Demographic Data
DOJ’s June 18, 2002 “Final Guidance for Recipients of Federal Financial Assistance Recipients” identifies four factors to assess in determining what language services to provide in a recipient’s service area. The first of these factors is the number or proportion of LEP persons from a particular language group served or encountered. The greater the number or proportion of these LEP persons, the more likely language services are needed.
In making this determination, recipients should consider those language minority populations that are eligible for programs but may be underserved because of existing language barriers. The Guidance states that the focus of the analysis is on lack of English proficiency, not the ability to speak more than one language. Thus, the starting point for providing meaningful access to services for persons who are LEP and maintaining an effective LEP program is to identify LEP persons in a respective service area and their language characteristics.
Demographic data from sources such as the U.S. Census Bureau, school districts, community organizations, and state and local governments can provide a picture of LEP populations. The following is a list of some useful resources and links to data.
Federal Sources
U.S. Census Bureau
Two main sources of data: Decennial Census and American Community Survey (ACS).
- Major Differences between the decennial Census and ACS (adapted in part from Accessing and Using Language Data from the Census Bureau):
- The decennial Census through the year 2000 used both a “short” and a “long” form for data collection, with the long form containing questions about language spoken at home and ability to speak English.
- Detailed data, historically collected on the long form in the Decennial Census, are now collected every year in the ACS.
- The ACS publishes population and housing information every year instead of only once every ten years.
- ACS data are period estimates, describing the average characteristics over a several year period in which the sample was collected and aggregated.
- The ACS has not collected data over enough years yet to allow publishing estimates for all the geographic entities available with Census 2000 data.
- ACS releases 3-year and 1-year estimates for large geographic areas such as states and counties with sufficiently large sample sizes.
- 5-years of sample data are needed for the ACS to produce estimates comparable to the Census 2000 long form sample.
- The ACS estimates have already published data for states and most counties, and will include the same small geographic areas as Census 2000 beginning in 2010.
- The ACS has a smaller sample size for 5-year estimates compared with the Census 2000 sample, which results in reductions in reliability of estimates—it is important to consider margins of error.
- The Census 2010 will focus on the count and basic demographics (formerly known as the “short form”).
- It is important to note that language data tables from both the Decennial Census and the ACS may provide specific language data only on Spanish speakers. These data tables also provide data on broad language categories such as “”Other Indo European Languages,” “Asian and Pacific Island Languages,” and “All other Languages” but do not provide data for specific languages within these categories.
- In searching for specific data on languages other than Spanish, you may need to seek additional sources to supplement Decennial Census and ACS data.
Glossaries: The Census Bureau’s glossaries are a good place to start to understand commonly used terms such as “ability to speak English,” “block group,” “census tract,” “race,” and “ethnic groups.” The list below contains a few helpful options to identify terms but is not an exhaustive list of the resources for locating definitions on the Census Bureau’s website.
Ask Census—a great tool to find definitions as well as locate useful resources.
Brief Listing of the Census Bureau’s decennial Census Language Information
The Census 2000 Brief on national language data contains useful overview information
Census 2000 Language Data
Summary File 3: Language Data Tables:
How to examine data for one or more particular geographic areas: From the link above, select “Census 2000 Summary File 3” (SF 3); from the list to the right of SF 3, select “List all tables” or enter a table number (e.g., PCT11) from “Enter a table number.” The following are language data tables that may be useful.
- P19 Age by Language Spoken at Home by Ability to Speak English for the Population 5 Years and Over P20 Household Language by Linguistic Isolation
- PCT10 Age by Language Spoken at Home for the Population 5 Years and Over **This data table provides the largest number of language groups (39) of any of the tables listed here.
- PCT11 Language Spoken at Home by Ability to Speak English for the Population 5 Years and Over (HISPANIC OR LATINO)
- PCT12 Nativity by Language Spoken at Home By Ability to Speak English for the Population 5 Years and Over
- PCT 13 Age by Language Spoken at Home for the Population 5 Years and Over in Linguistically Isolated Households
- PCT 14 Language Density by Linguistic Isolation by Age for the Population 5 Years and Over in Households
- PCT62A-I Age by Language Spoken at Home by Ability to Speak English for the Population 5 Years and Over (A-I tables correspond to specified race)
Note: to show a table with many areas, such as all counties within a state, choose the “Geo within Geo” tab and fill in the areas of interest.
