Language Access Toolkit · Census data
Limited English Proficiency by State and California County (2024 Census Data)
28.9 million people in the United States, 9.0% of everyone age 5 and over, speak English less than "very well." Here is where they live and which languages they speak, from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey.
By AMS EditorialUpdated
An independent resource from Access Multilingual Services. Not a government website, and not legal advice.
- people age 5+ with limited English proficiency, 2024
- 28,918,748people age 5+ with limited English proficiency, 2024
- of the U.S. population age 5 and over
- 9.0%of the U.S. population age 5 and over
- of people who speak a language other than English at home
- 39.1%of people who speak a language other than English at home
- live in five states: CA, TX, FL, NY, NJ
- 61%live in five states: CA, TX, FL, NY, NJ
Limited English proficiency by state
California has the highest share, 17.9%, and the most people, 6,689,296. Texas, Florida, New York and New Jersey follow by count. Choose a state to see its top five languages among people with limited English.
- Under 2%
- 2 to 4%
- 4 to 6%
- 6 to 9%
- 9 to 12%
- 12% or more
Share of residents age 5 and over who speak English less than "very well." U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates, table C16001. Each square is one state or the District of Columbia; size is not population.
The top LEP language other than Spanish
Spanish is the top language among LEP residents in almost every state. The top language other than Spanish is where interpreter needs differ: Chinese in 15 states and Vietnamese in 9.
- Chinese (15): California, Delaware, Idaho, Maryland, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Utah, Washington, West Virginia, Wyoming
- Vietnamese (9): Colorado, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Texas, Virginia
- Other languages of Asia (4): Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota
- French (3): Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont
- Portuguese (3): Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island
- Amharic, Somali, other Afro-Asiatic (2): District of Columbia, Minnesota
- Arabic (2): Michigan, Tennessee
- German (2): Montana, North Dakota
- Ilocano, Samoan, Hawaiian, other Austronesian (2): Arkansas, Hawaii
- Navajo (2): Arizona, New Mexico
- Tagalog (2): Alaska, Nevada
- Haitian Creole (1): Florida
- Hmong (1): Wisconsin
- Korean (1): Alabama
- Polish (1): Illinois
- Swahili, other C/E/S African (1): Kentucky
ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates, table B16001, LEP speakers only.
All states and the District of Columbia
| Top LEP languages | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| California | 6,689,296 | 17.9%±0.2 | Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese |
| New York | 2,705,506 | 14.4%±0.2 | Spanish, Chinese, Russian |
| New Jersey | 1,244,596 | 13.9%±0.3 | Spanish, Chinese, Portuguese |
| Florida | 3,010,529 | 13.5%±0.2 | Spanish, Haitian Creole, Portuguese |
| Texas | 3,884,445 | 13.2%±0.2 | Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese |
| Nevada | 364,404 | 11.8%±0.5 | Spanish, Tagalog, Chinese |
| Hawaii | 146,814 | 10.7%±0.6 | Ilocano, Samoan, Hawaiian, other Austronesian, Tagalog, Chinese |
| Rhode Island | 112,692 | 10.6%±0.8 | Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese |
| Massachusetts | 702,932 | 10.4%±0.3 | Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese |
| New Mexico | 198,785 | 9.8%±0.5 | Spanish, Navajo, Other Native North American |
| Illinois | 1,117,203 | 9.3%±0.2 | Spanish, Polish, Chinese |
| Connecticut | 314,327 | 9%±0.4 | Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese |
| Arizona | 609,107 | 8.5%±0.3 | Spanish, Navajo, Chinese |
| Maryland | 487,790 | 8.3%±0.3 | Spanish, Chinese, Korean |
| Washington | 608,404 | 8.1%±0.3 | Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese |
| District of Columbia | 44,743 | 6.8%±0.9 | Spanish, Amharic, Somali, other Afro-Asiatic, French |
| Virginia | 541,910 | 6.5%±0.2 | Spanish, Vietnamese, Korean |
| Nebraska | 120,478 | 6.4%±0.4 | Spanish, Other languages of Asia, Vietnamese |
| Utah | 201,265 | 6.1%±0.3 | Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese |
| Georgia | 633,880 | 6%±0.2 | Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese |
| Oregon | 236,289 | 5.8%±0.3 | Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese |
| Colorado | 322,665 | 5.7%±0.3 | Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese |
| Delaware | 56,177 | 5.6%±0.5 | Spanish, Chinese, Haitian Creole |
| North Carolina | 562,094 | 5.4%±0.2 | Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese |
| Pennsylvania | 643,363 | 5.2%±0.2 | Spanish, Chinese, Russian |
| Kansas | 142,473 | 5.1%±0.3 | Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese |
| Minnesota | 270,041 | 4.9%±0.2 | Spanish, Amharic, Somali, other Afro-Asiatic, Hmong |
| Oklahoma | 175,628 | 4.6%±0.2 | Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese |
| Indiana | 286,651 | 4.4%±0.2 | Spanish, Other languages of Asia, Chinese |
| Alaska | 28,263 | 4.1%±0.5 | Tagalog, Spanish, Other Native North American |
| Tennessee | 272,039 | 4%±0.2 | Spanish, Arabic, Chinese |
| Michigan | 383,947 | 4%±0.1 | Spanish, Arabic, Chinese |
| Iowa | 123,405 | 4%±0.2 | Spanish, Other languages of Asia, French |
| Idaho | 73,532 | 3.9%±0.3 | Spanish, Chinese, Arabic |
| Arkansas | 112,832 | 3.9%±0.3 | Spanish, Ilocano, Samoan, Hawaiian, other Austronesian, Vietnamese |
| Louisiana | 158,820 | 3.7%±0.2 | Spanish, Vietnamese, French |
| South Carolina | 182,587 | 3.5%±0.2 | Spanish, Chinese, Russian |
| Wisconsin | 192,122 | 3.4%±0.2 | Spanish, Hmong, Chinese |
| Kentucky | 146,054 | 3.4%±0.3 | Spanish, Swahili, other C/E/S African, Other languages of Asia |
| Ohio | 354,813 | 3.2%±0.2 | Spanish, Chinese, Yiddish, Pennsylvania Dutch, W. Germanic |
| South Dakota | 22,541 | 2.6%±0.3 | Spanish, Other languages of Asia, German |
| Missouri | 147,569 | 2.5%±0.1 | Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese |
| Alabama | 122,685 | 2.5%±0.2 | Spanish, Korean, Chinese |
| New Hampshire | 32,372 | 2.4%±0.3 | Spanish, French, Chinese |
| North Dakota | 15,633 | 2.1%±0.4 | Spanish, German, Tagalog |
| Wyoming | 11,447 | 2%±0.4 | Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog |
| Mississippi | 47,605 | 1.7%±0.2 | Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese |
| Maine | 22,581 | 1.7%±0.2 | French, Spanish, Portuguese |
| Vermont | 9,270 | 1.5%±0.3 | Spanish, French, Nepali, Marathi, other Indic |
| West Virginia | 15,054 | 0.9%±0.1 | Spanish, Chinese, Arabic |
| Montana | 9,090 | 0.8%±0.2 | Spanish, German, Chinese |
Download the state table (CSV)
California counties
6,499,255 Californians (17.5%) have limited English proficiency in the five-year estimates. Imperial County has the highest share, 34.2%. Los Angeles County alone has 2,174,450, about 33% of the state total.
| Top LEP language groups | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Imperial | 57,325 | 34.2%±1.3 | Spanish, Korean, Tagalog |
| Monterey | 102,673 | 25.1%±0.7 | Spanish, Tagalog, Other Indo-European |
| Los Angeles | 2,174,450 | 23.4%±0.2 | Spanish, Chinese, Other Indo-European |
| Tulare | 98,035 | 22.1%±0.7 | Spanish, Other Asian, Pacific, Other Indo-European |
| Merced | 57,169 | 21.2%±0.9 | Spanish, Other Indo-European, Other Asian, Pacific |
| Colusa | 4,374 | 21.2%±2.2 | Spanish, Other Indo-European, German, W. Germanic |
| Santa Clara | 370,138 | 20.5%±0.4 | Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese |
| San Francisco | 148,921 | 18.7%±0.5 | Chinese, Spanish, Tagalog |
| Orange | 548,502 | 18.3%±0.3 | Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese |
| Madera | 27,300 | 18.2%±0.9 | Spanish, Other Indo-European, Other languages |
| Kings | 25,614 | 18%±1.2 | Spanish, Tagalog, Other Indo-European |
| Alameda | 277,609 | 17.8%±0.3 | Spanish, Chinese, Other Indo-European |
| San Joaquin | 130,184 | 17.5%±0.5 | Spanish, Other Indo-European, Other Asian, Pacific |
| Kern | 146,857 | 17.3%±0.5 | Spanish, Other Indo-European, Tagalog |
| San Mateo | 120,715 | 17.1%±0.5 | Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog |
| Fresno | 160,871 | 17%±0.4 | Spanish, Other Asian, Pacific, Other Indo-European |
| San Benito | 10,579 | 16.8%±1.4 | Spanish, Tagalog, Other Asian, Pacific |
| Sutter | 15,249 | 16.4%±1.3 | Spanish, Other Indo-European, Other Asian, Pacific |
| Santa Barbara | 68,232 | 16.4%±0.5 | Spanish, Other languages, Chinese |
| Stanislaus | 83,325 | 16.1%±0.5 | Spanish, Other Indo-European, Other Asian, Pacific |
| Napa | 19,869 | 15.4%±0.9 | Spanish, Tagalog, Other Indo-European |
| San Bernardino | 315,677 | 15.3%±0.3 | Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog |
| Ventura | 118,250 | 14.9%±0.4 | Spanish, Tagalog, Other Indo-European |
| Riverside | 340,693 | 14.6%±0.3 | Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog |
| Contra Costa | 158,558 | 14.4%±0.4 | Spanish, Chinese, Other Indo-European |
