E.g., 04/19/2024
E.g., 04/19/2024
State Language Data - NE
 

Nebraska

Language & Education
2022
2000
1990
English Proficiency

Note: The term limited English proficient (LEP) refers to any person age 5 and older who reported speaking English "not at all," "not well," or "well" on their survey questionnaire. Persons who speak only English or who report speaking English "very well" are considered proficient in English.

Note: The term "foreign born" refers to people residing in the United States at the time of the population survey who were not U.S. citizens at birth. The foreign-born population includes naturalized U.S. citizens, lawful permanent immigrants (or green-card holders), refugees and asylees, certain legal nonimmigrants (including those on student, work, or some other temporary visas), and persons residing in the country without authorization.

Foreign Born
English Proficiency (age 5 and older) (%) 141,406
Speak only English 12.6%
Speak English "very well" 35.6%
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 51.7%
Limited English Proficient (LEP) Population: Change over Time  
% change: 2000-2022 79.7%
% change: 1990-2000 375.1%
English Proficiency of the Foreign Born by U.S. Citizenship Status (age 5 and older)*

Note: The term limited English proficient (LEP) refers to any person age 5 and older who reported speaking English "not at all," "not well," or "well" on their survey questionnaire. Persons who speak only English or who report speaking English "very well" are considered proficient in English. Data for Alaska, Maine, Mississippi, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming are from the Census Bureau's pooled 2018-2022 American Community Survey (ACS). Data for the United States overall and for the remaining states are from the 2022 ACS.

 
Naturalized citizens 63,371
Speak only English 18.2%
Speak English "very well" 41%
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 40.8%
Noncitizens 78,035
Speak only English 8.1%
Speak English "very well" 31.3%
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 60.6%

Note: The term "U.S. born" refers to people residing in the United States who were U.S. citizens in one of three categories: people born in one of the 50 states or the District of Columbia; people born in U.S. Insular Areas such as Puerto Rico or Guam; or people who were born abroad to at least one U.S. citizen parent.

U.S. Born
English Proficiency (age 5 and older) (%) 1,705,410
Speak only English 94.8%
Speak English ""very well"" 4.5%
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 0.8%
Limited English Proficient (LEP) Population: Change over Time  
% change: 2000-2011 -22.8%
% change: 1990-2000 30.8%
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
Foreign Born
English Proficiency (age 5 and older) (%) 72,948
Speak only English 15.3%
"Speak English ""very well"" 28.9%
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 55.8%
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
U.S. Born
English Proficiency (age 5 and older) (%) 1,521,752
Speak only English 95.8%
"Speak English ""very well"" 3.1%
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 1.1%
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
Foreign Born
English Proficiency (age 5 and older) (%) 26,274
Speak only English 32.2%
"Speak English ""very well"" 35.2%
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 32.6%
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
U.S. Born
English Proficiency (age 5 and older) (%) 1,430,963
Speak only English 96.4%
"Speak English ""very well"" 2.7%
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 0.9%
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 
Population (age 5 and older)
 
 
Language Spoken at Home (by age and English proficiency)

Note: The term limited English proficient (LEP) refers to any person age 5 and older who reported speaking English "not at all," "not well," or "well" on their survey questionnaire. Persons who speak only English or who report speaking English "very well" are considered proficient in English.

Number
Ages 5-17 353,590
Speak only English 309,563
Speak language other than English 44,027
Speak English "very well"
34,629
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP)
9,398
Speak Spanish 31,655
Speak English "very well"
25,356
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP)
6,299
Ages 18-64 1,158,329
Speak only English 1,007,680
Speak language other than English 150,649
Speak English "very well"
83,247
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP)
67,402
Speak Spanish 93,364
Speak English "very well"
47,912
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP)
45,452
65 and Older 334,897
Speak only English 316,685
Speak language other than English 18,212
Speak English "very well"
8,674
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP)
9,538
Speak Spanish 9,586
Speak English "very well"
3,654
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP)
5,932
%
65 and Older 100%
Speak only English 87.5%
Speak language other than English 12.5%
Speak English "very well" 9.8%
Speak English less than "very well" (LEP) 2.7%
Speak Spanish 9.0%
Speak English "very well" 7.2%
Speak English less than "very well" (LEP) 1.8%
Ages 18-64 100%
Speak only English 87.0%
Speak language other than English 13.0%
Speak English "very well" 7.2%
Speak English less than "very well" (LEP) 5.8%
Speak Spanish 8.1%
Speak English "very well" 4.1%
Speak English less than "very well" (LEP) 3.9%
Ages 5-17 100%
Speak only English 94.6%
Speak language other than English 5.4%
Speak English "very well" 2.6%
Speak English less than "very well" (LEP) 2.8%
Speak Spanish 2.9%
Speak English "very well" 1.1%
Speak English less than "very well" (LEP) 1.8%
 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 
Population (age 5 and older)
 
