#21 most spoken · language profile
Japanese in the United States
An estimated 444,471 people aged 5 and older speak Japanese at home across U.S. metropolitan areas. About 38.5% of them, roughly 171,057 people, speak English less than "very well." Interpreter demand is highest where the limited-English population is largest, such as Detroit, where about 54.4% of Japanese speakers report speaking English less than "very well."
Where Japanese is spoken: top metro areas
Ranked by number of speakers at home. 203 additional metro areas have Japanese 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 | 64,599 ±4K | 41.8% | 39.8–43.9% |
| 2 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | 41,476 ±3K | 43.6% | 41–46.3% |
| 3 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 20,811 ±2K | 34.5% | 30.8–38.1% |
| 4 | San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA | 20,094 ±1K | 39% | 35.9–42.1% |
| 5 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 13,164 ±2K | 38.1% | 34.7–41.6% |
| 6 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 12,964 ±2K | 42.9% | 38.4–47.4% |
| 7 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 12,082 ±2K | 35.1% | 30.8–39.5% |
| 8 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI | 11,915 ±1K | 39.7% | 34.3–45.2% |
| 9 | Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | 9,191 ±1K | 27.3% | 22.6–32% |
| 10 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 9,179 ±2K | 38.9% | 33.1–44.7% |
| 11 | Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | 8,499 ±1K | 54.4% | 47.8–61% |
| 12 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 7,495 ±984 | 26.6% | 21.8–31.5% |
| 13 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta, GA | 7,374 ±1K | 43% | 36.1–50% |
| 14 | Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | 6,416 ±1K | 51.8% | 44.3–59.3% |
| 15 | Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 6,052 ±923 | 38.6% | 31.1–46.1% |
| 16 | Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV | 5,419 ±941 | 35.6% | 28.8–42.5% |
| 17 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | 4,813 ±683 | 36.9% | 30.2–43.6% |
| 18 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 4,639 ±848 | 33.2% | 24.9–41.6% |
| 19 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 4,537 ±709 | 37.2% | 31.8–42.7% |
| 20 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 4,316 ±1K | 30.6% | 20.6–40.5% |
| 21 | Columbus, OH | 4,144 ±943 | 50.8% | 40.2–61.3% |
| 22 | Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO | 3,527 ±686 | 27% | 20.9–33% |
| 23 | Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | 3,353 ±713 | 34.1% | 26.2–42% |
| 24 | Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX | 2,997 ±805 | 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 Japanese speakers be understood
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Frequently asked questions
- How many people speak Japanese in the United States?
- An estimated 444,471 people aged 5 and older speak Japanese at home across U.S. metropolitan areas, based on the Census Bureau's 2020 to 2024 American Community Survey.
- What share of Japanese speakers have limited English proficiency?
- About 38.5 percent, roughly 171,057 people, report speaking English less than "very well." That is the population professional interpreters serve.
- Which U.S. metro area has the most Japanese speakers?
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA, with about 64,599 Japanese speakers at home.
- Where is Japanese interpreter demand highest?
- Demand tracks the size of the limited-English population. Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI stands out, where about 54.4 percent of Japanese speakers report speaking English less than "very well."