American Community Survey (ACS)
If you are new to the ACS, the following introductory information will help you understand the product:
Questions and Answers about ACS
Accessing and Using Language Data from the Census Bureau: Presentation from the 2007 Federal Interagency Conference on Limited English Proficiency. This provides answers to frequently asked questions and a step by step guide to accessing data sets from the American Community Survey.
General Origin & Language Information
Origins & Language Data (primarily national-level data)
American Community Survey Data Sets:
How to examine data for one or more particular geographic areas: From the link above, select relevant ACS year, then from the list on the right select a table number (e.g., B16001) from “List all tables” or enter a table number from “Enter a table number.” The following are language data tables that may be useful.
- B06007 Place of Birth by Language Spoken at Home and Ability to Speak English
- B08113 Means of Transportation to Work by Language Spoken at Home and Ability to Speak English
- B08114 Aggregate Travel Time to Work by Language Spoken at Home and Ability to Speak English
- B16001 For the Population 5 Years and Over Language Spoken at Home by Ability to Speak English ** This data table provides the largest number of language groups (39) of any of the tables listed here.
- B16002 Households Household Language by Linguistic Isolation
- B16003 Age by Language Spoken at Home in Linguistically Isolated Households for Population 5+ Years
- B16004 Age by Language Spoken at Home by Ability to Speak English for the Population 5+ Years
- B16005 Nativity by Language Spoken at Home by Ability to Speak English (B16005 A-I = 9 tables by race plus total)
- B16006 Hispanic or Latino Population 5 Years and Over by Language Spoken at Home
- B16007 Age by Language Spoken at Home for the Population 5+ Years
- B16008 Citizenship Status by Age by Language Spoken at Home
- B16009 Poverty Status in the Past 12 Months by Age by Language Spoken at Home
- B16010 For the Population 25 Years and Over Educational Attainment and Employment Status by Language Spoken at Home
Special Tabulations of Census data involving language include:
- For U.S. counties and states, four language groups are shown: Spanish or Spanish Creole, Other Indo-European, Asian or Pacific Island, Other.
- For data to be shown there must be three un-weighted speakers of a given language group in different households.
STP224 - Language Spoken at Home for the Population 5 Years and Over
- For geographic areas down to census tracts, detailed languages are shown for each geographic area if there are at least three un-weighted speakers of a given language group in different households.
- For geographic areas down to places and census tracts of 2,500 or more, this provides detailed tabulations showing social, economic, and housing characteristics of the older population. Ability to speak English data is available in five tables with age, sex, poverty status, and types of disabilities. Also referred to as the "Census 2000 Special Tabulation on Aging."
Miscellaneous Publications
Census 2000, Summary Tables on Language Use and English Ability: 2000 (PHC-T-20)
Census 2000, English Speaking Ability by Language and State (2000)
2007 Statistical Abstract of the United States—Ancestry, Languages Spoken at Home
Department of Education Language-Related Data
Data Tools: State and School District Profiles has language data tables for school districts within the data category “social characteristics”
2000-01 LEP Data from 100 largest Public Elementary and Secondary School Districts
English Literacy and Language Minorities in the United States
- The Department of Labor Census Data Special Tabulation on LEP Status for states and Workforce Investment Areas (which are often counties)
Non-Government SitesThe resources provided below are a sampling of links that may be useful but are not necessarily endorsed by the Department of Justice or by the Federal Interagency Working Group on LEP.
- U.S. Immigration Statistics by State -- The state-by-state immigration statistics found on this site were gathered from the following sources: 2000 Census, U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service, U.S. Census Bureau, and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Refugee Resettlement
- The Asian Pacific American Legal Center (APALC) Study - “California Speaks: Language Diversity and English Proficiency by Legislative District” - The report provides detailed information on language, limited English proficiency, and related characteristics for 20 racial and ethnic groups in every state assembly, state senate, and congressional district in California.
- The Modern Language Association web site provides an interactive map display of the number and proportion of non-English speakers for 33 language and language groups based on Census 2000 data.
- FairData has compiled downloadable reports based on Tables P19 and P20 from the Census 2000 data for states and counties, as well as interactive maps of the limited English proficient Spanish-speaking population