Maps Show the Most and Least Bilingual American Cities
The United States has a long and rich history of attracting immigrants and visitors from all over the world. As a result, you’ll find many people in America speaking a language other than English. Studies show that around 21% of Americans speak a language other than English. The team at Preply created insightful maps showing us which American cities are the most and least bilingual. These maps offer interesting insight into how geography, economics, and culture can impact the rates of bilingual people. The team analyzed Census Bureau data to determine the number of residents who speak only English, those who speak a language in addition to English, and those who speak English and another language “very well.” The team defined bilinguals as people who spoke English and another language very well. The team found that El Paso, Texas, is the most bilingual city in the U.S., with Los Angeles and San Jose, California, following behind. The least bilingual city is Detroit, Michigan, with Indianapolis, Indiana, and Nashville, Tennessee following behind. These are the top 10 most bilingual cities in the U.S.: 1. El Paso, TX 2. Los Angeles, CA 3. San Jose, CA 4. San Antonio, TX 5. New York, NY 6. Houston, TX 7. San Diego, CA 8. Phoenix, AZ 9. San Francisco, CA 10. Dallas, TX El Paso is a border city with Mexico, so it is not surprising that many residents here speak Spanish. The same is true of Los Angeles, where just under half of the residents are from Spanish-speaking ethnic groups. These are the 10 least bilingual cities in the U.S.: 1. Detroit, MI 2. Indianapolis, IN 3. Nashville, TN 4. Jacksonville, FL 5. Columbus, OH 6. Washington, D.C. 7. Charlotte, NC 8. Oklahoma City, OK 9. Philadelphia, PA 10. Seattle, WA Detroit, being the least bilingual, may be due to its shrinking population and its northern border with Canada, where most residents speak English.
