#40 most spoken · language profile
Romanian in the United States
An estimated 174,811 people aged 5 and older speak Romanian at home across U.S. metropolitan areas. About 28.6% of them, roughly 49,965 people, speak English less than "very well." Interpreter demand is highest where the limited-English population is largest, such as Sacramento, where about 46.2% of Romanian speakers report speaking English less than "very well."
Where Romanian is spoken: top metro areas
Ranked by number of speakers at home. 151 additional metro areas have Romanian 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 | 20,284 ±2K | 32.9% | 29.4–36.3% |
| 2 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | 18,563 ±2K | 25.1% | 21.1–29.1% |
| 3 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 9,528 ±1K | 35.3% | 28.1–42.5% |
| 4 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 8,330 ±1K | 29.7% | 25.1–34.4% |
| 5 | Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | 8,147 ±1K | 31.4% | 26.5–36.3% |
| 6 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, FL | 7,523 ±1K | 32.6% | 26–39.2% |
| 7 | Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 7,247 ±2K | 28.3% | 21.9–34.7% |
| 8 | Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | 6,380 ±2K | 25.6% | 18.9–32.3% |
| 9 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta, GA | 6,083 ±1K | 24.6% | 18.7–30.6% |
| 10 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | 5,714 ±1K | 46.2% | 37.1–55.3% |
| 11 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 3,512 ±793 | 26.1% | 16.8–35.5% |
| 12 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 3,320 ±1K | 22.2% | 14.3–30% |
| 13 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 3,123 ±697 | 21.9% | 13.7–30% |
| 14 | Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | 2,678 ±689 | 28.8% | 19.4–38.2% |
| 15 | Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | 2,568 ±844 | 32.8% | 23.1–42.4% |
| 16 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 2,531 ±831 | 30.7% | 23.1–38.2% |
| 17 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 2,231 ±800 | 19% | 10.8–27.1% |
| 18 | San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA | 2,012 ±470 | not reliable | — |
| 19 | Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV | 1,693 ±532 | 30.9% | 20–41.9% |
| 20 | Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | 1,488 ±625 | not reliable | — |
| 21 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 1,410 ±399 | 40.4% | 28.5–52.2% |
| 22 | Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO | 1,219 ±448 | 35.8% | 24.2–47.3% |
| 23 | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | 1,214 ±365 | not reliable | — |
| 24 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 1,178 ±395 | 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 Romanian speakers be understood
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Frequently asked questions
- How many people speak Romanian in the United States?
- An estimated 174,811 people aged 5 and older speak Romanian at home across U.S. metropolitan areas, based on the Census Bureau's 2020 to 2024 American Community Survey.
- What share of Romanian speakers have limited English proficiency?
- About 28.6 percent, roughly 49,965 people, report speaking English less than "very well." That is the population professional interpreters serve.
- Which U.S. metro area has the most Romanian speakers?
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI, with about 20,284 Romanian speakers at home.
- Where is Romanian interpreter demand highest?
- Demand tracks the size of the limited-English population. Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA stands out, where about 46.2 percent of Romanian speakers report speaking English less than "very well."