Census ACS 5-Year · 51 states
States With Most Arabic Speakers
Arabic-speaking populations in the US are concentrated in Michigan, New Jersey, Virginia, and California. Michigan in particular hosts the largest Arabic-speaking community per capita, anchored by Detroit-area Lebanese, Iraqi, Yemeni, and Syrian populations dating to the early 20th century. Arabic is among the fastest-growing non-English languages in the US, reflecting both immigration from Arab states and refugee resettlement.
Key Findings
- 1Michigan leads with a Arabic-speaking share of 0.75%, followed by New Jersey (0.29%) and New York (0.23%).
- 2The national median across all states is 0.09% (Nevada at the midpoint).
- 3The top 10 states are: Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Virginia, Tennessee, Massachusetts, California, Illinois, Nebraska, Ohio.
Full Ranking: States With Most Arabic Speakers
Source: Census ACS 5-Year Estimates
| # | State | Arabic % | Arabic Speakers | Population |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wyoming | - | - | 579,761 |
| 2 | Wisconsin | 3.8% | 2,090 | 5,892,023 |
| 3 | West Virginia | 4.3% | 730 | 1,784,462 |
| 4 | Washington | 11.8% | 8,584 | 7,740,984 |
| 5 | Virginia | 21.2% | 17,305 | 8,657,499 |
| 6 | Vermont | 2.7% | 167 | 645,254 |
| 7 | Utah | 4.1% | 1,256 | 3,331,187 |
| 8 | Texas | 12.5% | 34,575 | 29,640,343 |
| 9 | Tennessee | 21.1% | 13,867 | 6,986,082 |
| 10 | South Dakota | - | - | 899,194 |
| 11 | South Carolina | 2.8% | 1,396 | 5,212,774 |
| 12 | Rhode Island | 6.8% | 704 | 1,095,371 |
| 13 | Pennsylvania | 11.8% | 14,472 | 12,986,518 |
| 14 | Oregon | 7.3% | 2,923 | 4,238,714 |
| 15 | Oklahoma | 4.1% | 1,530 | 3,995,260 |
| 16 | Ohio | 13.3% | 14,804 | 11,780,046 |
| 17 | North Dakota | 11.4% | 832 | 779,361 |
| 18 | North Carolina | 10.9% | 10,907 | 10,584,340 |
| 19 | New York | 23.3% | 43,789 | 19,872,319 |
| 20 | New Mexico | 3.4% | 672 | 2,114,768 |
| 21 | New Jersey | 29.1% | 25,420 | 9,267,014 |
| 22 | New Hampshire | 5.9% | 787 | 1,387,834 |
| 23 | Nevada | 8.7% | 2,569 | 3,141,000 |
| 24 | Nebraska | 15.2% | 2,800 | 1,965,926 |
| 25 | Montana | 1.9% | 199 | 1,105,072 |
| 26 | Missouri | 7.6% | 4,408 | 6,168,181 |
| 27 | Mississippi | 5.1% | 1,402 | 2,951,438 |
| 28 | Minnesota | 9.3% | 4,985 | 5,713,716 |
| 29 | Michigan | 74.9% | 71,188 | 10,051,595 |
| 30 | Massachusetts | 20.8% | 13,840 | 6,992,395 |
| 31 | Maryland | 12.0% | 6,954 | 6,170,738 |
| 32 | Maine | 8.3% | 1,092 | 1,377,400 |
| 33 | Louisiana | 11.2% | 4,869 | 4,621,025 |
| 34 | Kentucky | 9.2% | 3,891 | 4,510,725 |
| 35 | Kansas | 7.2% | 1,981 | 2,937,569 |
| 36 | Iowa | 13.3% | 3,999 | 3,195,937 |
| 37 | Indiana | 8.7% | 5,556 | 6,811,752 |
| 38 | Illinois | 18.7% | 22,381 | 12,692,653 |
| 39 | Idaho | 7.4% | 1,315 | 1,893,296 |
| 40 | Hawaii | - | - | 1,445,635 |
| 41 | Georgia | 5.1% | 5,191 | 10,822,590 |
| 42 | Florida | 9.7% | 20,224 | 21,928,881 |
| 43 | District of Columbia | 7.2% | 453 | 672,079 |
| 44 | Delaware | 12.3% | 1,172 | 1,005,872 |
| 45 | Connecticut | 12.4% | 4,253 | 3,598,348 |
| 46 | Colorado | 8.0% | 4,374 | 5,810,774 |
| 47 | California | 19.6% | 72,466 | 39,242,785 |
| 48 | Arkansas | 1.9% | 554 | 3,032,651 |
| 49 | Arizona | 12.2% | 8,361 | 7,268,175 |
| 50 | Alaska | 5.9% | 406 | 733,971 |
| 51 | Alabama | 3.9% | 1,874 | 5,054,253 |
Methodology
Rankings are based on American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year estimates from the US Census Bureau. All 50 states and the District of Columbia are included. The ACS surveys approximately 3.5 million households annually and provides detailed demographic, social, economic, and housing data. 5-Year estimates offer the most reliable data for state-level comparisons by averaging responses over a 60-month period. Percentages may not sum to 100% due to rounding.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Michigan has the highest Arabic-speaking share at 0.75%, according to latest Census ACS data. New Jersey and New York round out the top three.
Wyoming has the lowest Arabic-speaking share at -. South Dakota is second-lowest at -.
The median across all 51 states is 0.09%. Note that the national median and the state-level median are calculated differently, the state median represents the midpoint when all states are ranked.
This data comes from the American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year estimates published by the US Census Bureau. The ACS surveys approximately 3.5 million households annually and provides the most comprehensive demographic data available between decennial censuses.
Rankings are based on the latest available Census ACS 5-Year estimates. The Census Bureau releases new ACS data annually. Our data was last updated on April 12, 2026.
Rankings are based on American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year estimates from the US Census Bureau. All 50 states and the District of Columbia are included. The ACS surveys approximately 3.5 million households annually and provides detailed demographic, social, economic, and housing data. 5-Year estimates offer the most reliable data for state-level comparisons by averaging responses over a 60-month period. Percentages may not sum to 100% due to rounding.