#17 most spoken · language profile
Telugu in the United States
An estimated 498,712 people aged 5 and older speak Telugu at home across U.S. metropolitan areas. About 17.8% of them, roughly 88,573 people, speak English less than "very well." Interpreter demand is highest where the limited-English population is largest, such as Stockton, where about 22.2% of Telugu speakers report speaking English less than "very well."
Where Telugu is spoken: top metro areas
Ranked by number of speakers at home. 155 additional metro areas have Telugu speakers but did not meet Census reliability standards and are not listed.
| # | Metro area | Speakers (± margin) | Limited English | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 50,359 ±3K | 16.1% | 14.2–18.1% |
| 2 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | 41,864 ±3K | 17% | 14.8–19.3% |
| 3 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 26,568 ±3K | 13.4% | 10.9–15.8% |
| 4 | San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA | 24,509 ±2K | 14.6% | 12.3–16.8% |
| 5 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta, GA | 23,370 ±2K | 17.4% | 14.5–20.4% |
| 6 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI | 20,479 ±2K | 15.7% | 12.6–18.9% |
| 7 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 19,955 ±2K | 16.4% | 13.3–19.6% |
| 8 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 19,830 ±2K | 18.2% | 14.9–21.4% |
| 9 | Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX | 15,610 ±2K | 17.4% | 13.8–21% |
| 10 | Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | 14,475 ±2K | 16% | 12.6–19.3% |
| 11 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 13,844 ±2K | 18.7% | 14.4–23% |
| 12 | Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | 12,886 ±2K | 18.4% | 14.4–22.5% |
| 13 | Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | 12,410 ±2K | 18.5% | 14.1–22.9% |
| 14 | Raleigh-Cary, NC | 10,265 ±2K | 19.3% | 14–24.5% |
| 15 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 10,091 ±2K | 22.1% | 16–28.1% |
| 16 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 9,993 ±2K | 20.8% | 14.4–27.2% |
| 17 | Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 9,212 ±1K | 18.6% | 13.7–23.4% |
| 18 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 7,309 ±2K | 19.8% | 12.3–27.3% |
| 19 | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | 7,119 ±1K | 18.9% | 13.7–24.1% |
| 20 | St. Louis, MO-IL | 6,353 ±1K | 18% | 13.3–22.7% |
| 21 | Columbus, OH | 6,210 ±1K | 21.2% | 13.4–29% |
| 22 | Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | 5,382 ±1K | 12.2% | 7.7–16.8% |
| 23 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 4,737 ±1K | 8.3% | 4.7–12% |
| 24 | Stockton, CA | 4,620 ±1K | 22.2% | 15.4–29% |
| 25 | Pittsburgh, PA | 4,520 ±1K | 19.9% | 13.8–26% |
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 Telugu 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 Telugu in the United States?
- An estimated 498,712 people aged 5 and older speak Telugu at home across U.S. metropolitan areas, based on the Census Bureau's 2020 to 2024 American Community Survey.
- What share of Telugu speakers have limited English proficiency?
- About 17.8 percent, roughly 88,573 people, report speaking English less than "very well." That is the population professional interpreters serve.
- Which U.S. metro area has the most Telugu speakers?
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX, with about 50,359 Telugu speakers at home.
- Where is Telugu interpreter demand highest?
- Demand tracks the size of the limited-English population. Stockton, CA stands out, where about 22.2 percent of Telugu speakers report speaking English less than "very well."