 
Language Spoken at Home (detailed, by English proficiency)

Note: 1) The term limited English proficient (LEP) refers to any person age 5 and older who reported speaking English "not at all," "not well," or "well" on their survey questionnaire. Persons who speak only English or who report speaking English "very well" are considered proficient in English. 2) Data for Alaska, Arkansas, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Maine, Mississippi, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming are from the U.S. Census Bureau's pooled 2018-2022 American Community Survey (ACS). Data for the United States overall and for the remaining states are from the 2022 ACS.

Number
Total Household Population, Age 5 and Older 1,846,816
Speak only English 1,633,928
Speak language other than English 212,888
Spanish 134,605
Speak English "very well" 76,922
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 57,683
French (Including Cajun) 3,663
Speak English "very well" 2,685
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 978
Haitian 508
Speak English "very well" 508
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) N
Italian 845
Speak English "very well" 574
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 271
Portuguese 759
Speak English "very well" 391
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 368
German 5,557
Speak English "very well" 4,920
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 637
Yiddish, Pennsylvania Dutch or Other West Germanic Languages 406
Speak English "very well" 360
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 46
Russian 2,409
Speak English "very well" 1,658
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 751
Polish 461
Speak English "very well" 122
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 339
Other Slavic Languages 3,644
Speak English "very well" 2,970
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 674
Armenian N
Speak English "very well" N
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) N
Persian (including Farsi, Dari) 2,602
Speak English "very well" 1,621
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 981
Gujarati 16
Speak English "very well" 8
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 8
Hindi 1,085
Speak English "very well" 1,085
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) N
Urdu 124
Speak English "very well" 124
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) N
Punjabi 389
Speak English "very well" 268
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 121
Bengali 503
Speak English "very well" 183
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 320
Nepali, Marathi, or Other Indic Languages 4,250
Speak English "very well" 2,183
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 2,067
Other Indo-European Languages 3,308
Speak English "very well" 1,947
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 1,361
Telugu 1,995
Speak English "very well" 1,765
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 230
Tamil 1,181
Speak English "very well" 365
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 816
Malayalam, Kannada, or Other Dravidian Languages 673
Speak English "very well" 673
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) N
Chinese (including Mandarin, Cantonese) 4,103
Speak English "very well" 2,275
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 1,828
Japanese 1,269
Speak English "very well" 913
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 356
Korean 673
Speak English "very well" 274
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 399
Hmong N
Speak English "very well" N
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) N
Vietnamese 7,746
Speak English "very well" 2,601
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 5,145
Khmer N
Speak English "very well" N
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) N
Thai, Lao, or Other Tai-Kadai Languages 716
Speak English "very well" 288
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 428
Other Languages of Asia 5,677
Speak English "very well" 2,975
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 2,702
Tagalog (including Filipino) 3,720
