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Key findings
56.4%
of people in the Miami area speak a language other than English at home, the most of any big metro
7.8 million
people in the New York area speak another language at home, more than anywhere else
24 of 53
big metros where speakers of languages other than Spanish outnumber Spanish speakers
- In 3 metros, a majority speaks another language at home, and in 21 of the 53 it is at least one in four.
- These 53 metros hold 53.9 million of the 74.1 million Americans who speak a language other than English at home: 73% of them.
- Spanish leads almost everywhere, but not in Detroit, where Arabic is the most-spoken language after English. The second language is where metros differ most: Haitian Creole in Miami, Chinese in San Jose and San Francisco, Portuguese in Providence, Polish in Chicago.
- Even the least multilingual big metro, Pittsburgh, has 6.3% of residents speaking another language at home.
The ranking: the 20 most multilingual big metros
The share below is everyone five and older who speaks a language other than English at home, split into Spanish and every other language. Most of these people also speak English well. The share with limited English, the people who most need translation to follow a sermon, is in the last column.
Share of residents who speak a language other than English at home
The 20 highest of the 53 metro areas with at least a million residents aged 5 and older.
| Rank# | Metro area | Another language | Spanish | Other languages | Limited English |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Miami | 56.4% | 43.9% | 12.5% | 25.9% |
| 2 | San Jose | 55.3% | 17.4% | 37.9% | 21.0% |
| 3 | Los Angeles | 53.4% | 34.4% | 19.0% | 22.5% |
| 4 | Fresno | 45.3% | 35.5% | 9.8% | 18.6% |
| 5 | Riverside | 44.7% | 36.3% | 8.4% | 15.8% |
| 6 | San Francisco | 43.4% | 16.7% | 26.7% | 17.0% |
| 7 | New York | 41.3% | 20.5% | 20.8% | 18.4% |
| 8 | Houston | 40.9% | 30.2% | 10.7% | 17.0% |
| 9 | San Diego | 39.1% | 25.3% | 13.9% | 13.9% |
| 10 | Orlando | 36.4% | 26.2% | 10.2% | 14.3% |
| 11 | Las Vegas | 34.7% | 22.9% | 11.8% | 13.3% |
| 12 | San Antonio | 33.9% | 29.6% | 4.3% | 10.7% |
| 13 | Dallas | 32.8% | 21.8% | 11.0% | 12.1% |
| 14 | Washington | 32.3% | 14.8% | 17.4% | 12.0% |
| 15 | Sacramento | 31.2% | 12.8% | 18.4% | 12.3% |
| 16 | Chicago | 31.1% | 18.1% | 13.0% | 11.7% |
| 17 | Austin | 30.0% | 20.1% | 10.0% | 10.3% |
| 18 | Seattle | 27.9% | 7.1% | 20.7% | 10.3% |
| 19 | Boston | 27.1% | 9.8% | 17.3% | 10.8% |
| 20 | Tucson | 26.4% | 20.5% | 5.9% | 7.9% |
Florida, California and Texas fill most of the top of the list, and the reason is mostly Spanish: in Miami, Spanish alone is spoken at home by 43.9% of residents. But the orange segments tell a different story. In San Jose, 37.9% of residents speak a language other than English or Spanish, more than twice the share who speak Spanish. San Francisco and Seattle look the same way.
By headcount, the order changes. New York has 7.8 million people who speak another language at home, followed by Los Angeles (6.6 million), Miami (3.5 million) and Houston (3.0 million).
Beyond Spanish: the second language in each metro
For most churches, Spanish is the obvious first translation. The more interesting question is what comes next, because that is where a metro's own history shows.
The most-spoken language after English and Spanish
The 25 most multilingual big metros. “≈” marks a statistical tie: the two languages are too close to rank.
| Metro area | Top language after Spanish | Share of residents |
|---|---|---|
| Miami | Haitian Creole | 5.1% |
| San Jose | Chinese | 10.4% |
| Los Angeles | Chinese | 4.0% |
| Fresno | Hmong ≈ Punjabi | 2.3% |
| Riverside | Chinese ≈ Tagalog (Filipino) | 1.8% |
| San Francisco | Chinese | 8.9% |
| New York | Chinese | 3.8% |
| Houston | Vietnamese | 1.8% |
| San Diego | Tagalog (Filipino) | 2.8% |
| Orlando | Haitian Creole ≈ Portuguese | 2.3% |
| Las Vegas | Tagalog (Filipino) | 3.8% |
| San Antonio | Tagalog (Filipino) ≈ German | 0.5% |
| Dallas | Vietnamese ≈ Telugu | 1.1% |
| Washington | Chinese ≈ Amharic, Somali & related | 1.6% |
| Sacramento | Chinese | 2.4% |
| Chicago | Polish | 1.8% |
| Austin | Chinese ≈ Telugu | 1.1% |
| Seattle | Chinese | 3.7% |
| Boston | Portuguese ≈ Chinese | 3.1% |
| Tucson | Chinese ≈ Arabic | 0.7% |
| Phoenix | Chinese ≈ Tagalog (Filipino) | 0.6% |
| Tampa | Arabic ≈ Vietnamese | 0.7% |
| Providence | Portuguese | 5.4% |
| Hartford | Polish | 1.2% |
| Salt Lake City | Chinese ≈ Ilocano, Samoan, Hawaiian & related | 0.9% |
A few stand out:
- Miami: Haitian Creole, spoken at home by 5.1% of residents, roughly 310,000 people.
