#72 most spoken · language profile
Wolaytta in the United States
An estimated 45,771 people aged 5 and older speak Wolaytta at home across U.S. metropolitan areas. About 37.8% of them, roughly 17,301 people, speak English less than "very well." Interpreter demand is highest where the limited-English population is largest, such as Chicago, where about 41.6% of Wolaytta speakers report speaking English less than "very well."
Where Wolaytta is spoken: top metro areas
Ranked by number of speakers at home. 68 additional metro areas have Wolaytta 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 | 8,091 ±2K | 25.6% | 19.7–31.6% |
| 2 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 3,070 ±947 | 34.9% | 21.1–48.7% |
| 3 | San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA | 2,914 ±1K | not reliable | — |
| 4 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 2,340 ±1K | 30.8% | 20.8–40.8% |
| 5 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI | 2,118 ±825 | 41.6% | 26.4–56.9% |
| 6 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 2,084 ±919 | not reliable | — |
| 7 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 1,886 ±812 | not reliable | — |
| 8 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 1,792 ±854 | not reliable | — |
| 9 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta, GA | 1,474 ±569 | not reliable | — |
| 10 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 1,104 ±541 | not reliable | — |
| 11 | Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | 943 ±426 | not reliable | — |
| 12 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 919 ±422 | 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 Wolaytta speakers be understood
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Frequently asked questions
- How many people speak Wolaytta in the United States?
- An estimated 45,771 people aged 5 and older speak Wolaytta at home across U.S. metropolitan areas, based on the Census Bureau's 2020 to 2024 American Community Survey.
- What share of Wolaytta speakers have limited English proficiency?
- About 37.8 percent, roughly 17,301 people, report speaking English less than "very well." That is the population professional interpreters serve.
- Which U.S. metro area has the most Wolaytta speakers?
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA, with about 8,091 Wolaytta speakers at home.
- Where is Wolaytta interpreter demand highest?
- Demand tracks the size of the limited-English population. Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI stands out, where about 41.6 percent of Wolaytta speakers report speaking English less than "very well."