#1 most spoken · language profile
Spanish in the United States
An estimated 44,298,203 people aged 5 and older speak Spanish at home across U.S. metropolitan areas. About 42.8% of them, roughly 18,943,126 people, speak English less than "very well." Interpreter demand is highest where the limited-English population is largest, such as Miami, where about 46.7% of Spanish speakers report speaking English less than "very well."
Where Spanish is spoken: top metro areas
Ranked by number of speakers at home.
| # | Metro area | Speakers (± margin) | Limited English | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 4,235,585 ±16K | 40.7% | 40.5–40.9% |
| 2 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | 3,723,911 ±16K | 45.9% | 45.5–46.3% |
| 3 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, FL | 2,556,312 ±8K | 46.7% | 46.3–47.2% |
| 4 | Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | 2,071,608 ±14K | 43.5% | 43–44% |
| 5 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 1,641,181 ±12K | 40.6% | 40.1–41% |
| 6 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI | 1,601,188 ±10K | 39% | 38.5–39.5% |
| 7 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 1,558,582 ±11K | 33.6% | 33.1–34% |
| 8 | Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 902,793 ±10K | 32.8% | 32.1–33.5% |
| 9 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 860,278 ±6K | 44.8% | 44.1–45.5% |
| 10 | San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | 777,901 ±9K | 30.2% | 29.5–30.8% |
| 11 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 749,527 ±8K | 35.1% | 34.5–35.7% |
| 12 | San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA | 717,160 ±8K | 40.5% | 39.8–41.3% |
| 13 | Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | 674,269 ±7K | 39.3% | 38.4–40.2% |
| 14 | McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX | 649,941 ±5K | 36.9% | 36.1–37.8% |
| 15 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta, GA | 592,694 ±6K | 42.8% | 41.9–43.7% |
| 16 | El Paso, TX | 577,180 ±6K | 38.5% | 37.5–39.4% |
| 17 | Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV | 492,439 ±6K | 40.2% | 39.5–40.9% |
| 18 | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | 490,083 ±5K | 40.6% | 39.7–41.5% |
| 19 | Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX | 449,617 ±9K | 35.1% | 33.9–36.2% |
| 20 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 437,678 ±7K | 41.3% | 40.2–42.4% |
| 21 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 436,882 ±5K | 45.1% | 44–46.1% |
| 22 | Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO | 379,840 ±7K | 37.4% | 36.4–38.4% |
| 23 | Bakersfield, CA | 346,304 ±6K | 38.1% | 37.1–39.2% |
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 Spanish speakers be understood
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Frequently asked questions
- How many people speak Spanish in the United States?
- An estimated 44,298,203 people aged 5 and older speak Spanish at home across U.S. metropolitan areas, based on the Census Bureau's 2020 to 2024 American Community Survey.
- What share of Spanish speakers have limited English proficiency?
- About 42.8 percent, roughly 18,943,126 people, report speaking English less than "very well." That is the population professional interpreters serve.
- Which U.S. metro area has the most Spanish speakers?
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA, with about 4,235,585 Spanish speakers at home.
- Where is Spanish interpreter demand highest?
- Demand tracks the size of the limited-English population. Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, FL stands out, where about 46.7 percent of Spanish speakers report speaking English less than "very well."