#74 most spoken · language profile
Zapotec in the United States
An estimated 40,107 people aged 5 and older speak Zapotec at home across U.S. metropolitan areas. About 74.6% of them, roughly 29,913 people, speak English less than "very well." Interpreter demand is highest where the limited-English population is largest, such as San Francisco, where about 86% of Zapotec speakers report speaking English less than "very well."
Where Zapotec is spoken: top metro areas
Ranked by number of speakers at home. 87 additional metro areas have Zapotec speakers but did not meet Census reliability standards and are not listed.
| # | Metro area | Speakers (± margin) | Limited English | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 3,757 ±867 | 83.1% | 77.2–89% |
| 2 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | 3,740 ±979 | 59% | 48–70% |
| 3 | Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | 3,218 ±1K | 75.3% | 65.6–85% |
| 4 | San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA | 3,058 ±1K | 86% | 78.9–93.1% |
| 5 | Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | 2,996 ±974 | 77.5% | 66–88.9% |
| 6 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, FL | 1,539 ±612 | 78.6% | 66.5–90.8% |
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 Zapotec 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 Zapotec in the United States?
- An estimated 40,107 people aged 5 and older speak Zapotec at home across U.S. metropolitan areas, based on the Census Bureau's 2020 to 2024 American Community Survey.
- What share of Zapotec speakers have limited English proficiency?
- About 74.6 percent, roughly 29,913 people, report speaking English less than "very well." That is the population professional interpreters serve.
- Which U.S. metro area has the most Zapotec speakers?
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA, with about 3,757 Zapotec speakers at home.
- Where is Zapotec interpreter demand highest?
- Demand tracks the size of the limited-English population. San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA stands out, where about 86 percent of Zapotec speakers report speaking English less than "very well."