#41 most spoken · language profile
Thai in the United States
An estimated 160,444 people aged 5 and older speak Thai at home across U.S. metropolitan areas. About 50.8% of them, roughly 81,537 people, speak English less than "very well." Interpreter demand is highest where the limited-English population is largest, such as San Antonio, where about 75.2% of Thai speakers report speaking English less than "very well."
Where Thai is spoken: top metro areas
Ranked by number of speakers at home. 191 additional metro areas have Thai speakers but did not meet Census reliability standards and are not listed.
| # | Metro area | Speakers (± margin) | Limited English | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 23,950 ±2K | 56.7% | 53.5–59.9% |
| 2 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | 8,322 ±1K | 52.6% | 47.5–57.7% |
| 3 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 7,326 ±935 | 47.8% | 42–53.6% |
| 4 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 7,177 ±1K | 57.7% | 51.3–64.2% |
| 5 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI | 6,140 ±886 | 52.4% | 46.1–58.7% |
| 6 | San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA | 6,113 ±885 | 52.6% | 46–59.1% |
| 7 | Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV | 4,886 ±943 | 55.9% | 47.7–64.2% |
| 8 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 4,391 ±995 | 55.5% | 47.1–63.8% |
| 9 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 3,818 ±784 | 41.5% | 34.1–48.8% |
| 10 | Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | 3,271 ±618 | 52.3% | 42.5–62.2% |
| 11 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 3,226 ±615 | 51.7% | 44.1–59.3% |
| 12 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 2,933 ±672 | 56.6% | 46.9–66.3% |
| 13 | Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | 2,756 ±789 | 56.5% | 45.1–67.8% |
| 14 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, FL | 2,638 ±674 | 51.2% | 42.2–60.2% |
| 15 | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | 2,437 ±608 | 55.1% | 46.1–64.2% |
| 16 | Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 2,256 ±599 | 42.3% | 32.6–51.9% |
| 17 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 2,083 ±767 | 67.1% | 57.2–76.9% |
| 18 | Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | 2,070 ±676 | 45.2% | 29.6–60.7% |
| 19 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 1,964 ±659 | 47% | 33.9–60.1% |
| 20 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 1,957 ±581 | 42.9% | 32.7–53% |
| 21 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta, GA | 1,950 ±527 | 43.2% | 31.5–54.9% |
| 22 | Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX | 1,567 ±526 | not reliable | — |
| 23 | Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO | 1,471 ±437 | 45.6% | 31–60.1% |
| 24 | San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | 1,351 ±463 | 75.2% | 63.6–86.8% |
| 25 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | 1,298 ±373 | 51.4% | 37.2–65.5% |
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 Thai 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 Thai in the United States?
- An estimated 160,444 people aged 5 and older speak Thai at home across U.S. metropolitan areas, based on the Census Bureau's 2020 to 2024 American Community Survey.
- What share of Thai speakers have limited English proficiency?
- About 50.8 percent, roughly 81,537 people, report speaking English less than "very well." That is the population professional interpreters serve.
- Which U.S. metro area has the most Thai speakers?
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA, with about 23,950 Thai speakers at home.
- Where is Thai interpreter demand highest?
- Demand tracks the size of the limited-English population. San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX stands out, where about 75.2 percent of Thai speakers report speaking English less than "very well."