The Most Commonly Spoken Foreign Languages In Each State

Chinese is the most commonly spoken foreign language in 19 states, including Colorado. Chinese immigrants were the first Asian immigrants to reach and settle in the Great Plains region, moving from California after the end of the Gold Rush era.

Portuguese is the leading foreign language in three states, including Connecticut. More than 36,000 state residents speak Portuguese, or about 1.07% of Connecticut’s population.

Portuguese immigrants first started moving to New England in the late 19th century. Some of them settled in Connecticut, mostly New Haven.

Delaware is one of 19 states where the leading foreign language is forms of Chinese, such as Mandarin and Cantonese. There are pockets of Chinese speakers in the towns of Hockessin and Newark.

The Sunshine State is home to the largest Haitian-speaking population in the country. Of the nearly 855,000 people who speak Haitian in the U.S., nearly 428,000 live in Florida, and most of them speak Haitian Creole, one of the official languages of Haiti.

Georgia is one of 19 states with Chinese as the most commonly spoken foreign language, after Spanish. The cities with the largest Asian population in the state are Morrow, Johns Creek, Duluth, and Clarkston.