CensusScope is a product of the Social Science Data Analysis Network.
Des Moines County |
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 | 38,467 | 96.74% | 38,521 | 96.86% |
| Spanish | 715 | 1.80% | 652 | 1.64% |
| Other Indo-European* | 433 | 1.09% | 368 | 0.93% |
| Asian Language** | 109 | 0.27% | 181 | 0.46% |
| Other | 38 | 0.10% | 47 | 0.12% |
| Total Population Age 5+ | 39,762 | 100.00% | 39,769 | 100.00% |
| Population Speaking English Less Than "Very Well" in 2000 | ||
| Language Spoken at Home: | Number | Percent |
| Spanish | 234 | 35.89% |
| Other Indo-European* | 104 | 28.26% |
| Asian Language** | 112 | 61.88% |
| Other Language | 17 | 36.17% |
| Total | 467 | 1.17% |
| Population Speaking English Less Than "Very Well" in 1990 | ||
| Language Spoken at Home: | Number | Percent |
| Spanish | 224 | 31.33% |
| Other Indo-European* | 130 | 30.02% |
| Asian Language** | 46 | 42.20% |
| Other Language | 5 | 13.16% |
| Total | 405 | 1.02% |
* "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