#67 most spoken · language profile
Samoan in the United States
An estimated 53,195 people aged 5 and older speak Samoan at home across U.S. metropolitan areas. About 24.2% of them, roughly 12,871 people, speak English less than "very well." Interpreter demand is highest where the limited-English population is largest, such as Seattle, where about 31.2% of Samoan speakers report speaking English less than "very well."
Where Samoan is spoken: top metro areas
Ranked by number of speakers at home. 69 additional metro areas have Samoan speakers but did not meet Census reliability standards and are not listed.
| # | Metro area | Speakers (± margin) | Limited English | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 7,958 ±1K | 31.2% | 25.6–36.8% |
| 2 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 5,084 ±1K | 25.5% | 19–32% |
| 3 | Salt Lake City, UT | 3,261 ±834 | 23.6% | 14.5–32.7% |
| 4 | San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA | 3,066 ±694 | 23.2% | 15.7–30.7% |
| 5 | Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV | 2,693 ±682 | 24.7% | 16–33.4% |
| 6 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 2,191 ±777 | not reliable | — |
| 7 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 1,178 ±360 | 26.3% | 17.2–35.4% |
| 8 | Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | 962 ±460 | not reliable | — |
| 9 | Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 856 ±357 | not reliable | — |
| 10 | Provo-Orem, UT | 732 ±298 | not reliable | — |
| 11 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 552 ±256 | not reliable | — |
| 12 | Kansas City, MO-KS | 429 ±203 | not reliable | — |
| 13 | Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO | 228 ±110 | 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 Samoan speakers be understood
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Frequently asked questions
- How many people speak Samoan in the United States?
- An estimated 53,195 people aged 5 and older speak Samoan at home across U.S. metropolitan areas, based on the Census Bureau's 2020 to 2024 American Community Survey.
- What share of Samoan speakers have limited English proficiency?
- About 24.2 percent, roughly 12,871 people, report speaking English less than "very well." That is the population professional interpreters serve.
- Which U.S. metro area has the most Samoan speakers?
- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA, with about 7,958 Samoan speakers at home.
- Where is Samoan interpreter demand highest?
- Demand tracks the size of the limited-English population. Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA stands out, where about 31.2 percent of Samoan speakers report speaking English less than "very well."