#12 most spoken · language profile
Mandarin Chinese in the United States
An estimated 793,390 people aged 5 and older speak Mandarin Chinese at home across U.S. metropolitan areas. About 50.9% of them, roughly 403,669 people, speak English less than "very well." Interpreter demand is highest where the limited-English population is largest, such as New York, where about 60.2% of Mandarin Chinese speakers report speaking English less than "very well."
Where Mandarin Chinese is spoken: top metro areas
Ranked by number of speakers at home. 101 additional metro areas have Mandarin Chinese 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 | 153,301 ±3K | 60.2% | 59.4–61% |
| 2 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 101,126 ±2K | 54.8% | 53.8–55.7% |
| 3 | San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA | 72,652 ±2K | 50.8% | 49.8–51.7% |
| 4 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 44,597 ±1K | 42.8% | 41.5–44% |
| 5 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 30,199 ±892 | 45.9% | 44.2–47.6% |
| 6 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 29,223 ±975 | 42.7% | 41–44.4% |
| 7 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 22,407 ±944 | 41.5% | 39.7–43.3% |
| 8 | Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | 21,199 ±1K | 48.4% | 46.2–50.6% |
| 9 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI | 21,076 ±1K | 47.1% | 45.2–49% |
| 10 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 20,220 ±975 | 56.2% | 54–58.5% |
| 11 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 16,701 ±921 | 58.9% | 56.7–61.1% |
| 12 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 15,330 ±968 | 42.1% | 39.7–44.5% |
| 13 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta, GA | 13,065 ±886 | 49.2% | 46.4–52.1% |
| 14 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 12,009 ±774 | 47.8% | 44.6–51% |
| 15 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | 9,355 ±700 | 56.9% | 54.6–59.2% |
| 16 | Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV | 7,366 ±545 | 55.4% | 52.2–58.6% |
| 17 | Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 6,659 ±563 | 47.6% | 43.9–51.3% |
| 18 | Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | 6,285 ±567 | 45.6% | 41.6–49.5% |
| 19 | Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | 6,054 ±521 | 48.1% | 44.6–51.6% |
| 20 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, FL | 5,975 ±432 | 53.4% | 49.9–56.9% |
| 21 | Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | 5,743 ±520 | 46.5% | 42.3–50.7% |
| 22 | Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX | 5,336 ±530 | 35.5% | 31.9–39.1% |
| 23 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 5,184 ±639 | 47.4% | 42.2–52.7% |
| 24 | St. Louis, MO-IL | 4,037 ±405 | 45.9% | 41.5–50.2% |
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 Mandarin Chinese 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 Mandarin Chinese in the United States?
- An estimated 793,390 people aged 5 and older speak Mandarin Chinese at home across U.S. metropolitan areas, based on the Census Bureau's 2020 to 2024 American Community Survey.
- What share of Mandarin Chinese speakers have limited English proficiency?
- About 50.9 percent, roughly 403,669 people, report speaking English less than "very well." That is the population professional interpreters serve.
- Which U.S. metro area has the most Mandarin Chinese speakers?
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA, with about 153,301 Mandarin Chinese speakers at home.
- Where is Mandarin Chinese interpreter demand highest?
- Demand tracks the size of the limited-English population. New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA stands out, where about 60.2 percent of Mandarin Chinese speakers report speaking English less than "very well."