#63 most spoken · language profile
Sundanese in the United States
An estimated 62,554 people aged 5 and older speak Sundanese at home across U.S. metropolitan areas. About 48.4% of them, roughly 30,286 people, speak English less than "very well." Interpreter demand is highest where the limited-English population is largest, such as Charlotte, where about 77.1% of Sundanese speakers report speaking English less than "very well."
Where Sundanese is spoken: top metro areas
Ranked by number of speakers at home. 74 additional metro areas have Sundanese 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 | 14,945 ±2K | 60% | 53.3–66.7% |
| 2 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI | 5,357 ±1K | 48.7% | 38.2–59.1% |
| 3 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 4,243 ±1K | 48.7% | 35.1–62.4% |
| 4 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 2,633 ±788 | 49.3% | 38–60.5% |
| 5 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 2,190 ±784 | not reliable | — |
| 6 | Greensboro-High Point, NC | 1,966 ±764 | 67.9% | 57.4–78.5% |
| 7 | Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | 1,903 ±759 | not reliable | — |
| 8 | Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | 1,561 ±543 | 77.1% | 64.8–89.5% |
| 9 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 1,549 ±471 | not reliable | — |
| 10 | San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA | 1,304 ±545 | not reliable | — |
| 11 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 1,235 ±470 | not reliable | — |
| 12 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | 1,124 ±540 | not reliable | — |
| 13 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 1,082 ±423 | 25.9% | 12.8–38.9% |
| 14 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 768 ±317 | 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 Sundanese speakers be understood
Every dot on this map is a person who deserves to be understood. Medical, legal, and community interpreters turn that need into access. Training is how you start.
Frequently asked questions
- How many people speak Sundanese in the United States?
- An estimated 62,554 people aged 5 and older speak Sundanese at home across U.S. metropolitan areas, based on the Census Bureau's 2020 to 2024 American Community Survey.
- What share of Sundanese speakers have limited English proficiency?
- About 48.4 percent, roughly 30,286 people, report speaking English less than "very well." That is the population professional interpreters serve.
- Which U.S. metro area has the most Sundanese speakers?
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA, with about 14,945 Sundanese speakers at home.
- Where is Sundanese interpreter demand highest?
- Demand tracks the size of the limited-English population. Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC stands out, where about 77.1 percent of Sundanese speakers report speaking English less than "very well."