#56 most spoken · language profile
Serbian in the United States
An estimated 76,766 people aged 5 and older speak Serbian at home across U.S. metropolitan areas. About 27.3% of them, roughly 20,971 people, speak English less than "very well." Interpreter demand is highest where the limited-English population is largest, such as Akron, where about 48.9% of Serbian speakers report speaking English less than "very well."
Where Serbian is spoken: top metro areas
Ranked by number of speakers at home. 95 additional metro areas have Serbian 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 | 18,267 ±2K | 34.2% | 29–39.4% |
| 2 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | 8,892 ±1K | 24.6% | 18.9–30.4% |
| 3 | Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 2,918 ±878 | 20.4% | 12.1–28.6% |
| 4 | Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | 2,685 ±922 | not reliable | — |
| 5 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 2,543 ±734 | 17.1% | 9.2–24.9% |
| 6 | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | 2,254 ±619 | 33.3% | 23.4–43.2% |
| 7 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, FL | 1,843 ±648 | not reliable | — |
| 8 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 1,553 ±480 | not reliable | — |
| 9 | Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | 1,382 ±605 | not reliable | — |
| 10 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 1,258 ±512 | not reliable | — |
| 11 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 1,238 ±479 | not reliable | — |
| 12 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 1,225 ±546 | not reliable | — |
| 13 | Akron, OH | 1,180 ±385 | 48.9% | 34.4–63.4% |
| 14 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 1,131 ±515 | not reliable | — |
| 15 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 937 ±440 | not reliable | — |
| 16 | San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA | 888 ±378 | not reliable | — |
| 17 | Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX | 698 ±311 | not reliable | — |
| 18 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 660 ±311 | not reliable | — |
| 19 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta, GA | 647 ±209 | 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.
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Frequently asked questions
- How many people speak Serbian in the United States?
- An estimated 76,766 people aged 5 and older speak Serbian at home across U.S. metropolitan areas, based on the Census Bureau's 2020 to 2024 American Community Survey.
- What share of Serbian speakers have limited English proficiency?
- About 27.3 percent, roughly 20,971 people, report speaking English less than "very well." That is the population professional interpreters serve.
- Which U.S. metro area has the most Serbian speakers?
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI, with about 18,267 Serbian speakers at home.
- Where is Serbian interpreter demand highest?
- Demand tracks the size of the limited-English population. Akron, OH stands out, where about 48.9 percent of Serbian speakers report speaking English less than "very well."