percent, roughly 121,744 people, report speaking English less than "very well." That is the population professional interpreters serve.
- Which U.S. metro area has the most Italian speakers?
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA, with about 146,454 Italian speakers at home.
- Where is Italian interpreter demand highest?
- Demand tracks the size of the limited-English population. Rochester, NY stands out, where about 31.1 percent of Italian speakers report speaking English less than "very well."