Metro language profile
Languages spoken in Houston, TX
About 1,137,976 people in the Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX area speak English less than "very well," across 65 languages. These tables show which languages those residents speak and where interpreter demand is highest.
Languages by interpreter demand in Houston, TX
Ranked by the number of speakers who report limited English proficiency, the measure of interpreter need.
| # | Language | Speakers (± margin) | Limited English (count) | Limited English (rate) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spanish | 2,071,608 ±14K | 901,760 | 43.5% |
| 2 | Vietnamese | 123,234 ±6K | 71,930 | 58.4% |
| 3 | Chinese (not specified) | 56,169 ±3K | 27,198 | 48.4% |
| 4 | Urdu | 46,152 ±4K | 12,863 | 27.9% |
| 5 | Arabic | 44,748 ±5K | 10,643 | 23.8% |
| 6 | Mandarin Chinese | 21,199 ±1K | 10,265 | 48.4% |
| 7 | Korean | 14,896 ±2K | 7,338 | 49.3% |
| 8 | Hindi | 32,921 ±3K | 6,618 | 20.1% |
| 9 | Gujarati | 19,062 ±3K | 5,797 | 30.4% |
| 10 | Malayalam | 20,463 ±2K | 5,634 | 27.5% |
| 11 | French | 30,742 ±4K | 5,074 | 16.5% |
| 12 | Persian | 14,781 ±2K | 5,059 | 34.2% |
| 13 | Tagalog | 23,897 ±2K | 4,893 | 20.5% |
| 14 | Cantonese | 7,900 ±1K | 3,923 | 49.7% |
| 15 | Russian | 13,992 ±2K | 3,834 | 27.4% |
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 Houston, TX have limited English proficiency?
- About 1,137,976 residents of the Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX metro area speak English less than "very well," across the 65 languages reported there. They are the population professional interpreters serve.
- Which languages have the highest interpreter demand in Houston, TX?
- By number of residents with limited English proficiency, the top languages are Spanish, Vietnamese, and Chinese (not specified). Spanish leads, with about 901,760 people who speak English less than "very well."
- What is the most spoken language other than English in Houston, TX?
- Spanish, with about 2,071,608 speakers at home in the Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX area.