Languages Spoken in Michigan
Linguistic diversity, English proficiency, and languages spoken at home across Michigan cities
Language Overview
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSCities with Data
50
of top 50 by population
Most Multilingual City
Hamtramck
28.4% English only
Avg. Limited English
5.8%
across reported cities
Across the top 50 cities in Michigan with language data, Hamtramck stands out as the most linguistically diverse, with only 28.4% of residents speaking English exclusively at home. On average, 5.8% of residents across these cities have limited English proficiency, meaning they speak English less than "very well."
Most Multilingual Cities in Michigan
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS| # | City | Population | English Only % | Spanish % | Asian/Pacific % | Limited English % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hamtramck | 27,830 | 28.4% | 0.3% | 0.9% | 46.4% |
| 2 | Dearborn | 107,846 | 48.6% | 1.4% | 1.1% | 22.1% |
| 3 | Dearborn Heights | 62,099 | 58.7% | 2.6% | 0.8% | 15.6% |
| 4 | Sterling Heights | 133,473 | 65.4% | 1.1% | 4.0% | 14.8% |
| 5 | Troy | 87,307 | 66.4% | 1.6% | 14.1% | 9.4% |
| 6 | Novi | 66,224 | 68.3% | 3.2% | 17.0% | 10.4% |
| 7 | Okemos | 25,503 | 70.8% | 2.9% | 15.4% | 7.5% |
| 8 | Rochester Hills | 76,086 | 76.4% | 3.5% | 7.2% | 6.8% |
| 9 | Farmington Hills | 83,316 | 76.5% | 1.3% | 6.7% | 6.2% |
| 10 | Kentwood | 54,114 | 77.2% | 5.2% | 6.0% | 12.2% |
| 11 | Ann Arbor | 121,179 | 77.6% | 3.3% | 9.5% | 5.8% |
| 12 | Wyoming | 76,865 | 78.2% | 17.5% | 1.4% | 9.2% |
| 13 | Pontiac | 61,914 | 79.0% | 16.4% | 3.0% | 8.6% |
| 14 | Lincoln Park | 39,511 | 80.5% | 16.6% | 0.5% | 6.1% |
| 15 | Warren | 138,128 | 81.0% | 1.0% | 3.6% | 9.2% |
| 16 | Grand Rapids | 197,768 | 83.2% | 11.1% | 1.7% | 8.2% |
| 17 | Madison Heights | 28,411 | 84.1% | 1.5% | 6.2% | 8.3% |
| 18 | East Lansing | 45,394 | 84.5% | 3.0% | 6.2% | 3.0% |
| 19 | Holland | 34,266 | 84.6% | 11.9% | 2.2% | 5.8% |
| 20 | Lansing | 112,546 | 84.6% | 5.7% | 3.0% | 5.9% |
| 21 | Westland | 84,155 | 87.2% | 2.8% | 2.1% | 4.6% |
| 22 | Battle Creek | 52,392 | 87.9% | 5.3% | 4.5% | 4.7% |
| 23 | Kalamazoo | 73,132 | 88.7% | 5.5% | 1.0% | 3.1% |
| 24 | Detroit | 636,644 | 88.9% | 6.5% | 0.4% | 5.2% |
| 25 | Livonia | 94,058 | 88.9% | 1.9% | 2.3% | 3.2% |
| 26 | Allen Park | 28,128 | 89.1% | 6.6% | 1.3% | 2.5% |
| 27 | Taylor | 62,405 | 89.5% | 3.7% | 0.7% | 3.6% |
| 28 | Oak Park | 29,370 | 89.5% | 0.8% | 2.7% | 5.0% |
| 29 | Southgate | 29,551 | 89.9% | 3.3% | 1.7% | 3.5% |
| 30 | Southfield | 76,025 | 90.2% | 1.7% | 1.2% | 3.0% |
| 31 | Forest Hills | 28,494 | 91.0% | 3.4% | 3.0% | 3.1% |
| 32 | Inkster | 25,602 | 91.6% | 0.9% | 2.0% | 2.9% |
| 33 | Portage | 49,015 | 91.8% | 3.0% | 2.0% | 1.6% |
| 34 | Muskegon | 37,203 | 92.4% | 6.3% | 0.4% | 2.6% |
| 35 | Royal Oak | 57,880 | 92.7% | 1.6% | 1.6% | 1.7% |
| 36 | Roseville | 47,240 | 92.9% | 1.9% | 1.3% | 2.5% |
| 37 | Holt | 25,275 | 93.1% | 1.6% | 2.5% | 2.9% |
| 38 | Walker | 25,201 | 93.5% | 1.9% | 1.8% | 2.0% |
| 39 | Garden City | 26,910 | 94.0% | 1.1% | 0.4% | 1.3% |
| 40 | Midland | 42,461 | 94.5% | 1.4% | 1.7% | 1.5% |
| 41 | St. Clair Shores | 58,287 | 95.1% | 1.0% | 0.6% | 1.2% |
| 42 | Flint | 80,835 | 95.4% | 1.9% | 0.7% | 1.9% |
| 43 | Jackson | 31,206 | 95.5% | 2.6% | 0.3% | 1.5% |
| 44 | Bay City | 32,445 | 96.2% | 2.0% | 0.4% | 1.1% |
| 45 | Saginaw | 43,879 | 96.4% | 2.6% | 0.2% | 0.8% |
| 46 | Burton | 29,529 | 96.8% | 1.7% | 0.1% | 0.7% |
| 47 | Port Huron | 28,724 | 97.0% | 1.8% | 0.7% | 0.7% |
| 48 | Allendale | 25,741 | 97.3% | 1.4% | 0.3% | 0.5% |
| 49 | Norton Shores | 25,000 | 97.3% | 1.0% | 0.2% | 0.4% |
| 50 | Eastpointe | 34,003 | 97.3% | 0.3% | 0.5% | 1.1% |
This table ranks Michigan cities by linguistic diversity, ordered from the lowest percentage of English-only speakers to the highest. Cities at the top have the greatest share of residents who speak a language other than English at home. Spanish is the most common non-English language in most Michigan cities, though Asian and Pacific Island languages are also significant in many communities.