The Most Commonly Spoken Foreign Language in Every State

New York is home to the second largest Chinese-speaking population in the nation. More than 587,000 people in the state speak a Chinese language, or 3.19% of the state’s population.

North Carolina is one of four states where French is the most commonly spoken language aside from English and Spanish. Towns with significant French-speaking populations include Waves and Corolla, on the Outer Banks, and Caroleen.

While just over 5,600 North Dakota residents speak German at home, about a third of people in the state have German ancestry. German is the leading foreign language after Spanish, with 0.8% of the population speaking it — about 1 percentage point less than the 1.8% who speak Spanish.

Yiddish, Pennsylvania Dutch, or other West Germanic languages have overtaken Arabic and Chinese as the most commonly spoken foreign languages in Ohio after Spanish. However, the difference is small — 44,168 (0.40%) residents speak Arabic, 46,420 (0.42%) residents speak a Chinese language, and 54,186 (0.49%) speak Yiddish, Pennsylvania Dutch or other West Germanic languages.

The most commonly spoken foreign language other than Spanish in Oklahoma is Vietnamese. Oklahoma City has a Vietnamese community, with many living in an area also known as “Little Saigon,” which is home to restaurants, supermarkets, and nightlife.