E.g., 12/03/2023
E.g., 12/03/2023
State Language Data - NH
 

New Hampshire

Language & Education
2021
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) (%) 81,910
Speak only English 32.9%
Speak English "very well" 40.7%
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 26.4%
Limited English Proficient (LEP) Population: Change over Time  
% change: 2000-2021 40.1%
% change: 1990-2000 54.1%
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 2017-2021 American Community Survey (ACS). Data for the United States overall and for the remaining states are from the 2021 ACS.

 
Naturalized citizens 50,052
Speak only English 37.3%
Speak English "very well" 39.6%
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 23.1%
Noncitizens 31,858
Speak only English 26.1%
Speak English "very well" 42.4%
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 31.5%

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) (%) 1,244,862
Speak only English 96.2%
Speak English ""very well"" 3.3%
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 0.5%
Limited English Proficient (LEP) Population: Change over Time  
% change: 2000-2011 -48.3%
% change: 1990-2000 -12.2%
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
Foreign Born
English Proficiency (age 5 and older) (%) 53,164
Speak only English 35.6%
"Speak English ""very well"" 35.4%
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 29.0%
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
U.S. Born
English Proficiency (age 5 and older) (%) 1,107,176
Speak only English 94.4%
"Speak English ""very well"" 4.4%
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 1.1%
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
Foreign Born
English Proficiency (age 5 and older) (%) 39,910
Speak only English 42.1%
"Speak English ""very well"" 32.8%
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 25.1%
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
U.S. Born
English Proficiency (age 5 and older) (%) 979,908
Speak only English 93.5%
"Speak English ""very well"" 5.1%
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 1.5%
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 
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 5-17 194,034
Speak only English 181,916
Speak language other than English 12,118
Speak English "very well"
10,342
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP)
1,776
Speak Spanish 5,613
Speak English "very well"
5,083
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP)
530
Ages 18-64 864,997
Speak only English 789,867
Speak language other than English 75,130
Speak English "very well"
54,717
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP)
20,413
Speak Spanish 23,609
Speak English "very well"
17,318
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP)
6,291
65 and Older 267,741
Speak only English 252,813
Speak language other than English 14,928
Speak English "very well"
8,974
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP)
5,954
Speak Spanish 2,619
Speak English "very well"
1,159
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP)
1,460
%
65 and Older 100%
Speak only English 93.8%
Speak language other than English 6.2%
Speak English "very well" 5.3%
Speak English less than "very well" (LEP) 0.9%
Speak Spanish 2.9%
Speak English "very well" 2.6%
Speak English less than "very well" (LEP) 0.3%
Ages 18-64 100%
Speak only English 91.3%
Speak language other than English 8.7%
Speak English "very well" 6.3%
Speak English less than "very well" (LEP) 2.4%
Speak Spanish 2.7%
Speak English "very well" 2.0%
Speak English less than "very well" (LEP) 0.7%
Ages 5-17 100%
Speak only English 94.4%
Speak language other than English 5.6%
Speak English "very well" 3.4%
Speak English less than "very well" (LEP) 2.2%
Speak Spanish 1.0%
Speak English "very well" 0.4%
Speak English less than "very well" (LEP) 0.5%
 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 
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, Idaho, Maine, Mississippi, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming are from the U.S. Census Bureau's pooled 2017-2021 American Community Survey (ACS). Data for the United States overall and for the remaining states are from the 2021 ACS.