- San Jose: Chinese (10.4%) and Vietnamese (6.5%), two of the largest Asian-language communities in any U.S. metro.
- Detroit: Arabic (4.2%) is spoken at home by more people than Spanish (3.5%).
- Providence and Boston: Portuguese, at 5.4% and 3.1%.
- Minneapolis: the Census group that includes Somali and Amharic (2.6%).
- Chicago: Polish (1.8%). Las Vegas: Tagalog (3.8%). Buffalo: Bengali (1.5%).
A share of two or three percent sounds small, but in a metro of several million it is tens of thousands of families, many of them already worshiping somewhere, or looking for a church where they can follow the message.
Where limited English is highest
Speaking another language at home does not mean someone can't follow an English sermon. The Census also asks how well people speak English, and those who answer less than “very well” are the ones most likely to miss the message without translation.
Share of residents who speak English less than “very well”
The ten big metros with the highest share.
| Metro area | Limited English | People |
|---|---|---|
| Miami | 25.9% | 1.6 million |
| Los Angeles | 22.5% | 2.8 million |
| San Jose | 21.0% | 398,000 |
| Fresno | 18.6% | 206,000 |
| New York | 18.4% | 3.5 million |
| Houston | 17.0% | 1.2 million |
| San Francisco | 17.0% | 750,000 |
| Riverside | 15.8% | 708,000 |
| Orlando | 14.3% | 399,000 |
| San Diego | 13.9% | 435,000 |
In Miami, about 26 in 100 residents have limited English. In Houston and New York it is about 17 and 18 in 100. For a church in one of these metros, a guest who can't follow the sermon is not a rare visitor. They are a neighbor.
Smaller metros can be even more multilingual
We kept the main ranking to metros of a million people or more, but some smaller metros go much further. Along the U.S.–Mexico border, Spanish is the everyday language of most homes:
The most multilingual metro areas under a million people
| Metro area | Speak another language | Of which Spanish |
|---|---|---|
| Eagle Pass, TX | 89.3% | 88.1% |
| Laredo, TX | 86.9% | 86.0% |
| McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX | 80.0% | 78.9% |
| El Centro, CA | 75.3% | 74.0% |
| Brownsville-Harlingen, TX | 72.2% | 71.3% |
| El Paso, TX | 68.0% | 66.1% |
| Salinas, CA | 56.3% | 49.8% |
| Yuma, AZ | 55.5% | 53.3% |
We left out Puerto Rico, where almost everyone speaks Spanish at home and English is the second language.
What it means for your church
A metro average is a starting point, not a plan. A few practical steps:
- Look closer than the metro. Neighborhoods differ sharply. The Census Bureau's free table S1601 shows the languages spoken at home for your county, city or ZIP code.
- Ask the people already there. Families often come together and split by language: parents who pray in Spanish or Korean, children who think in English. Ask which language each person would choose to hear the sermon in, not only which one they speak.
- Plan for the second language too. In many metros the biggest group after Spanish is large enough to matter, and they are the guests most churches never plan for.
- Voice for limited English, captions for everyone else. People with limited English usually want to hear the message in their language. Bilingual guests and people who are hard of hearing often prefer to read along. Offering both reaches the most people.
