#20 most spoken · language profile
Persian in the United States
An estimated 448,673 people aged 5 and older speak Persian at home across U.S. metropolitan areas. About 35.2% of them, roughly 157,779 people, speak English less than "very well." Interpreter demand is highest where the limited-English population is largest, such as Modesto, where about 49.2% of Persian speakers report speaking English less than "very well."
Where Persian is spoken: top metro areas
Ranked by number of speakers at home. 153 additional metro areas have Persian speakers but did not meet Census reliability standards and are not listed.
| # | Metro area | Speakers (± margin) | Limited English | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 111,918 ±5K | 38.6% | 37–40.2% |
| 2 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 34,420 ±2K | 33.1% | 29.9–36.2% |
| 3 | San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA | 30,455 ±3K | 31.9% | 29.1–34.8% |
| 4 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | 24,722 ±3K | 30.6% | 26.8–34.5% |
| 5 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 19,311 ±2K | 31.4% | 26.7–36% |
| 6 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | 15,948 ±2K | 48.7% | 44.1–53.2% |
| 7 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 15,245 ±2K | 38.6% | 33.7–43.6% |
| 8 | Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | 14,781 ±2K | 34.2% | 29.6–38.9% |
| 9 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 14,679 ±2K | 32.4% | 27.1–37.6% |
| 10 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 11,318 ±2K | 32.9% | 26.9–38.9% |
| 11 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta, GA | 8,850 ±1K | 32.1% | 27.6–36.7% |
| 12 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI | 7,261 ±1K | 31.3% | 25.9–36.6% |
| 13 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 7,180 ±1K | 45.3% | 37.7–52.9% |
| 14 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 6,346 ±958 | 31.5% | 24.6–38.4% |
| 15 | Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 5,975 ±1K | 35.7% | 28.2–43.2% |
| 16 | Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | 5,429 ±1K | 40.6% | 32–49.3% |
| 17 | Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | 4,812 ±1K | 32.6% | 25.1–40.1% |
| 18 | Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV | 4,507 ±1K | 45.7% | 36.7–54.6% |
| 19 | Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | 4,454 ±1K | 37.1% | 28.3–45.9% |
| 20 | Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX | 4,251 ±1K | 30.6% | 23.1–38.2% |
| 21 | Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO | 4,000 ±935 | 33.4% | 25.4–41.5% |
| 22 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, FL | 3,596 ±827 | 24.2% | 16.7–31.7% |
| 23 | Stockton, CA | 2,667 ±861 | 37.7% | 27.7–47.8% |
| 24 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 2,485 ±617 | 32.4% | 21.6–43.1% |
| 25 | Modesto, CA | 2,411 ±761 | 49.2% | 38.8–59.6% |
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.
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Frequently asked questions
- How many people speak Persian in the United States?
- An estimated 448,673 people aged 5 and older speak Persian at home across U.S. metropolitan areas, based on the Census Bureau's 2020 to 2024 American Community Survey.
- What share of Persian speakers have limited English proficiency?
- About 35.2 percent, roughly 157,779 people, report speaking English less than "very well." That is the population professional interpreters serve.
- Which U.S. metro area has the most Persian speakers?
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA, with about 111,918 Persian speakers at home.
- Where is Persian interpreter demand highest?
- Demand tracks the size of the limited-English population. Modesto, CA stands out, where about 49.2 percent of Persian speakers report speaking English less than "very well."