#55 most spoken · language profile
Jamaican Creole English in the United States
An estimated 80,723 people aged 5 and older speak Jamaican Creole English at home across U.S. metropolitan areas. About 14.3% of them, roughly 11,566 people, speak English less than "very well." Interpreter demand is highest where the limited-English population is largest, such as New York, where about 18.5% of Jamaican Creole English speakers report speaking English less than "very well."
Where Jamaican Creole English is spoken: top metro areas
Ranked by number of speakers at home. 120 additional metro areas have Jamaican Creole English 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 | 14,356 ±2K | 18.5% | 13.9–23% |
| 2 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, FL | 8,744 ±2K | 12.3% | 7.6–16.9% |
| 3 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta, GA | 5,826 ±1K | not reliable | — |
| 4 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 3,366 ±2K | not reliable | — |
| 5 | Hartford-East Hartford-Middletown, CT | 3,005 ±1K | not reliable | — |
| 6 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 2,985 ±783 | not reliable | — |
| 7 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 2,696 ±994 | not reliable | — |
| 8 | Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | 2,572 ±1K | not reliable | — |
| 9 | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | 1,760 ±537 | not reliable | — |
| 10 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI | 1,361 ±584 | not reliable | — |
| 11 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 1,357 ±561 | not reliable | — |
| 12 | Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT | 1,161 ±364 | not reliable | — |
| 13 | Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | 1,152 ±462 | not reliable | — |
| 14 | Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | 816 ±329 | not reliable | — |
| 15 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 595 ±289 | 1% | 0.3–1.7% |
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 Jamaican Creole English 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 Jamaican Creole English in the United States?
- An estimated 80,723 people aged 5 and older speak Jamaican Creole English at home across U.S. metropolitan areas, based on the Census Bureau's 2020 to 2024 American Community Survey.
- What share of Jamaican Creole English speakers have limited English proficiency?
- About 14.3 percent, roughly 11,566 people, report speaking English less than "very well." That is the population professional interpreters serve.
- Which U.S. metro area has the most Jamaican Creole English speakers?
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA, with about 14,356 Jamaican Creole English speakers at home.
- Where is Jamaican Creole English interpreter demand highest?
- Demand tracks the size of the limited-English population. New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA stands out, where about 18.5 percent of Jamaican Creole English speakers report speaking English less than "very well."