CensusScope is a product of the Social Science Data Analysis Network.
Delaware |
Print-Friendly Version |
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 | 575,393 | 93.15% | 662,845 | 90.51% |
| Spanish | 15,302 | 2.48% | 34,690 | 4.74% |
| Other Indo-European* | 20,517 | 3.32% | 22,584 | 3.08% |
| Asian Language** | 5,073 | 0.82% | 9,359 | 1.28% |
| Other | 1,435 | 0.23% | 2,900 | 0.40% |
| Total Population Age 5+ | 617,720 | 100.00% | 732,378 | 100.00% |
| Population Speaking English Less Than "Very Well" in 2000 | ||
| Language Spoken at Home: | Number | Percent |
| Spanish | 17,116 | 49.34% |
| Other Indo-European* | 6,411 | 28.39% |
| Asian Language** | 4,201 | 44.89% |
| Other Language | 652 | 22.48% |
| Total | 28,380 | 3.88% |
| Population Speaking English Less Than "Very Well" in 1990 | ||
| Language Spoken at Home: | Number | Percent |
| Spanish | 5,855 | 38.26% |
| Other Indo-European* | 6,120 | 29.83% |
| Asian Language** | 2,223 | 43.82% |
| Other Language | 371 | 25.85% |
| Total | 14,569 | 2.36% |
* "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).
Home | About | Help | Contact | Use Policy