Census ACS 2023 · 51 states
States Where Most Residents Speak a Non-English Language at Home
Over 67 million Americans speak a language other than English at home, making the United States one of the most linguistically diverse countries in the world. California leads with over 44% of residents speaking a non-English language, followed by Texas, New Mexico, and New Jersey. Spanish is by far the most common non-English language, spoken by over 41 million people, but Chinese, Tagalog, Vietnamese, Arabic, French, and Korean are also widely spoken. Linguistic diversity has significant implications for schools (bilingual education, ESL programs), healthcare (language-concordant care improves outcomes), government services (translation and interpretation needs), and business (multilingual workforces serve diverse customers). States with large non-English-speaking populations invest more in language access services and face unique challenges in voter outreach, emergency communication, and public health messaging. The data also reflects the strength of immigrant communities that maintain heritage languages across generations.
Key Findings
- 1West Virginia leads with a non-English speaking rate of 97.5%, followed by Mississippi (95.8%) and Montana (95.8%).
- 2The gap between #1 West Virginia and #51 California (55.9%) is 41.6 percentage points.
- 3The national median across all states is 87.8% (Minnesota at the midpoint).
- 4The top 10 states are: West Virginia, Mississippi, Montana, Vermont, Alabama, Maine, Kentucky, North Dakota, Missouri, South Dakota.
Full Ranking: States Where Most Residents Speak a Non-English Language at Home
Source: Census ACS 2023 5-Year Estimates
| # | State | Non-English % | Foreign Born | Hispanic % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wyoming | 93.2% | 53.6% | 3.9% |
| 2 | Wisconsin | 91.2% | 23.4% | 1.8% |
| 3 | West Virginia | 97.5% | 29.8% | 1.1% |
| 4 | Washington | 79.0% | 36.5% | 3.3% |
| 5 | Virginia | 82.8% | 36.0% | 1.4% |
| 6 | Vermont | 94.5% | 46.8% | 1.4% |
| 7 | Utah | 84.3% | 29.1% | 2.2% |
| 8 | Texas | 65.1% | 22.4% | 2.0% |
| 9 | Tennessee | 91.7% | 35.3% | 1.3% |
| 10 | South Dakota | 93.3% | 32.5% | 10.1% |
| 11 | South Carolina | 91.8% | 39.7% | 1.3% |
| 12 | Rhode Island | 77.3% | 28.3% | 1.7% |
| 13 | Pennsylvania | 88.0% | 19.7% | 0.9% |
| 14 | Oregon | 84.9% | 43.4% | 3.6% |
| 15 | Oklahoma | 88.7% | 32.7% | 13.9% |
| 16 | Ohio | 92.3% | 19.3% | 1.1% |
| 17 | North Dakota | 93.6% | 32.5% | 6.4% |
| 18 | North Carolina | 87.0% | 35.7% | 2.3% |
| 19 | New York | 69.4% | 12.2% | 1.4% |
| 20 | New Mexico | 68.4% | 36.7% | 12.0% |
| 21 | New Jersey | 67.3% | 22.9% | 1.2% |
| 22 | New Hampshire | 92.0% | 51.6% | 1.0% |
| 23 | Nevada | 70.7% | 51.8% | 2.9% |
| 24 | Nebraska | 87.7% | 26.9% | 2.2% |
| 25 | Montana | 95.8% | 44.3% | 8.2% |
| 26 | Missouri | 93.4% | 29.0% | 1.6% |
| 27 | Mississippi | 95.8% | 25.8% | 1.2% |
| 28 | Minnesota | 87.8% | 23.3% | 2.2% |
| 29 | Michigan | 89.8% | 15.9% | 1.7% |
| 30 | Massachusetts | 75.2% | 20.3% | 1.0% |
| 31 | Maryland | 79.4% | 35.0% | 1.5% |
| 32 | Maine | 94.0% | 34.7% | 1.6% |
| 33 | Louisiana | 91.7% | 17.4% | 1.8% |
| 34 | Kentucky | 93.6% | 26.9% | 1.1% |
| 35 | Kansas | 87.9% | 32.6% | 2.7% |
| 36 | Iowa | 91.1% | 23.7% | 1.2% |
| 37 | Indiana | 90.2% | 26.0% | 1.3% |
| 38 | Illinois | 76.2% | 17.5% | 1.5% |
| 39 | Idaho | 89.3% | 48.9% | 2.8% |
| 40 | Hawaii | 74.9% | 25.9% | 2.6% |
| 41 | Georgia | 85.0% | 33.9% | 1.5% |
| 42 | Florida | 69.9% | 39.0% | 1.2% |
| 43 | District of Columbia | 82.0% | 49.1% | 1.6% |
| 44 | Delaware | 85.2% | 44.4% | 1.4% |
| 45 | Connecticut | 77.0% | 27.2% | 1.2% |
| 46 | Colorado | 83.9% | 47.2% | 2.9% |
| 47 | California | 55.9% | 15.2% | 2.8% |
| 48 | Arkansas | 91.9% | 33.5% | 2.4% |
| 49 | Arizona | 74.3% | 46.2% | 6.0% |
| 50 | Alaska | 84.4% | 46.9% | 20.2% |
| 51 | Alabama | 94.1% | 27.2% | 1.6% |
Methodology
Rankings are based on American Community Survey (ACS) 2023 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.
More Social Rankings
Explore Other Rankings
Frequently Asked Questions
West Virginia has the highest non-English speaking rate at 97.5%, according to Census ACS 2023 data. Mississippi and Montana round out the top three.
California has the lowest non-English speaking rate at 55.9%. Texas is second-lowest at 65.1%.
The median across all 51 states is 87.8%. 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) 2023 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 data (currently 2023 5-Year estimates). The Census Bureau releases new ACS data annually, typically in September. Our data was last updated on April 12, 2026.
Rankings are based on American Community Survey (ACS) 2023 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.