Number
Total Household Population, Age 5 and Older 1,308,666
Speak only English 1,203,558
Speak language other than English 105,108
Spanish 32,455
Speak English "very well" 21,593
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 10,862
French (Including Cajun) 16,958
Speak English "very well" 13,638
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 3,320
Haitian 394
Speak English "very well" 324
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 70
Italian 1,301
Speak English "very well" 1,211
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 90
Portuguese 5,167
Speak English "very well" 3,532
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 1,635
German 3,726
Speak English "very well" 3,235
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 491
Yiddish, Pennsylvania Dutch or Other West Germanic Languages 448
Speak English "very well" 448
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) N
Russian 2,129
Speak English "very well" 1,425
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 704
Polish 963
Speak English "very well" 743
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 220
Other Slavic Languages 2,067
Speak English "very well" 1,327
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 740
Armenian 129
Speak English "very well" 116
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 13
Persian (including Farsi, Dari) 205
Speak English "very well" 151
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 54
Gujarati 1,101
Speak English "very well" 827
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 274
Hindi 1,675
Speak English "very well" 1,468
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 207
Urdu 534
Speak English "very well" 464
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 70
Punjabi 359
Speak English "very well" 100
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 259
Bengali 238
Speak English "very well" 232
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 6
Nepali, Marathi, or Other Indic Languages 4,004
Speak English "very well" 1,927
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 2,077
Other Indo-European Languages 5,157
Speak English "very well" 4,209
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 948
Telugu 2,038
Speak English "very well" 1,475
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 563
Tamil 1,172
Speak English "very well" 1,119
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 53
Malayalam, Kannada, or Other Dravidian Languages 810
Speak English "very well" 759
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 51
Chinese (including Mandarin, Cantonese) 5,531
Speak English "very well" 3,102
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 2,429
Japanese 785
Speak English "very well" 645
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 140
Korean 1,468
Speak English "very well" 764
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 704
Hmong N
Speak English "very well" N
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) N
Vietnamese 2,216
Speak English "very well" 905
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 1,311
Khmer 280
Speak English "very well" 128
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 152
Thai, Lao, or Other Tai-Kadai Languages 1,232
Speak English "very well" 500
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 732
Other Languages of Asia 676
Speak English "very well" 387
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 289
Tagalog (including Filipino) 1,673
Speak English "very well" 1,373
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 300
Ilocano, Samoan, Hawaiian, or Other Austronesian Languages 694
Speak English "very well" 367
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 327
Arabic 2,807
Speak English "very well" 1,658
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 1,149
Hebrew 369
Speak English "very well" 330
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 39
Amharic, Somali, or Other Afro-Asiatic Languages 415
Speak English "very well" 304
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 111
Yoruba, Twi, Igbo, or Other Languages of Western Africa 764
Speak English "very well" 633
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 131
Swahili or Other Languages of Central, Eastern, and Southern Africa 1,953
Speak English "very well" 1,190
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 763
Native Languages of North America 214
Speak English "very well" 154
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 60
Other and Unspecified Languages 1,001
Speak English "very well" 939
Speak English less than “very well” (LEP) 62
%
Field 306 100%
Field 307 92.0%
Field 308 8.0%
Field 310 100%
Field 310 66.5%
Field 310 33.5%
Field 313 100%
Field 314 80.4%
Field 315 19.6%
Field 316 100%
Field 316 82.2%
Field 316 17.8%
Field 319 100%
Field 319 93.1%
Field 319 6.9%
Field 322 100%
Field 322 68.4%
Field 322 31.6%
Field 325 100%
Field 325 86.8%
Field 325 13.2%
Field 328 100%
Field 328 100.0%
Field 328 N
Field 331 100%
Field 331 66.9%
Field 331 33.1%
Field 334 100%
Field 334 77.2%
Field 334 22.8%
Field 337 100%
Field 337 64.2%
Field 337 35.8%
Field 340 100%
Field 340 89.9%
Field 340 10.1%
Field 343 100%
Field 343 73.7%
Field 343 26.3%
Field 346 100%
Field 346 75.1%
Field 346 24.9%
