Data / Rankings / Population speaking a language other than English at home / US states

US states by population speaking a language other than English at home

California had the highest population speaking a language other than English at home of 51 states in 2021, at 43.9%. West Virginia had the lowest, at 2.5%. The median was 11.8% and the figure for the United States was 21.7%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest43.9California
Lowest2.5West Virginia
Median11.851 states
United States21.7History

Map of states, 2021

Alabama: 5.3 %Alaska: 15.6 %Arizona: 26.6 %Arkansas: 7.7 %California: 43.9 %Colorado: 16.3 %Connecticut: 22.3 %Delaware: 13.7 %District of Columbia: 17.3 %Florida: 29.8 %Georgia: 14.3 %Hawaii: 25.9 %Idaho: 10.8 %Illinois: 23.2 %Indiana: 9 %Iowa: 8.6 %Kansas: 11.8 %Kentucky: 5.9 %Louisiana: 7.7 %Maine: 5.9 %Maryland: 19.5 %Massachusetts: 24.4 %Michigan: 9.9 %Minnesota: 12 %Mississippi: 3.9 %Missouri: 6.2 %Montana: 4 %Nebraska: 11.8 %Nevada: 29.9 %New Hampshire: 8 %New Jersey: 31.9 %New Mexico: 33 %New York: 30.5 %North Carolina: 12.1 %North Dakota: 6.3 %Ohio: 7.3 %Oklahoma: 10.8 %Oregon: 15.3 %Pennsylvania: 11.7 %Rhode Island: 22.4 %South Carolina: 7.5 %South Dakota: 6.4 %Tennessee: 7.4 %Texas: 35.1 %Utah: 15.4 %Vermont: 5.5 %Virginia: 16.5 %Washington: 20.3 %West Virginia: 2.5 %Wisconsin: 8.6 %Wyoming: 6.9 %
  • Under 6.3
  • 6.3 to 8.4
  • 8.4 to 12
  • 12 to 16
  • 16 to 25
  • 25 and over
%, 2021. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

All states, 2021

California: 43.9 %California43.9Texas: 35.1 %Texas35.1New Mexico: 33 %New Mexico33New Jersey: 31.9 %New Jersey31.9New York: 30.5 %New York30.5Nevada: 29.9 %Nevada29.9Florida: 29.8 %Florida29.8Arizona: 26.6 %Arizona26.6Hawaii: 25.9 %Hawaii25.9Massachusetts: 24.4 %Massachusetts24.4Illinois: 23.2 %Illinois23.2Rhode Island: 22.4 %Rhode Island22.4Connecticut: 22.3 %Connecticut22.3Washington: 20.3 %Washington20.3Maryland: 19.5 %Maryland19.5District of Columbia: 17.3 %District of Columbia17.3Virginia: 16.5 %Virginia16.5Colorado: 16.3 %Colorado16.3Alaska: 15.6 %Alaska15.6Utah: 15.4 %Utah15.4Oregon: 15.3 %Oregon15.3Georgia: 14.3 %Georgia14.3Delaware: 13.7 %Delaware13.7North Carolina: 12.1 %North Carolina12.1Minnesota: 12 %Minnesota12Nebraska: 11.8 %Nebraska11.8Kansas: 11.8 %Kansas11.8Pennsylvania: 11.7 %Pennsylvania11.7Idaho: 10.8 %Idaho10.8Oklahoma: 10.8 %Oklahoma10.8Michigan: 9.9 %Michigan9.9Indiana: 9 %Indiana9Wisconsin: 8.6 %Wisconsin8.6Iowa: 8.6 %Iowa8.6New Hampshire: 8 %New Hampshire8Louisiana: 7.7 %Louisiana7.7Arkansas: 7.7 %Arkansas7.7South Carolina: 7.5 %South Carolina7.5Tennessee: 7.4 %Tennessee7.4Ohio: 7.3 %Ohio7.3Wyoming: 6.9 %Wyoming6.9South Dakota: 6.4 %South Dakota6.4North Dakota: 6.3 %North Dakota6.3Missouri: 6.2 %Missouri6.2Maine: 5.9 %Maine5.9Kentucky: 5.9 %Kentucky5.9Vermont: 5.5 %Vermont5.5Alabama: 5.3 %Alabama5.3Montana: 4 %Montana4Mississippi: 3.9 %Mississippi3.9West Virginia: 2.5 %West Virginia2.5California: 43.9 %California43.9Texas: 35.1 %Texas35.1New Mexico: 33 %New Mexico33New Jersey: 31.9 %New Jersey31.9New York: 30.5 %New York30.5Nevada: 29.9 %Nevada29.9Florida: 29.8 %Florida29.8Arizona: 26.6 %Arizona26.6Hawaii: 25.9 %Hawaii25.9Massachusetts: 24.4 %Massachusetts24.4Illinois: 23.2 %Illinois23.2Rhode Island: 22.4 %Rhode Island22.4Connecticut: 22.3 %Connecticut22.3Washington: 20.3 %Washington20.3Maryland: 19.5 %Maryland19.5District of Columbia: 17.3 %District of Columbia17.3Virginia: 16.5 %Virginia16.5Colorado: 16.3 %Colorado16.3Alaska: 15.6 %Alaska15.6Utah: 15.4 %Utah15.4Oregon: 15.3 %Oregon15.3Georgia: 14.3 %Georgia14.3Delaware: 13.7 %Delaware13.7North Carolina: 12.1 %North Carolina12.1Minnesota: 12 %Minnesota12Nebraska: 11.8 %Nebraska11.8Kansas: 11.8 %Kansas11.8Pennsylvania: 11.7 %Pennsylvania11.7Idaho: 10.8 %Idaho10.8Oklahoma: 10.8 %Oklahoma10.8Michigan: 9.9 %Michigan9.9Indiana: 9 %Indiana9Wisconsin: 8.6 %Wisconsin8.6Iowa: 8.6 %Iowa8.6New Hampshire: 8 %New Hampshire8Louisiana: 7.7 %Louisiana7.7Arkansas: 7.7 %Arkansas7.7South Carolina: 7.5 %South Carolina7.5Tennessee: 7.4 %Tennessee7.4Ohio: 7.3 %Ohio7.3Wyoming: 6.9 %Wyoming6.9South Dakota: 6.4 %South Dakota6.4North Dakota: 6.3 %North Dakota6.3Missouri: 6.2 %Missouri6.2Maine: 5.9 %Maine5.9Kentucky: 5.9 %Kentucky5.9Vermont: 5.5 %Vermont5.5Alabama: 5.3 %Alabama5.3Montana: 4 %Montana4Mississippi: 3.9 %Mississippi3.9West Virginia: 2.5 %West Virginia2.5
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankStates2021 (%)
1California43.9
2Texas35.1
3New Mexico33
4New Jersey31.9
5New York30.5
6Nevada29.9
7Florida29.8
8Arizona26.6
9Hawaii25.9
10Massachusetts24.4
11Illinois23.2
12Rhode Island22.4
13Connecticut22.3
14Washington20.3
15Maryland19.5
16District of Columbia17.3
17Virginia16.5
18Colorado16.3
19Alaska15.6
20Utah15.4
21Oregon15.3
22Georgia14.3
23Delaware13.7
24North Carolina12.1
25Minnesota12
26Nebraska11.8
27Kansas11.8
28Pennsylvania11.7
29Idaho10.8
30Oklahoma10.8
31Michigan9.9
32Indiana9
33Wisconsin8.6
34Iowa8.6
35New Hampshire8
36Louisiana7.7
37Arkansas7.7
38South Carolina7.5
39Tennessee7.4
40Ohio7.3
41Wyoming6.9
42South Dakota6.4
43North Dakota6.3
44Missouri6.2
45Maine5.9
46Kentucky5.9
47Vermont5.5
48Alabama5.3
49Montana4
50Mississippi3.9
51West Virginia2.5

