Persons Living in Households Where Language Other Than English Is Spoken

Age 5 and Over

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• The Census long form historically included questions about language(s) spoken at home and ability to speak English in the household. Those questions continue to be asked through the Census' American Community Survey. Respondents are asked to report how well they speak English. Categories used for reporting are "very well," "well," "not well," and "not at all." Those reported to speak English less than "very well" are considered to have difficulty speaking English.
• The percent of the population age 5 and above living in households where a language other than English is spoken (not necessarily to the exclusion of English) increased steadily.
• The percent of the population age 5 and above living in households where English is spoken less than "very well" has risen from 2.7% in 1980 to 7.9% in 2021.

Data source:

• Census Bureau Data

Related item:

• America Speaks: A Demographic Profile of Foreign-Language Speakers for the United States: 2000 - U.S. Census Bureau

E-mail: OFM.Forecasting@ofm.wa.gov