Speak English "very well" 2,899
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 821
Ilocano, Samoan, Hawaiian, or Other Austronesian Languages 1,255
Speak English "very well" 924
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 331
Arabic 7,219
Speak English "very well" 4,844
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 2,375
Hebrew 282
Speak English "very well" 167
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 115
Amharic, Somali, or Other Afro-Asiatic Languages 2,046
Speak English "very well" 289
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 1,757
Yoruba, Twi, Igbo, or Other Languages of Western Africa 1,499
Speak English "very well" 1,443
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 56
Swahili or Other Languages of Central, Eastern, and Southern Africa 4,414
Speak English "very well" 2,958
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 1,456
Native Languages of North America 1,191
Speak English "very well" 1,081
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 110
Other and Unspecified Languages 2,095
Speak English "very well" 1,287
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 808
%
Field 306 100%
Field 307 88.5%
Field 308 11.5%
Field 310 100%
Field 310 57.1%
Field 310 42.9%
Field 313 100%
Field 314 73.3%
Field 315 26.7%
Field 316 100%
Field 316 100.0%
Field 316 N
Field 319 100%
Field 319 67.9%
Field 319 32.1%
Field 322 100%
Field 322 51.5%
Field 322 48.5%
Field 325 100%
Field 325 88.5%
Field 325 11.5%
Field 328 100%
Field 328 88.7%
Field 328 11.3%
Field 331 100%
Field 331 68.8%
Field 331 31.2%
Field 334 100%
Field 334 26.5%
Field 334 73.5%
Field 337 100%
Field 337 81.5%
Field 337 18.5%
Field 340 100%
Field 340 N
Field 340 N
Field 343 100%
Field 343 62.3%
Field 343 37.7%
Field 346 100%
Field 346 50.0%
Field 346 50.0%
Field 349 100%
Field 349 100.0%
Field 349 N
Field 352 100%
Field 352 100.0%
Field 352 N
Field 355 100%
Field 355 68.9%
Field 355 31.1%
Field 358 100%
Field 358 36.4%
Field 358 63.6%
Field 361 100%
Field 361 51.4%
Field 361 48.6%
Field 364 100%
Field 364 58.9%
Field 364 41.1%
Field 367 100%
Field 367 88.5%
Field 367 11.5%
Field 370 100%
Field 370 30.9%
Field 370 69.1%
Field 373 100%
Field 373 100.0%
Field 373 N
Field 376 100%
Field 376 55.4%
Field 376 44.6%
Field 379 100%
Field 379 71.9%
Field 379 28.1%
Field 382 100%
Field 382 40.7%
Field 382 59.3%
Field 385 100%
Field 385 N
Field 385 N
Field 388 100%
Field 388 33.6%
Field 388 66.4%
Field 391 100%
Field 391 N
Field 391 N
Field 394 100%
Field 394 40.2%
Field 394 59.8%
Field 397 100%
Field 397 52.4%
Field 397 47.6%
Field 400 100%
Field 400 77.9%
Field 400 22.1%
Field 403 100%
Field 403 73.6%
Field 403 26.4%
Field 406 100%
Field 406 67.1%
Field 406 32.9%
Field 409 100%
Field 409 59.2%
Field 409 40.8%
Field 412 100%
Field 412 14.1%
Field 412 85.9%
Field 415 100%
Field 415 96.3%
Field 415 3.7%
Field 418 100%
Field 418 67.0%
Field 418 33.0%
Field 421 100%
Field 421 90.8%
Field 421 9.2%
Field 424 100%
Field 424 61.4%
Field 424 38.6%
 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
Educational Attainment Foreign Born
Population (age 25 and older) 119,775
Less than high school diploma 34.8%
High school diploma or GED 22.3%
Some college or associate's degree 16.8%
Bachelor's degree 13.8%
Graduate or professional degree 12.3%
% Foreign Born among Adults with  
Less than high school diploma 44.5%
Bachelor's degree or higher 7.0%
Educational Attainment: Change over Time  
Adults with no high school diploma  
% change: 2000-2022 69.0%
% change: 1990-2000 220.8%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher  
% change: 2000-2022 221.3%
% change: 1990-2000 85.3%
Educational Attainment by U.S. Citizenship Status (foreign-born adults, age 25 and older)

Note: 1) Data for Alaska, Maine, Mississippi, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming are from the U.S. Census Bureau's pooled 2018-2022 American Community Survey (ACS). Data for the United States overall and for the remaining states are from the 2022 ACS. 2) The letter N Indicates that a number could not be provided by the Census Bureau because the number of sample cases was too small for this state.

