CensusScope is a product of the Social Science Data Analysis Network.
Peoria-Pekin, IL |
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LANGUAGE
The Census asks questions about language use at home to locate groups of people who speak a language other than English. Their isolation or integration into a primarily English speaking community can be determined by their ability to speak English proficiently.
| Language Spoken at Home, 1990-2000 | ||||
| 1990 | 2000 | |||
| Number | Percent | Number | Percent | |
| Only English | 303,994 | 96.31% | 310,096 | 95.56% |
| Spanish | 3,941 | 1.25% | 5,763 | 1.78% |
| Other Indo-European* | 5,740 | 1.82% | 5,290 | 1.63% |
| Asian Language** | 1,335 | 0.42% | 2,132 | 0.66% |
| Other | 627 | 0.20% | 1,230 | 0.38% |
| Total Population Age 5+ | 315,637 | 100.00% | 324,511 | 100.00% |
| Population Speaking English Less Than "Very Well" in 2000 | ||
| Language Spoken at Home: | Number | Percent |
| Spanish | 2,095 | 36.35% |
| Other Indo-European* | 1,334 | 25.22% |
| Asian Language** | 969 | 45.45% |
| Other Language | 340 | 27.64% |
| Total | 4,738 | 1.46% |
| Population Speaking English Less Than "Very Well" in 1990 | ||
| Language Spoken at Home: | Number | Percent |
| Spanish | 1,324 | 33.60% |
| Other Indo-European* | 1,639 | 28.55% |
| Asian Language** | 699 | 52.36% |
| Other Language | 180 | 28.71% |
| Total | 3,842 | 1.22% |
* "Other Indo-European" excludes English and Spanish. "Indo-European" is not synonymous with "European." French, German, Hindi, and Persian are all classified as Indo-European. Hungarian, on the other hand, is lumped into "Other Language."
** "Asian Language" includes languages indigenous to Asia and Pacific islands areas that are not also Indo-European languages. Chinese, Japanese, Telugu, and Hawaiian are all classified here.
Also note that ability to speak English "very well" is based on the self-assessment of those responding to Census questions, not on a test of language ability.
Source: Census 2000 analyzed by the Social Science Data Analysis Network (SSDAN).
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