All 53 metros of a million or more
| Metro area | Another language | Spanish | Limited English | Top after Spanish |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 56.4% | 43.9% | 25.9% | Haitian Creole |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 55.3% | 17.4% | 21.0% | Chinese |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 53.4% | 34.4% | 22.5% | Chinese |
| Fresno, CA | 45.3% | 35.5% | 18.6% | Hmong ≈ Punjabi |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 44.7% | 36.3% | 15.8% | Chinese ≈ Tagalog (Filipino) |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 43.4% | 16.7% | 17.0% | Chinese |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 41.3% | 20.5% | 18.4% | Chinese |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 40.9% | 30.2% | 17.0% | Vietnamese |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 39.1% | 25.3% | 13.9% | Tagalog (Filipino) |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | 36.4% | 26.2% | 14.3% | Haitian Creole ≈ Portuguese |
| Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | 34.7% | 22.9% | 13.3% | Tagalog (Filipino) |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | 33.9% | 29.6% | 10.7% | Tagalog (Filipino) ≈ German |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 32.8% | 21.8% | 12.1% | Vietnamese ≈ Telugu |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 32.3% | 14.8% | 12.0% | Chinese ≈ Amharic, Somali & related |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | 31.2% | 12.8% | 12.3% | Chinese |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 31.1% | 18.1% | 11.7% | Polish |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | 30.0% | 20.1% | 10.3% | Chinese ≈ Telugu |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 27.9% | 7.1% | 10.3% | Chinese |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 27.1% | 9.8% | 10.8% | Portuguese ≈ Chinese |
| Tucson, AZ | 26.4% | 20.5% | 7.9% | Chinese ≈ Arabic |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 25.6% | 19.0% | 8.6% | Chinese ≈ Tagalog (Filipino) |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | 24.4% | 16.6% | 9.7% | Arabic ≈ Vietnamese |
| Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | 23.0% | 11.6% | 10.0% | Portuguese |
| Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | 22.4% | 10.9% | 7.6% | Polish |
| Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | 21.4% | 14.0% | 8.7% | Chinese ≈ Ilocano, Samoan, Hawaiian & related |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 20.6% | 10.3% | 7.5% | Chinese ≈ Korean |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | 20.3% | 13.0% | 7.7% | Chinese ≈ Amharic, Somali & related |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | 20.2% | 9.8% | 6.5% | Chinese ≈ Telugu |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | 18.7% | 8.4% | 6.9% | Vietnamese ≈ Chinese |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 17.8% | 7.3% | 7.1% | Chinese |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | 17.4% | 10.7% | 7.3% | Telugu ≈ Hindi |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 16.1% | 4.9% | 6.0% | Amharic, Somali & related |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | 16.0% | 3.5% | 6.2% | Arabic |
| Jacksonville, FL | 15.6% | 7.5% | 6.2% | Haitian Creole ≈ Tagalog (Filipino) |
| Oklahoma City, OK | 15.4% | 10.8% | 6.0% | Vietnamese |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | 15.3% | 5.7% | 5.4% | Yoruba, Twi, Igbo & related ≈ Chinese |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | 14.6% | 8.6% | 5.5% | Arabic ≈ Hmong |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | 14.3% | 7.1% | 6.3% | Yoruba, Twi, Igbo & related |
| Columbus, OH | 13.9% | 4.3% | 5.3% | Amharic, Somali & related ≈ Nepali, Marathi & related |
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | 13.6% | 8.0% | 6.3% | Arabic |
| Richmond, VA | 12.7% | 6.4% | 4.5% | Arabic |
| Kansas City, MO-KS | 12.2% | 7.1% | 4.5% | Amharic, Somali & related ≈ Chinese |
| Rochester, NY | 11.7% | 5.4% | 4.8% | Italian ≈ Chinese |
| Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI | 11.1% | 6.5% | 4.1% | — |
| Cleveland, OH | 11.0% | 4.0% | 4.1% | Ukrainian & other Slavic ≈ Arabic |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | 10.5% | 2.9% | 3.6% | Bengali |
| Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | 10.3% | 5.8% | 5.1% | — |
| Memphis, TN-MS-AR | 10.2% | 6.7% | 3.9% | — |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | 10.1% | 4.5% | 3.2% | Tagalog (Filipino) |
| Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | 8.6% | 3.3% | 3.1% | French ≈ Arabic |
| Birmingham, AL | 7.7% | 5.1% | 2.9% | — |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | 7.3% | 2.3% | 2.5% | Chinese ≈ Serbo-Croatian |
| Pittsburgh, PA | 6.3% | 1.5% | 1.9% | Chinese ≈ Nepali, Marathi & related |
“—”: the Census Bureau does not publish the detailed language table for this metro in the 1-year release.
About the data
The ranking of big metros uses U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates, the newest release; the smaller metros use the 2020–2024 5-year estimates, because the 1-year release covers only part of them. Both count people five years and older in metropolitan statistical areas (the federal 2023 metro definitions), outside Puerto Rico. “Limited English” means speaking English less than “very well.” The ranking uses the language-group table (C16001), published for every metro; the language detail uses the detailed table (B16001). Where the top two languages after Spanish are within the survey's margin of error at the Census Bureau's 90% confidence level, we show both as a tie. Some languages are reported only as groups (for example, Amharic, Somali and related languages), and we name the group rather than guess.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year and 2020–2024 5-year estimates, tables B16001 and C16001 (table-based summary files)
- U.S. Census Bureau, table S1601: Language Spoken at Home (look up any county, city or ZIP code)
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