#34 most spoken · language profile
Yoruba in the United States
An estimated 202,612 people aged 5 and older speak Yoruba at home across U.S. metropolitan areas. About 14% of them, roughly 28,345 people, speak English less than "very well." Interpreter demand is highest where the limited-English population is largest, such as Chicago, where about 21.5% of Yoruba speakers report speaking English less than "very well."
Where Yoruba is spoken: top metro areas
Ranked by number of speakers at home. 143 additional metro areas have Yoruba 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 | 26,689 ±3K | 15.7% | 12.8–18.5% |
| 2 | Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | 20,546 ±3K | 10.5% | 7.4–13.7% |
| 3 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 18,859 ±3K | 14.5% | 10.9–18.1% |
| 4 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 15,275 ±2K | 9.2% | 6.8–11.6% |
| 5 | Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | 14,045 ±2K | 13.8% | 10.2–17.4% |
| 6 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI | 13,006 ±2K | 21.5% | 16.8–26.2% |
| 7 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta, GA | 12,966 ±2K | 12.4% | 8.1–16.8% |
| 8 | Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, IN | 10,502 ±2K | 18.2% | 12.2–24.3% |
| 9 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 8,446 ±2K | 9.3% | 4.1–14.4% |
| 10 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 4,551 ±2K | not reliable | — |
| 11 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 4,126 ±1K | not reliable | — |
| 12 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 2,548 ±859 | not reliable | — |
| 13 | Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | 2,201 ±735 | not reliable | — |
| 14 | San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA | 1,889 ±637 | not reliable | — |
| 15 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, FL | 1,752 ±820 | not reliable | — |
| 16 | Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | 1,709 ±622 | not reliable | — |
| 17 | Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX | 1,621 ±578 | not reliable | — |
| 18 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 1,594 ±623 | not reliable | — |
| 19 | Columbus, OH | 1,242 ±500 | not reliable | — |
| 20 | Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO | 1,127 ±549 | not reliable | — |
| 21 | Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | 998 ±454 | not reliable | — |
| 22 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 973 ±388 | not reliable | — |
| 23 | St. Louis, MO-IL | 953 ±455 | not reliable | — |
| 24 | Pittsburgh, PA | 641 ±294 | 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 Yoruba 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 Yoruba in the United States?
- An estimated 202,612 people aged 5 and older speak Yoruba at home across U.S. metropolitan areas, based on the Census Bureau's 2020 to 2024 American Community Survey.
- What share of Yoruba speakers have limited English proficiency?
- About 14 percent, roughly 28,345 people, report speaking English less than "very well." That is the population professional interpreters serve.
- Which U.S. metro area has the most Yoruba speakers?
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA, with about 26,689 Yoruba speakers at home.
- Where is Yoruba interpreter demand highest?
- Demand tracks the size of the limited-English population. Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI stands out, where about 21.5 percent of Yoruba speakers report speaking English less than "very well."