#68 most spoken · language profile
Unspecified in the United States
An estimated 51,617 people aged 5 and older speak Unspecified at home across U.S. metropolitan areas. About 36% of them, roughly 18,572 people, speak English less than "very well." Interpreter demand is highest where the limited-English population is largest, such as New York, where about 50.6% of Unspecified speakers report speaking English less than "very well."
Where Unspecified is spoken: top metro areas
Ranked by number of speakers at home. 132 additional metro areas have Unspecified 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 | 16,371 ±2K | 50.6% | 45.9–55.2% |
| 2 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 3,959 ±1K | 42.5% | 31.7–53.2% |
| 3 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 1,876 ±602 | 23% | 13.7–32.3% |
| 4 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI | 845 ±304 | not reliable | — |
| 5 | San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA | 729 ±314 | not reliable | — |
| 6 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, FL | 634 ±264 | not reliable | — |
| 7 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 219 ±103 | 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 Unspecified 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 Unspecified in the United States?
- An estimated 51,617 people aged 5 and older speak Unspecified at home across U.S. metropolitan areas, based on the Census Bureau's 2020 to 2024 American Community Survey.
- What share of Unspecified speakers have limited English proficiency?
- About 36 percent, roughly 18,572 people, report speaking English less than "very well." That is the population professional interpreters serve.
- Which U.S. metro area has the most Unspecified speakers?
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA, with about 16,371 Unspecified speakers at home.
- Where is Unspecified interpreter demand highest?
- Demand tracks the size of the limited-English population. New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA stands out, where about 50.6 percent of Unspecified speakers report speaking English less than "very well."