#33 most spoken · language profile
Yiddish in the United States
An estimated 213,362 people aged 5 and older speak Yiddish at home across U.S. metropolitan areas. About 50.2% of them, roughly 107,194 people, speak English less than "very well." Interpreter demand is highest where the limited-English population is largest, such as New York, where about 49.2% of Yiddish speakers report speaking English less than "very well."
Where Yiddish is spoken: top metro areas
Ranked by number of speakers at home. 51 additional metro areas have Yiddish 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 | 163,771 ±6K | 49.2% | 47.1–51.3% |
| 2 | Kingston, NY | 1,632 ±662 | 24% | 11.4–36.7% |
| 3 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, FL | 1,605 ±688 | not reliable | — |
| 4 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 1,130 ±478 | not reliable | — |
| 5 | Rochester, NY | 858 ±341 | not reliable | — |
| 6 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 647 ±223 | not reliable | — |
| 7 | Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | 538 ±256 | 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 Yiddish 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 Yiddish in the United States?
- An estimated 213,362 people aged 5 and older speak Yiddish at home across U.S. metropolitan areas, based on the Census Bureau's 2020 to 2024 American Community Survey.
- What share of Yiddish speakers have limited English proficiency?
- About 50.2 percent, roughly 107,194 people, report speaking English less than "very well." That is the population professional interpreters serve.
- Which U.S. metro area has the most Yiddish speakers?
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA, with about 163,771 Yiddish speakers at home.
- Where is Yiddish interpreter demand highest?
- Demand tracks the size of the limited-English population. New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA stands out, where about 49.2 percent of Yiddish speakers report speaking English less than "very well."