Other periods

About this ranking

People aged 5 and over who speak a language other than English at home, as a percentage of all people aged 5 and over. United States: American Community Survey five-year estimate, where the period shown is the last year of the five-year span.

Measures the language used at home, not English ability: most people in this group also speak English. Spanish speakers are shown separately in spanish_at_home_share.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the states are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table C16001: people aged 5 and over who speak a language other than English at home, as a percentage of the population aged 5 and over, calculated with stored inputs. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-c16001.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Citation styles

The publisher is the author. Invokely is named only as the place the figures were read, where a style asks for it.

APA 7

U.S. Census Bureau. (2026). American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table C16001: people aged 5 and over who speak a language other than English at home, as a percentage of the population aged 5 and over, calculated with stored inputs (US states by population speaking a language other than English at home, 2021) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-c16001.dat

MLA 9

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table C16001: people aged 5 and over who speak a language other than English at home, as a percentage of the population aged 5 and over, calculated with stored inputs, US states by population speaking a language other than English at home, 2021. U.S. Census Bureau, 29 Jan. 2026, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-c16001.dat. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/language-other-than-english-at-home/us-states?period=2021. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Census Bureau. 2026. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table C16001: people aged 5 and over who speak a language other than English at home, as a percentage of the population aged 5 and over, calculated with stored inputs. US states by population speaking a language other than English at home, 2021. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-c16001.dat. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/language-other-than-english-at-home/us-states?period=2021.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2026) American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table C16001: people aged 5 and over who speak a language other than English at home, as a percentage of the population aged 5 and over, calculated with stored inputs, US states by population speaking a language other than English at home, 2021 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-c16001.dat, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/language-other-than-english-at-home/us-states?period=2021 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_us_states_by_population_2021,
  author = {{U.S. Census Bureau}},
  title = {{American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table C16001: people aged 5 and over who speak a language other than English at home, as a percentage of the population aged 5 and over, calculated with stored inputs: US states by population speaking a language other than English at home, 2021}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-c16001.dat},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/language-other-than-english-at-home/us-states?period=2021. Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table C16001: people aged 5 and over who speak a language other than English at home, as a percentage of the population aged 5 and over, calculated with stored inputs. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary\_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-c16001.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Census Bureau
TI  - American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table C16001: people aged 5 and over who speak a language other than English at home, as a percentage of the population aged 5 and over, calculated with stored inputs: US states by population speaking a language other than English at home, 2021
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/01/29
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-c16001.dat
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/language-other-than-english-at-home/us-states?period=2021
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/language-other-than-english-at-home/us-states?period=2021.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table C16001: people aged 5 and over who speak a language other than English at home, as a percentage of the population aged 5 and over, calculated with stored inputs. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-c16001.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -
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Questions

Which state has the highest population speaking a language other than English at home?

California, with 43.9% in 2021, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which state has the lowest population speaking a language other than English at home?

West Virginia, with 2.5% in 2021.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table C16001: people aged 5 and over who speak a language other than English at home, as a percentage of the population aged 5 and over, calculated with stored inputs. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Population speaking a language other than English at home: other rankings

US states: more rankings