#18 most spoken · language profile
Polish in the United States
An estimated 495,554 people aged 5 and older speak Polish at home across U.S. metropolitan areas. About 36.4% of them, roughly 180,210 people, speak English less than "very well." Interpreter demand is highest where the limited-English population is largest, such as Springfield, where about 46.7% of Polish speakers report speaking English less than "very well."
Where Polish is spoken: top metro areas
Ranked by number of speakers at home. 167 additional metro areas have Polish 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 | 161,121 ±6K | 42.7% | 41.3–44% |
| 2 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | 116,443 ±5K | 40.5% | 39.1–41.9% |
| 3 | Hartford-East Hartford-Middletown, CT | 18,018 ±2K | 42% | 38.3–45.7% |
| 4 | Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | 11,404 ±2K | 27.8% | 23.2–32.5% |
| 5 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 11,353 ±1K | 43.8% | 37.3–50.2% |
| 6 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 8,345 ±1K | 24.1% | 18.6–29.7% |
| 7 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, FL | 7,199 ±1K | 33% | 26–39.9% |
| 8 | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | 7,134 ±1K | 37.2% | 30.9–43.4% |
| 9 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 6,707 ±957 | 20.8% | 15.4–26.3% |
| 10 | San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA | 5,041 ±1K | 24.3% | 15.6–32.9% |
| 11 | Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT | 4,894 ±986 | 38.7% | 31.3–46% |
| 12 | Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 4,695 ±1K | 22.1% | 15.1–29.2% |
| 13 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 4,267 ±1K | 22.1% | 15.7–28.5% |
| 14 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 3,988 ±861 | 25.4% | 18.4–32.4% |
| 15 | New Haven-Milford, CT | 3,831 ±686 | 37.9% | 29.1–46.7% |
| 16 | Springfield, MA | 3,533 ±698 | 46.7% | 37.5–55.8% |
| 17 | Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO | 3,364 ±704 | 18.7% | 11.6–25.8% |
| 18 | Worcester, MA-CT | 3,329 ±729 | 32.2% | 23.3–41.1% |
| 19 | Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | 3,196 ±748 | 20.9% | 13.7–28% |
| 20 | Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | 3,043 ±624 | 17.2% | 10.9–23.5% |
| 21 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 2,972 ±629 | not reliable | — |
| 22 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 2,839 ±698 | 28.9% | 21.8–36% |
| 23 | Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ | 2,721 ±801 | 37.8% | 27.6–48% |
| 24 | Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | 2,699 ±715 | 27.4% | 17.5–37.4% |
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 Polish speakers be understood
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Frequently asked questions
- How many people speak Polish in the United States?
- An estimated 495,554 people aged 5 and older speak Polish at home across U.S. metropolitan areas, based on the Census Bureau's 2020 to 2024 American Community Survey.
- What share of Polish speakers have limited English proficiency?
- About 36.4 percent, roughly 180,210 people, report speaking English less than "very well." That is the population professional interpreters serve.
- Which U.S. metro area has the most Polish speakers?
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI, with about 161,121 Polish speakers at home.
- Where is Polish interpreter demand highest?
- Demand tracks the size of the limited-English population. Springfield, MA stands out, where about 46.7 percent of Polish speakers report speaking English less than "very well."