Metro language profile

Languages spoken in Durham, NC

About 43,148 people in the Durham-Chapel Hill, NC area speak English less than "very well," across 20 languages. These tables show which languages those residents speak and where interpreter demand is highest.

43,148
Residents with limited English
20
Languages reported
Spanish
Most spoken besides English
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Durham-Chapel Hill, NC: 43,148 limited-English speakers
Durham-Chapel Hill, NC highlighted. Each faint dot is another U.S. metro area in the map.

Languages by interpreter demand in Durham, NC

Ranked by the number of speakers who report limited English proficiency, the measure of interpreter need.

Languages spoken in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC, with speakers, limited-English counts, and rates
# Language Speakers (± margin) Limited English (count) Limited English (rate)
1 Spanish 80,692 ±2K 35,579 44.1%
2 Chinese (not specified) 5,722 ±729 1,984 34.7%
3 Korean 1,585 ±475 924 58.3%
4 Mandarin Chinese 2,159 ±275 749 34.7%
5 Arabic 2,174 ±561 574 26.4%
6 Telugu 1,445 ±610 508
7 French 2,376 ±566 447
8 Vietnamese 1,150 ±534 418
9 Gujarati 647 ±305 287
10 Hindi 1,990 ±595 264
11 Japanese 1,073 ±383 257
12 Portuguese 873 ±353 241
13 Tagalog 1,395 ±493 195
14 Russian 772 ±245 171
15 German 1,435 ±382 123

Limited English means speaking English less than "very well." Counts are the population an interpreter program serves. Margins of error are at the 90 percent confidence level; a rate of "—" means the estimate was suppressed for reliability.

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Frequently asked questions

How many people in Durham, NC have limited English proficiency?
About 43,148 residents of the Durham-Chapel Hill, NC metro area speak English less than "very well," across the 20 languages reported there. They are the population professional interpreters serve.
Which languages have the highest interpreter demand in Durham, NC?
By number of residents with limited English proficiency, the top languages are Spanish, Chinese (not specified), and Korean. Spanish leads, with about 35,579 people who speak English less than "very well."
What is the most spoken language other than English in Durham, NC?
Spanish, with about 80,692 speakers at home in the Durham-Chapel Hill, NC area.