#24 most spoken · language profile
Punjabi in the United States
An estimated 339,880 people aged 5 and older speak Punjabi at home across U.S. metropolitan areas. About 38% of them, roughly 129,036 people, speak English less than "very well." Interpreter demand is highest where the limited-English population is largest, such as Modesto, where about 56.3% of Punjabi speakers report speaking English less than "very well."
Where Punjabi is spoken: top metro areas
Ranked by number of speakers at home. 143 additional metro areas have Punjabi 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 | 47,955 ±3K | 42.6% | 40.2–45% |
| 2 | San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA | 26,224 ±3K | 34.6% | 31.1–38.2% |
| 3 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | 25,009 ±3K | 43.1% | 39.1–47% |
| 4 | Stockton, CA | 20,126 ±3K | 46.7% | 42.9–50.4% |
| 5 | Fresno, CA | 19,547 ±2K | 39.6% | 35.9–43.4% |
| 6 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 14,160 ±2K | 42.1% | 36.5–47.7% |
| 7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 12,297 ±2K | 34.3% | 29.2–39.4% |
| 8 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 11,891 ±2K | 37.5% | 33.4–41.7% |
| 9 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 11,462 ±2K | 30.1% | 25.6–34.5% |
| 10 | Bakersfield, CA | 10,070 ±2K | 36.9% | 29.8–44% |
| 11 | Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, IN | 9,511 ±2K | 44.7% | 37.6–51.8% |
| 12 | Yuba City, CA | 9,220 ±1K | 49.4% | 44.4–54.3% |
| 13 | Modesto, CA | 7,114 ±1K | 56.3% | 50.4–62.2% |
| 14 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 7,052 ±1K | 41.8% | 36.9–46.6% |
| 15 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI | 6,523 ±1K | 24.7% | 19.8–29.6% |
| 16 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 6,145 ±1K | 25.8% | 19–32.6% |
| 17 | Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | 6,099 ±1K | 35.5% | 27.1–44% |
| 18 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 5,473 ±1K | 43.8% | 36.8–50.7% |
| 19 | Merced, CA | 4,937 ±1K | 39.1% | 32.3–45.8% |
| 20 | Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | 4,809 ±1K | 40.6% | 32.9–48.3% |
| 21 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 4,476 ±1K | 28.4% | 21.1–35.8% |
| 22 | Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | 3,252 ±753 | 36.7% | 28.7–44.7% |
| 23 | Vallejo, CA | 3,053 ±888 | 36.3% | 27.5–45.1% |
| 24 | Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 2,745 ±824 | not reliable | — |
| 25 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 2,137 ±866 | 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 Punjabi 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 Punjabi in the United States?
- An estimated 339,880 people aged 5 and older speak Punjabi at home across U.S. metropolitan areas, based on the Census Bureau's 2020 to 2024 American Community Survey.
- What share of Punjabi speakers have limited English proficiency?
- About 38 percent, roughly 129,036 people, report speaking English less than "very well." That is the population professional interpreters serve.
- Which U.S. metro area has the most Punjabi speakers?
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA, with about 47,955 Punjabi speakers at home.
- Where is Punjabi interpreter demand highest?
- Demand tracks the size of the limited-English population. Modesto, CA stands out, where about 56.3 percent of Punjabi speakers report speaking English less than "very well."