 
Naturalized citizens (%) 57,112
Less than high school diploma 27.3%
High school diploma or GED 21.5%
Some college or associate's degree 21.5%
Bachelor's degree 15%
Graduate or professional degree 14.7%
Noncitizens (%) 62,663
Less than high school diploma 41.6%
High school diploma or GED 23%
Some college or associate's degree 12.5%
Bachelor's degree 12.8%
Graduate or professional degree 10.1%
U.S. Born
Population (age 25 and older) 1,180,319
Less than high school diploma 4.4%
High school diploma or GED 25.4%
Some college or associate's degree 34.7%
Bachelor's degree 23.4%
Graduate or professional degree 12.1%
% Foreign Born among Adults with  
Nothing  
Nothing  
Educational Attainment: Change over Time  
Adults with no high school diploma  
% change: 2000-2011 -56.9%
% change: 1990-2000 -30.4%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher  
% change: 2000-2011 68.2%
% change: 1990-2000 37.4%
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
Foreign Born
Population (age 25 and older) 50,911
Less than high school diploma 48.4%
High school diploma or GED 18.4%
Some college or associate's degree 14.1%
Bachelor's degree 10.5%
Graduate or professional degree 8.6%
% Foreign Born among Adults with  
Less than high school diploma 17.0%
Bachelor's degree or higher 3.8%
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
U.S. Born
Population (age 25 and older) 1,036,170
Less than high school diploma 11.6%
High school diploma or GED 31.9%
Some college or associate's degree 32.4%
Bachelor's degree 17.0%
Graduate or professional degree 7.1%
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
Foreign Born
Population (age 25 and older) 21,571
Less than high school diploma 35.6%
High school diploma or GED 22.3%
Some college or associate's degree 17.7%
Bachelor's degree 11.9%
Graduate or professional degree 12.5%
% Foreign Born among Adults with  
Less than high school diploma 4.2%
Bachelor's degree or higher 2.8%
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
U.S. Born
Population (age 25 and older) 973,054
Less than high school diploma 17.8%
High school diploma or GED 35.4%
Some college or associate's degree 28.1%
Bachelor's degree 13.0%
Graduate or professional degree 5.7%
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Sources: Migration Policy Institute tabulations of the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS) and Decennial Census. Unless stated otherwise, 2022 data are from the one-year ACS file. For information about ACS definitions, click here. For ACS methodology, sampling error, and nonsampling error, click here. Estimates from 1990 and 2000 Decennial Census data as well as ACS microdata are from Steven Ruggles, Sarah Flood, Matthew Sobek, Daniel Backman, Annie Chen, Grace Cooper, Stephanie Richards, Renae Rogers, and Megan Schouweiler. IPUMS USA: Version 14.0 [dataset]. Minneapolis, MN: IPUMS, 2023. https://doi.org/10.18128/D010.V14.0​.

Definitions

  • The term "foreign born" refers to people residing in the United States at the time of the population survey who were not U.S. citizens at birth. The foreign-born population includes naturalized U.S. citizens, lawful permanent immigrants (or green-card holders), refugees and asylees, certain legal nonimmigrants (including those on student, work, or some other temporary visas), and persons residing in the country without authorization.
  • The term "U.S. born" refers to people residing in the United States who were U.S. citizens in one of three categories: people born in one of the 50 states or the District of Columbia; people born in U.S. Insular Areas such as Puerto Rico or Guam; or people who were born abroad to at least one U.S. citizen parent.
  • The term limited English proficient (LEP) refers to any person age 5 and older who reported speaking English “not at all,” “not well,” or “well” on their survey questionnaire. Persons who speak only English or who report speaking English “very well” are considered proficient in English.

Data-related notes

  • The letter N indicates that an estimate could not be provided by the Census Bureau because the number of sample cases was too small for this state.
  • For “English proficiency of the foreign born by U.S. citizenship status” and “Educational Attainment by U.S. Citizenship Status”: Data for Alaska, Maine, Mississippi, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming are from the Census Bureau's pooled 2018-2022 American Community Survey (ACS). Data for the United States overall and for the remaining states are from the 2022 ACS. 
  • For “Language Spoken at Home (detailed, by English proficiency)”: Data for Alaska, Arkansas, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Maine, Mississippi, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming are from the U.S. Census Bureau's pooled 2018-2022 American Community Survey (ACS). Data for the United States overall and for the remaining states are from the 2022 ACS.