| Glenn | 3,776 | 14.2%±1.8 | Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese |
| Sacramento | 211,267 | 14.1%±0.4 | Spanish, Other Indo-European, Russian, Polish, Slavic |
| San Diego | 416,592 | 13.4%±0.2 | Spanish, Tagalog, Chinese |
| Yolo | 26,422 | 12.6%±0.8 | Spanish, Chinese, Other Indo-European |
| Solano | 51,764 | 12.1%±0.5 | Spanish, Tagalog, Other Indo-European |
| Santa Cruz | 30,682 | 12.1%±0.7 | Spanish, Chinese, Other Indo-European |
| Sonoma | 52,930 | 11.4%±0.5 | Spanish, Other Indo-European, Chinese |
| Marin | 23,724 | 9.6%±0.6 | Spanish, Other Indo-European, Chinese |
| Lassen | 2,611 | 9%±1.2 | Spanish, Tagalog, Other Asian, Pacific |
| Yuba | 6,965 | 8.9%±1.1 | Spanish, Other Asian, Pacific, Other Indo-European |
| Mendocino | 7,576 | 8.9%±0.8 | Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese |
| Tehama | 4,969 | 8.1%±1 | Spanish, Other Asian, Pacific, Tagalog |
| Mono | 1,008 | 8%±2.5 | Spanish, Tagalog, Other Indo-European |
| Modoc | 519 | 6.3%±3.4 | Spanish, Other Asian, Pacific, Russian, Polish, Slavic |
| Butte | 11,906 | 6%±0.6 | Spanish, Other Asian, Pacific, Chinese |
| Lake | 3,807 | 5.9%±1 | Spanish, Other Indo-European, Tagalog |
| San Luis Obispo | 14,839 | 5.5%±0.5 | Spanish, Chinese, Other Indo-European |
| Placer | 20,445 | 5.1%±0.4 | Spanish, Russian, Polish, Slavic, Other Indo-European |
| Alpine | 76 | 4.9%±4.1 | Spanish, Other languages |
| Del Norte | 1,125 | 4.4%±1.1 | Spanish, Other Asian, Pacific, Korean |
| Mariposa | 648 | 3.9%±1.6 | Spanish, Chinese, Other languages |
| Inyo | 675 | 3.8%±1 | Spanish, Tagalog, Other languages |
| Humboldt | 4,757 | 3.7%±0.5 | Spanish, Other Asian, Pacific, Other Indo-European |
| Amador | 1,423 | 3.6%±0.9 | Spanish, Russian, Polish, Slavic, Tagalog |
| El Dorado | 6,442 | 3.5%±0.4 | Spanish, Chinese, Other Asian, Pacific |
| Siskiyou | 1,352 | 3.3%±0.5 | Spanish, Other Asian, Pacific, Chinese |
| Plumas | 544 | 2.9%±1.3 | Spanish, German, W. Germanic, Other Indo-European |
| Nevada | 2,803 | 2.8%±0.6 | Spanish, Other Asian, Pacific, Other Indo-European |
| Shasta | 4,627 | 2.7%±0.4 | Spanish, Other Asian, Pacific, Chinese |
| Sierra | 70 | 2.5%±2.2 | Spanish |
| Calaveras | 861 | 1.9%±0.6 | Spanish, Chinese, Russian, Polish, Slavic |
| Tuolumne | 804 | 1.5%±0.6 | Spanish, Other Asian, Pacific, Tagalog |
| Trinity | 77 | 0.5%±0.7 | Spanish, Chinese, Other Indo-European |
Download the county table (CSV)
The eight largest LEP languages
| Language | Speakers age 5+ | LEP speakers | Share LEP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spanish | 44,867,699 | 18,432,221 | 41.1% |
| Chinese (incl. Mandarin, Cantonese) | 3,734,956 | 1,895,001 | 50.7% |
| Vietnamese | 1,599,409 | 918,210 | 57.4% |
| Tagalog (incl. Filipino) | 1,921,526 | 584,724 | 30.4% |
| Korean | 1,150,701 | 565,989 | 49.2% |
| Arabic | 1,484,439 | 513,293 | 34.6% |
| Haitian Creole | 1,041,231 | 454,970 | 43.7% |
| Russian | 1,021,165 | 429,378 | 42.0% |
Sources and method
- Definition. Limited English proficiency means age 5 or older and speaking English less than "very well," the Census Bureau measure used in language access planning.
- State counts. American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates, table C16001. The LEP figure is the sum of the "less than very well" lines across all language groups.
- Top languages and counties. 2020-2024 5-year estimates, tables B16001 and C16001. Five years of samples are needed for reliable small-language and small-county figures, and data.census.gov does not provide the detailed table for counties.
- Margins of error. ACS figures are survey estimates. Margins for summed figures are approximated by the Census Bureau's root-sum-of-squares method and are in the CSV files.
- Coverage. 50 states and the District of Columbia. Puerto Rico is not included because table C16001 has no 1-year estimates for it.
- Pulled October 24, 2026 from data.census.gov. We update the page when the next ACS release is published. The figures are free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 with credit to Access Multilingual Services.
Planning interpreter coverage? See the language access statistics reference for courts, hospitals and schools.
Frequently asked
About the LEP data
In Census Bureau data, a person has limited English proficiency if they are age 5 or older and report speaking English less than "very well." It is the standard measure used in language access planning.
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