#51 most spoken · language profile
Navajo in the United States
An estimated 89,328 people aged 5 and older speak Navajo at home across U.S. metropolitan areas. About 27.1% of them, roughly 24,204 people, speak English less than "very well." Interpreter demand is highest where the limited-English population is largest, such as Farmington, where about 34.4% of Navajo speakers report speaking English less than "very well."
Where Navajo is spoken: top metro areas
Ranked by number of speakers at home. 29 additional metro areas have Navajo speakers but did not meet Census reliability standards and are not listed.
| # | Metro area | Speakers (± margin) | Limited English | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Farmington, NM | 46,464 ±2K | 34.4% | 32.5–36.3% |
| 2 | Flagstaff, AZ | 15,639 ±943 | 23% | 20.7–25.4% |
| 3 | Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 9,563 ±1K | 22.2% | 17.5–27% |
| 4 | Albuquerque, NM | 8,725 ±1K | 11.9% | 8.1–15.8% |
| 5 | Tucson, AZ | 2,014 ±608 | not reliable | — |
| 6 | Salt Lake City, UT | 1,062 ±410 | not reliable | — |
| 7 | Yuma, AZ | 443 ±179 | not reliable | — |
| 8 | Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ | 437 ±178 | not reliable | — |
| 9 | Santa Fe, NM | 318 ±142 | not reliable | — |
| 10 | Provo-Orem, UT | 296 ±128 | not reliable | — |
| 11 | Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO | 277 ±124 | 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 Navajo 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 Navajo in the United States?
- An estimated 89,328 people aged 5 and older speak Navajo at home across U.S. metropolitan areas, based on the Census Bureau's 2020 to 2024 American Community Survey.
- What share of Navajo speakers have limited English proficiency?
- About 27.1 percent, roughly 24,204 people, report speaking English less than "very well." That is the population professional interpreters serve.
- Which U.S. metro area has the most Navajo speakers?
- Farmington, NM, with about 46,464 Navajo speakers at home.
- Where is Navajo interpreter demand highest?
- Demand tracks the size of the limited-English population. Farmington, NM stands out, where about 34.4 percent of Navajo speakers report speaking English less than "very well."