#9 most spoken · language profile
Portuguese in the United States
An estimated 973,991 people aged 5 and older speak Portuguese at home across U.S. metropolitan areas. About 35.9% of them, roughly 350,011 people, speak English less than "very well." Interpreter demand is highest where the limited-English population is largest, such as Barnstable Town, where about 56.5% of Portuguese speakers report speaking English less than "very well."
Where Portuguese is spoken: top metro areas
Ranked by number of speakers at home. 210 additional metro areas have Portuguese speakers but did not meet Census reliability standards and are not listed.
| # | Metro area | Speakers (± margin) | Limited English | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | 139,148 ±6K | 40.1% | 38.4–41.7% |
| 2 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 117,000 ±6K | 48.7% | 46.7–50.6% |
| 3 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, FL | 82,456 ±5K | 36.6% | 34.7–38.5% |
| 4 | Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | 78,753 ±4K | 39% | 36.9–41.1% |
| 5 | Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | 46,594 ±5K | 39.8% | 37.2–42.4% |
| 6 | Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT | 25,862 ±3K | 48.9% | 45–52.8% |
| 7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 22,981 ±2K | 23.2% | 20.2–26.2% |
| 8 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 22,412 ±4K | 51.5% | 45.6–57.3% |
| 9 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta, GA | 21,226 ±3K | 31.9% | 26.7–37% |
| 10 | San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA | 20,623 ±2K | 31.3% | 27.7–34.9% |
| 11 | Worcester, MA-CT | 20,582 ±3K | 48.8% | 44.6–53% |
| 12 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 19,281 ±2K | 31.6% | 27.1–36% |
| 13 | Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | 16,198 ±2K | 18.4% | 14.5–22.4% |
| 14 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 13,964 ±2K | 22.4% | 18.4–26.4% |
| 15 | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | 12,700 ±2K | 26.7% | 23–30.3% |
| 16 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 10,697 ±1K | 32.2% | 26.3–38% |
| 17 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 10,540 ±1K | 30.9% | 26.4–35.4% |
| 18 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 9,380 ±1K | 21.6% | 17.2–26.1% |
| 19 | Hartford-East Hartford-Middletown, CT | 9,377 ±1K | 39.8% | 34.1–45.5% |
| 20 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI | 9,123 ±1K | 20.3% | 14.6–26% |
| 21 | Barnstable Town, MA | 8,822 ±2K | 56.5% | 49.4–63.6% |
| 22 | New Haven-Milford, CT | 8,241 ±1K | 41.2% | 34.7–47.7% |
| 23 | Jacksonville, FL | 6,825 ±1K | 38% | 28.8–47.3% |
| 24 | Salt Lake City, UT | 6,268 ±1K | 20.1% | 14.5–25.7% |
| 25 | Provo-Orem, UT | 6,145 ±1K | 13.3% | 8.9–17.6% |
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 Portuguese in the United States?
- An estimated 973,991 people aged 5 and older speak Portuguese at home across U.S. metropolitan areas, based on the Census Bureau's 2020 to 2024 American Community Survey.
- What share of Portuguese speakers have limited English proficiency?
- About 35.9 percent, roughly 350,011 people, report speaking English less than "very well." That is the population professional interpreters serve.
- Which U.S. metro area has the most Portuguese speakers?
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA, with about 139,148 Portuguese speakers at home.
- Where is Portuguese interpreter demand highest?
- Demand tracks the size of the limited-English population. Barnstable Town, MA stands out, where about 56.5 percent of Portuguese speakers report speaking English less than "very well."