#38 most spoken · language profile
Turkish in the United States
An estimated 180,463 people aged 5 and older speak Turkish at home across U.S. metropolitan areas. About 32.3% of them, roughly 58,303 people, speak English less than "very well." Interpreter demand is highest where the limited-English population is largest, such as Philadelphia, where about 47.3% of Turkish speakers report speaking English less than "very well."
Where Turkish is spoken: top metro areas
Ranked by number of speakers at home. 147 additional metro areas have Turkish 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 | 38,372 ±3K | 34.8% | 31.8–37.9% |
| 2 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 10,522 ±2K | 31.7% | 26.9–36.5% |
| 3 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 10,042 ±2K | 29.3% | 24.2–34.4% |
| 4 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 8,017 ±2K | 47.3% | 42.1–52.5% |
| 5 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, FL | 5,729 ±1K | 36.2% | 26.1–46.3% |
| 6 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI | 5,498 ±967 | 24.9% | 18.6–31.1% |
| 7 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 5,406 ±1K | 17.4% | 10.6–24.2% |
| 8 | Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | 5,199 ±1K | 46.4% | 39.2–53.6% |
| 9 | San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA | 5,021 ±1K | 27.7% | 21.4–34.1% |
| 10 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta, GA | 4,730 ±1K | 37.1% | 29.3–45% |
| 11 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 4,523 ±1K | not reliable | — |
| 12 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 4,206 ±967 | 41.2% | 32.2–50.1% |
| 13 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 3,830 ±878 | 22.3% | 16.2–28.4% |
| 14 | Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | 1,917 ±861 | not reliable | — |
| 15 | Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX | 1,907 ±680 | not reliable | — |
| 16 | Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | 1,860 ±738 | not reliable | — |
| 17 | Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | 1,780 ±583 | not reliable | — |
| 18 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 1,773 ±466 | not reliable | — |
| 19 | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | 1,697 ±743 | not reliable | — |
| 20 | Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 1,524 ±487 | 29.5% | 19.6–39.4% |
| 21 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | 1,523 ±568 | 38.8% | 27.7–50% |
| 22 | Dayton-Kettering, OH | 1,463 ±684 | not reliable | — |
| 23 | Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC | 1,372 ±632 | not reliable | — |
| 24 | Raleigh-Cary, NC | 1,246 ±462 | 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 Turkish 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 Turkish in the United States?
- An estimated 180,463 people aged 5 and older speak Turkish at home across U.S. metropolitan areas, based on the Census Bureau's 2020 to 2024 American Community Survey.
- What share of Turkish speakers have limited English proficiency?
- About 32.3 percent, roughly 58,303 people, report speaking English less than "very well." That is the population professional interpreters serve.
- Which U.S. metro area has the most Turkish speakers?
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA, with about 38,372 Turkish speakers at home.
- Where is Turkish interpreter demand highest?
- Demand tracks the size of the limited-English population. Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD stands out, where about 47.3 percent of Turkish speakers report speaking English less than "very well."