#99 most spoken · language profile
Mongolian in the United States
An estimated 20,602 people aged 5 and older speak Mongolian at home across U.S. metropolitan areas. About 48.7% of them, roughly 10,026 people, speak English less than "very well." Interpreter demand is highest where the limited-English population is largest, such as Los Angeles, where about 69.7% of Mongolian speakers report speaking English less than "very well."
Where Mongolian is spoken: top metro areas
Ranked by number of speakers at home. 41 additional metro areas have Mongolian speakers but did not meet Census reliability standards and are not listed.
| # | Metro area | Speakers (± margin) | Limited English | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI | 4,456 ±1K | 48% | 37.3–58.7% |
| 2 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 2,742 ±1K | 69.7% | 55.4–84% |
| 3 | San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA | 2,518 ±823 | 49.6% | 40–59.1% |
| 4 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 2,391 ±747 | not reliable | — |
| 5 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 1,579 ±630 | not reliable | — |
| 6 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | 570 ±239 | 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 Mongolian 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 Mongolian in the United States?
- An estimated 20,602 people aged 5 and older speak Mongolian at home across U.S. metropolitan areas, based on the Census Bureau's 2020 to 2024 American Community Survey.
- What share of Mongolian speakers have limited English proficiency?
- About 48.7 percent, roughly 10,026 people, report speaking English less than "very well." That is the population professional interpreters serve.
- Which U.S. metro area has the most Mongolian speakers?
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI, with about 4,456 Mongolian speakers at home.
- Where is Mongolian interpreter demand highest?
- Demand tracks the size of the limited-English population. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA stands out, where about 69.7 percent of Mongolian speakers report speaking English less than "very well."