#70 most spoken · language profile
Romany in the United States
An estimated 48,604 people aged 5 and older speak Romany at home across U.S. metropolitan areas. About 33.9% of them, roughly 16,452 people, speak English less than "very well." Interpreter demand is highest where the limited-English population is largest, such as New York, where about 41.6% of Romany speakers report speaking English less than "very well."
Where Romany is spoken: top metro areas
Ranked by number of speakers at home. 71 additional metro areas have Romany 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 | 11,042 ±2K | 41.6% | 35.9–47.2% |
| 2 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI | 3,821 ±2K | not reliable | — |
| 3 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 3,130 ±1K | 23.7% | 15.7–31.8% |
| 4 | Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | 2,315 ±845 | not reliable | — |
| 5 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 2,063 ±841 | not reliable | — |
| 6 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 1,497 ±457 | not reliable | — |
| 7 | Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | 1,316 ±610 | not reliable | — |
| 8 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 1,291 ±420 | not reliable | — |
| 9 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta, GA | 1,278 ±557 | not reliable | — |
| 10 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 1,259 ±439 | not reliable | — |
| 11 | San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA | 1,134 ±333 | not reliable | — |
| 12 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 1,097 ±492 | 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 Romany speakers be understood
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Frequently asked questions
- How many people speak Romany in the United States?
- An estimated 48,604 people aged 5 and older speak Romany at home across U.S. metropolitan areas, based on the Census Bureau's 2020 to 2024 American Community Survey.
- What share of Romany speakers have limited English proficiency?
- About 33.9 percent, roughly 16,452 people, report speaking English less than "very well." That is the population professional interpreters serve.
- Which U.S. metro area has the most Romany speakers?
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA, with about 11,042 Romany speakers at home.
- Where is Romany interpreter demand highest?
- Demand tracks the size of the limited-English population. New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA stands out, where about 41.6 percent of Romany speakers report speaking English less than "very well."