Languages Spoken in North Carolina
Linguistic diversity, English proficiency, and languages spoken at home across North Carolina cities
Language Overview
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSCities with Data
50
of top 50 by population
Most Multilingual City
Morrisville
59.0% English only
Avg. Limited English
5.6%
across reported cities
Across the top 50 cities in North Carolina with language data, Morrisville stands out as the most linguistically diverse, with only 59.0% of residents speaking English exclusively at home. On average, 5.6% of residents across these cities have limited English proficiency, meaning they speak English less than "very well."
Most Multilingual Cities in North Carolina
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS| # | City | Population | English Only % | Spanish % | Asian/Pacific % | Limited English % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Morrisville | 30,471 | 59.0% | 1.6% | 17.6% | 9.9% |
| 2 | Monroe | 35,596 | 69.5% | 28.7% | 0.3% | 15.0% |
| 3 | Sanford | 30,833 | 70.4% | 26.9% | 0.8% | 14.2% |
| 4 | Asheboro | 27,353 | 71.5% | 26.1% | 0.2% | 9.6% |
| 5 | Cary | 176,686 | 73.6% | 5.9% | 10.3% | 7.7% |
| 6 | Charlotte | 886,283 | 76.6% | 14.4% | 3.6% | 10.9% |
| 7 | Lexington | 19,691 | 77.8% | 19.1% | 2.1% | 8.8% |
| 8 | Apex | 67,765 | 78.3% | 4.4% | 9.1% | 5.0% |
| 9 | High Point | 115,263 | 78.7% | 9.9% | 4.1% | 9.1% |
| 10 | Waxhaw | 21,565 | 79.6% | 6.6% | 3.9% | 3.8% |
| 11 | Durham | 288,465 | 79.8% | 12.8% | 3.2% | 7.7% |
| 12 | Statesville | 29,161 | 80.5% | 15.0% | 1.9% | 9.9% |
| 13 | Burlington | 58,599 | 80.6% | 16.4% | 1.4% | 9.0% |
| 14 | Chapel Hill | 59,889 | 81.0% | 5.7% | 8.1% | 4.9% |
| 15 | Concord | 106,518 | 81.0% | 11.9% | 3.3% | 6.0% |
| 16 | Winston-Salem | 250,887 | 81.2% | 14.9% | 1.5% | 6.9% |
| 17 | Raleigh | 470,763 | 81.3% | 10.2% | 2.5% | 6.7% |
| 18 | Indian Trail | 41,146 | 81.3% | 11.5% | 1.6% | 7.3% |
| 19 | Greensboro | 298,564 | 82.5% | 7.5% | 3.4% | 6.9% |
| 20 | Carrboro | 21,170 | 82.9% | 7.7% | 4.3% | 6.4% |
| 21 | Mint Hill | 26,954 | 83.3% | 9.4% | 2.8% | 6.9% |
| 22 | Matthews | 29,959 | 83.4% | 4.4% | 3.8% | 6.4% |
| 23 | Clayton | 28,043 | 83.7% | 11.7% | 0.1% | 6.3% |
| 24 | Thomasville | 27,261 | 83.7% | 14.5% | 0.5% | 6.8% |
| 25 | Jacksonville | 73,507 | 84.8% | 10.8% | 1.9% | 3.8% |
| 26 | Hickory | 43,747 | 86.0% | 10.1% | 2.8% | 5.0% |
| 27 | Fayetteville | 209,692 | 86.2% | 8.1% | 2.4% | 3.7% |
| 28 | Kannapolis | 56,470 | 87.4% | 9.3% | 1.6% | 4.1% |
| 29 | Garner | 32,543 | 87.4% | 9.2% | 0.6% | 4.3% |
| 30 | Clemmons | 21,574 | 88.1% | 4.5% | 4.4% | 4.0% |
| 31 | Wilson | 47,740 | 88.1% | 10.1% | 0.9% | 3.6% |
| 32 | Salisbury | 35,730 | 88.2% | 8.9% | 0.7% | 5.6% |
| 33 | Gastonia | 81,632 | 88.2% | 9.7% | 0.7% | 4.7% |
| 34 | Holly Springs | 43,429 | 88.2% | 2.6% | 2.7% | 2.2% |
| 35 | Huntersville | 62,458 | 88.6% | 5.2% | 2.4% | 3.3% |
| 36 | Mooresville | 51,447 | 88.8% | 4.9% | 3.4% | 3.3% |
| 37 | Kernersville | 27,439 | 89.1% | 8.1% | 1.6% | 4.5% |
| 38 | New Bern | 31,563 | 89.6% | 5.0% | 4.1% | 4.2% |
| 39 | Asheville | 94,369 | 90.2% | 5.9% | 0.6% | 4.6% |
| 40 | Fuquay-Varina | 37,749 | 90.4% | 4.8% | 1.6% | 2.6% |
| 41 | Wilmington | 118,578 | 90.6% | 6.3% | 0.9% | 4.0% |
| 42 | Wake Forest | 51,199 | 91.0% | 3.7% | 1.5% | 1.9% |
| 43 | Cornelius | 32,009 | 91.7% | 3.8% | 1.0% | 3.8% |
| 44 | Goldsboro | 33,448 | 92.0% | 4.8% | 1.2% | 2.0% |
| 45 | Boone | 19,534 | 93.5% | 3.6% | 1.2% | 2.7% |
| 46 | Leland | 26,307 | 93.9% | 4.0% | 0.4% | 2.7% |
| 47 | Greenville | 88,540 | 94.7% | 2.4% | 1.7% | 1.8% |
| 48 | Rocky Mount | 54,175 | 94.7% | 3.3% | 0.4% | 0.9% |
| 49 | Shelby | 21,868 | 94.9% | 3.8% | 0.3% | 2.2% |
| 50 | Kinston | 19,576 | 95.5% | 2.6% | 1.0% | 1.2% |
This table ranks North Carolina 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 North Carolina cities, though Asian and Pacific Island languages are also significant in many communities.