Census ACS 5-Year · 51 states
States With Most Chinese Speakers at Home
Chinese — including Mandarin, Cantonese, Taishanese, and other varieties — is the second-most-spoken non-English language in the US after Spanish. California, New York, Hawaii, Massachusetts, and New Jersey have the largest Chinese-speaking populations. Chinese-speaking communities are concentrated in major immigration gateways with established Chinatowns and university-driven communities. Chinese-speaking populations shape policy on education (especially STEM), trade with Asia, and small-business support, with significant impact in tech and finance hubs.
Key Findings
- 1New York leads with a Chinese-speaking share of 1.98%, followed by California (1.80%) and Hawaii (1.49%).
- 2The gap between #1 New York and #51 South Dakota (0.04%) is 193.9 percentage points.
- 3The national median across all states is 0.17% (New Hampshire at the midpoint).
- 4The top 10 states are: New York, California, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Washington, Nevada, New Jersey, Maryland, Illinois, Connecticut.
Full Ranking: States With Most Chinese Speakers at Home
Source: Census ACS 5-Year Estimates
| # | State | Chinese % | Chinese Speakers | Population |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wyoming | 6.8% | 373 | 579,761 |
| 2 | Wisconsin | 14.0% | 7,826 | 5,892,023 |
| 3 | West Virginia | 6.4% | 1,086 | 1,784,462 |
| 4 | Washington | 81.8% | 59,722 | 7,740,984 |
| 5 | Virginia | 30.4% | 24,827 | 8,657,499 |
| 6 | Vermont | 7.0% | 429 | 645,254 |
| 7 | Utah | 21.2% | 6,571 | 3,331,187 |
| 8 | Texas | 30.9% | 85,676 | 29,640,343 |
| 9 | Tennessee | 10.4% | 6,830 | 6,986,082 |
| 10 | South Dakota | 4.4% | 366 | 899,194 |
| 11 | South Carolina | 9.1% | 4,473 | 5,212,774 |
| 12 | Rhode Island | 32.1% | 3,343 | 1,095,371 |
| 13 | Pennsylvania | 41.5% | 51,032 | 12,986,518 |
| 14 | Oregon | 38.0% | 15,292 | 4,238,714 |
| 15 | Oklahoma | 13.8% | 5,155 | 3,995,260 |
| 16 | Ohio | 19.8% | 21,956 | 11,780,046 |
| 17 | North Dakota | 6.7% | 486 | 779,361 |
| 18 | North Carolina | 16.4% | 16,417 | 10,584,340 |
| 19 | New York | 198.2% | 372,037 | 19,872,319 |
| 20 | New Mexico | 9.6% | 1,928 | 2,114,768 |
| 21 | New Jersey | 60.3% | 52,663 | 9,267,014 |
| 22 | New Hampshire | 17.4% | 2,302 | 1,387,834 |
| 23 | Nevada | 65.9% | 19,538 | 3,141,000 |
| 24 | Nebraska | 11.8% | 2,176 | 1,965,926 |
| 25 | Montana | 7.8% | 812 | 1,105,072 |
| 26 | Missouri | 15.5% | 8,996 | 6,168,181 |
| 27 | Mississippi | 7.5% | 2,077 | 2,951,438 |
| 28 | Minnesota | 16.9% | 9,061 | 5,713,716 |
| 29 | Michigan | 21.4% | 20,315 | 10,051,595 |
| 30 | Massachusetts | 103.3% | 68,597 | 6,992,395 |
| 31 | Maryland | 55.4% | 32,171 | 6,170,738 |
| 32 | Maine | 8.4% | 1,098 | 1,377,400 |
| 33 | Louisiana | 10.0% | 4,320 | 4,621,025 |
| 34 | Kentucky | 7.9% | 3,363 | 4,510,725 |
| 35 | Kansas | 19.6% | 5,418 | 2,937,569 |
| 36 | Iowa | 13.1% | 3,929 | 3,195,937 |
| 37 | Indiana | 17.3% | 11,058 | 6,811,752 |
| 38 | Illinois | 45.1% | 53,991 | 12,692,653 |
| 39 | Idaho | 7.8% | 1,393 | 1,893,296 |
| 40 | Hawaii | 149.3% | 20,352 | 1,445,635 |
| 41 | Georgia | 27.2% | 27,708 | 10,822,590 |
| 42 | Florida | 19.2% | 39,950 | 21,928,881 |
| 43 | District of Columbia | 25.4% | 1,602 | 672,079 |
| 44 | Delaware | 31.6% | 3,004 | 1,005,872 |
| 45 | Connecticut | 41.8% | 14,292 | 3,598,348 |
| 46 | Colorado | 19.0% | 10,436 | 5,810,774 |
| 47 | California | 179.9% | 666,215 | 39,242,785 |
| 48 | Arkansas | 6.2% | 1,775 | 3,032,651 |
| 49 | Arizona | 21.7% | 14,900 | 7,268,175 |
| 50 | Alaska | 12.1% | 828 | 733,971 |
| 51 | Alabama | 11.3% | 5,386 | 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
New York has the highest Chinese-speaking share at 1.98%, according to latest Census ACS data. California and Hawaii round out the top three.
South Dakota has the lowest Chinese-speaking share at 0.04%. Arkansas is second-lowest at 0.06%.
The median across all 51 states is 0.17%. 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.