Field 349 100%
Field 349 87.6%
Field 349 12.4%
Field 352 100%
Field 352 86.9%
Field 352 13.1%
Field 355 100%
Field 355 27.9%
Field 355 72.1%
Field 358 100%
Field 358 97.5%
Field 358 2.5%
Field 361 100%
Field 361 48.1%
Field 361 51.9%
Field 364 100%
Field 364 81.6%
Field 364 18.4%
Field 367 100%
Field 367 72.4%
Field 367 27.6%
Field 370 100%
Field 370 95.5%
Field 370 4.5%
Field 373 100%
Field 373 93.7%
Field 373 6.3%
Field 376 100%
Field 376 56.1%
Field 376 43.9%
Field 379 100%
Field 379 82.2%
Field 379 17.8%
Field 382 100%
Field 382 52.0%
Field 382 48.0%
Field 385 100%
Field 385 N
Field 385 N
Field 388 100%
Field 388 40.8%
Field 388 59.2%
Field 391 100%
Field 391 45.7%
Field 391 54.3%
Field 394 100%
Field 394 40.6%
Field 394 59.4%
Field 397 100%
Field 397 57.2%
Field 397 42.8%
Field 400 100%
Field 400 82.1%
Field 400 17.9%
Field 403 100%
Field 403 52.9%
Field 403 47.1%
Field 406 100%
Field 406 59.1%
Field 406 40.9%
Field 409 100%
Field 409 89.4%
Field 409 10.6%
Field 412 100%
Field 412 73.3%
Field 412 26.7%
Field 415 100%
Field 415 82.9%
Field 415 17.1%
Field 418 100%
Field 418 60.9%
Field 418 39.1%
Field 421 100%
Field 421 72.0%
Field 421 28.0%
Field 424 100%
Field 424 93.8%
Field 424 6.2%
 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
Educational Attainment Foreign Born
Population (age 25 and older) 71,340
Less than high school diploma 12.8%
High school diploma or GED 21.4%
Some college or associate's degree 18.8%
Bachelor's degree 25.9%
Graduate or professional degree 21.0%
% Foreign Born among Adults with  
Less than high school diploma 16.3%
Bachelor's degree or higher 8.2%
Educational Attainment: Change over Time  
Adults with no high school diploma  
% change: 2000-2021 -10.2%
% change: 1990-2000 -17.9%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher  
% change: 2000-2021 146.3%
% change: 1990-2000 65.3%
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 2017-2021 American Community Survey (ACS). Data for the United States overall and for the remaining states are from the 2021 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 (%) 44,922
Less than high school diploma 11.9%
High school diploma or GED 22.4%
Some college or associate's degree 21.8%
Bachelor's degree 23.3%
Graduate or professional degree 20.7%
Noncitizens (%) 26,418
Less than high school diploma 14.5%
High school diploma or GED 19.7%
Some college or associate's degree 13.8%
Bachelor's degree 30.5%
Graduate or professional degree 21.5%
U.S. Born
Population (age 25 and older) 936,978
Less than high school diploma 5.0%
High school diploma or GED 27.0%
Some college or associate's degree 28.3%
Bachelor's degree 24.4%
Graduate or professional degree 15.3%
% Foreign Born among Adults with  
Nothing  
Nothing  
Educational Attainment: Change over Time  
Adults with no high school diploma  
% change: 2000-2011 -49.3%
% change: 1990-2000 -17.6%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher  
% change: 2000-2011 68.1%
% change: 1990-2000 34.7%
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
Foreign Born
Population (age 25 and older) 43,138
Less than high school diploma 23.7%
High school diploma or GED 20.4%
Some college or associate's degree 24.5%
Bachelor's degree 17.7%
Graduate or professional degree 13.8%
% Foreign Born among Adults with  
Less than high school diploma 9.9%
Bachelor's degree or higher 5.8%
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
U.S. Born
Population (age 25 and older) 778,539
Less than high school diploma 11.9%
High school diploma or GED 30.5%
Some college or associate's degree 29.1%
Bachelor's degree 18.7%
Graduate or professional degree 9.8%
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
Foreign Born
Population (age 25 and older) 35,802
Less than high school diploma 34.7%
High school diploma or GED 23.3%
Some college or associate's degree 19.0%
Bachelor's degree 11.9%
Graduate or professional degree 11.1%
% Foreign Born among Adults with  
Less than high school diploma 10.0%
Bachelor's degree or higher 4.8%
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
U.S. Born
Population (age 25 and older) 676,449
Less than high school diploma 16.6%
High school diploma or GED 32.3%
Some college or associate's degree 26.8%
Bachelor's degree 16.5%
Graduate or professional degree 7.8%
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Sources: Migration Policy Institute tabulations of the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS) and Decennial Census. Unless stated otherwise, 2021 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, Ronald Goeken, Megan Schouweiler and Matthew Sobek. IPUMS USA: Version 12.0 [dataset]. Minneapolis, MN: IPUMS, 2022. https://doi.org/10.18128/D010.V12.0.

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 2017-2021 American Community Survey (ACS). Data for the United States overall and for the remaining states are from the 2021 ACS. 
  • For “Language Spoken at Home (detailed, by English proficiency)”: Data for Alaska, Arkansas, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Idaho, Maine, Mississippi, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming are from the U.S. Census Bureau's pooled 2017-2021 American Community Survey (ACS). Data for the United States overall and for the remaining states are from the 2021 ACS.