Census ACS 5-Year · 51 states
States With Most Spanish Speakers at Home
Spanish is the most-spoken non-English language in the US, with over 41 million speakers nationally. New Mexico, Texas, California, and Arizona lead the nation in Spanish-speaking population share, reflecting deep historical roots that long predate modern US-Mexico borders. Florida ranks high too, anchored by large Cuban, Puerto Rican, Venezuelan, and other Latin American communities. Spanish-speaking populations shape education, healthcare, retail, and political life: states with high shares typically invest heavily in bilingual education, multilingual government services, and Spanish-language media.
Key Findings
- 1California leads with a Spanish-speaking share of 10.92%, followed by Texas (10.65%) and Florida (9.43%).
- 2The gap between #1 California and #51 Vermont (0.18%) is 1073.7 percentage points.
- 3The national median across all states is 2.78% (Idaho at the midpoint).
- 4The top 10 states are: California, Texas, Florida, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Arizona, Rhode Island, Illinois.
Full Ranking: States With Most Spanish Speakers at Home
Source: Census ACS 5-Year Estimates
| # | State | Spanish % | Spanish Speakers | Population |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wyoming | 155.4% | 8,515 | 579,761 |
| 2 | Wisconsin | 182.0% | 101,410 | 5,892,023 |
| 3 | West Virginia | 29.5% | 4,996 | 1,784,462 |
| 4 | Washington | 350.9% | 256,250 | 7,740,984 |
| 5 | Virginia | 323.5% | 264,046 | 8,657,499 |
| 6 | Vermont | 18.3% | 1,127 | 645,254 |
| 7 | Utah | 361.9% | 111,943 | 3,331,187 |
| 8 | Texas | 1065.5% | 2,952,656 | 29,640,343 |
| 9 | Tennessee | 242.4% | 159,399 | 6,986,082 |
| 10 | South Dakota | 99.3% | 8,356 | 899,194 |
| 11 | South Carolina | 219.3% | 108,018 | 5,212,774 |
| 12 | Rhode Island | 549.7% | 57,257 | 1,095,371 |
| 13 | Pennsylvania | 223.2% | 274,603 | 12,986,518 |
| 14 | Oregon | 328.9% | 132,441 | 4,238,714 |
| 15 | Oklahoma | 298.0% | 111,661 | 3,995,260 |
| 16 | Ohio | 97.2% | 107,974 | 11,780,046 |
| 17 | North Dakota | 59.3% | 4,316 | 779,361 |
| 18 | North Carolina | 346.9% | 346,393 | 10,584,340 |
| 19 | New York | 641.0% | 1,203,088 | 19,872,319 |
| 20 | New Mexico | 688.0% | 137,717 | 2,114,768 |
| 21 | New Jersey | 767.9% | 671,189 | 9,267,014 |
| 22 | New Hampshire | 94.7% | 12,543 | 1,387,834 |
| 23 | Nevada | 770.3% | 228,307 | 3,141,000 |
| 24 | Nebraska | 350.5% | 64,448 | 1,965,926 |
| 25 | Montana | 33.8% | 3,535 | 1,105,072 |
| 26 | Missouri | 100.2% | 58,190 | 6,168,181 |
| 27 | Mississippi | 116.1% | 32,211 | 2,951,438 |
| 28 | Minnesota | 156.8% | 84,268 | 5,713,716 |
| 29 | Michigan | 102.6% | 97,470 | 10,051,595 |
| 30 | Massachusetts | 410.4% | 272,582 | 6,992,395 |
| 31 | Maryland | 429.8% | 249,793 | 6,170,738 |
| 32 | Maine | 22.1% | 2,899 | 1,377,400 |
| 33 | Louisiana | 212.2% | 91,943 | 4,621,025 |
| 34 | Kentucky | 143.2% | 60,753 | 4,510,725 |
| 35 | Kansas | 319.4% | 88,089 | 2,937,569 |
| 36 | Iowa | 184.5% | 55,481 | 3,195,937 |
| 37 | Indiana | 204.6% | 130,945 | 6,811,752 |
| 38 | Illinois | 539.2% | 646,142 | 12,692,653 |
| 39 | Idaho | 278.3% | 49,541 | 1,893,296 |
| 40 | Hawaii | 44.6% | 6,078 | 1,445,635 |
| 41 | Georgia | 359.7% | 366,276 | 10,822,590 |
| 42 | Florida | 943.0% | 1,962,878 | 21,928,881 |
| 43 | District of Columbia | 322.3% | 20,344 | 672,079 |
| 44 | Delaware | 344.9% | 32,810 | 1,005,872 |
| 45 | Connecticut | 504.8% | 172,487 | 3,598,348 |
| 46 | Colorado | 386.5% | 212,401 | 5,810,774 |
| 47 | California | 1091.9% | 4,043,207 | 39,242,785 |
| 48 | Arkansas | 249.9% | 71,239 | 3,032,651 |
| 49 | Arizona | 607.9% | 417,567 | 7,268,175 |
| 50 | Alaska | 82.5% | 5,659 | 733,971 |
| 51 | Alabama | 167.0% | 79,492 | 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
California has the highest Spanish-speaking share at 10.92%, according to latest Census ACS data. Texas and Florida round out the top three.
Vermont has the lowest Spanish-speaking share at 0.18%. Maine is second-lowest at 0.22%.
The median across all 51 states is 2.78%. 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.