#26 most spoken · language profile
Ukrainian in the United States
An estimated 264,739 people aged 5 and older speak Ukrainian at home across U.S. metropolitan areas. About 49.6% of them, roughly 131,396 people, speak English less than "very well." Interpreter demand is highest where the limited-English population is largest, such as Sacramento, where about 59% of Ukrainian speakers report speaking English less than "very well."
Where Ukrainian is spoken: top metro areas
Ranked by number of speakers at home. 153 additional metro areas have Ukrainian 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 | 36,714 ±3K | 53% | 49.8–56.3% |
| 2 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI | 29,997 ±3K | 58.6% | 55.2–62% |
| 3 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 24,199 ±4K | 54.8% | 50.3–59.2% |
| 4 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | 17,962 ±3K | 59% | 52.7–65.2% |
| 5 | Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | 11,801 ±2K | 54.1% | 46.3–61.9% |
| 6 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 11,795 ±2K | 49.3% | 41–57.5% |
| 7 | Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | 6,020 ±2K | 54.8% | 48.2–61.4% |
| 8 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 5,258 ±866 | 50.3% | 43.5–57.2% |
| 9 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 4,939 ±1K | 35.5% | 26.4–44.7% |
| 10 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, FL | 4,574 ±982 | 44.3% | 35.8–52.9% |
| 11 | San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA | 4,516 ±1K | not reliable | — |
| 12 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 3,326 ±1K | 55.4% | 43.5–67.2% |
| 13 | Spartanburg, SC | 3,154 ±840 | 47.4% | 36.2–58.6% |
| 14 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 2,768 ±577 | 39.7% | 31.6–47.9% |
| 15 | Rochester, NY | 2,684 ±711 | 42.1% | 31.6–52.7% |
| 16 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta, GA | 2,537 ±1K | not reliable | — |
| 17 | Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | 2,339 ±978 | not reliable | — |
| 18 | Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | 2,331 ±920 | 48.5% | 36.1–60.8% |
| 19 | Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT | 2,316 ±798 | 51.6% | 40.1–63.2% |
| 20 | Boise City, ID | 2,251 ±1K | not reliable | — |
| 21 | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | 2,190 ±589 | 47.7% | 35.3–60.1% |
| 22 | North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton, FL | 2,039 ±816 | not reliable | — |
| 23 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 1,983 ±576 | 45.1% | 32.9–57.3% |
| 24 | Syracuse, NY | 1,964 ±558 | 50.4% | 37.9–62.8% |
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 Ukrainian 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 Ukrainian in the United States?
- An estimated 264,739 people aged 5 and older speak Ukrainian at home across U.S. metropolitan areas, based on the Census Bureau's 2020 to 2024 American Community Survey.
- What share of Ukrainian speakers have limited English proficiency?
- About 49.6 percent, roughly 131,396 people, report speaking English less than "very well." That is the population professional interpreters serve.
- Which U.S. metro area has the most Ukrainian speakers?
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA, with about 36,714 Ukrainian speakers at home.
- Where is Ukrainian interpreter demand highest?
- Demand tracks the size of the limited-English population. Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA stands out, where about 59 percent of Ukrainian speakers report speaking English less than "very well."