CensusScope is a product of the Social Science Data Analysis Network.
San Mateo 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 | 411,194 | 67.89% | 387,594 | 58.50% |
| Spanish | 82,509 | 13.62% | 119,972 | 18.11% |
| Other Indo-European* | 33,918 | 5.60% | 44,044 | 6.65% |
| Asian Language** | 71,778 | 11.85% | 102,970 | 15.54% |
| Other | 6,277 | 1.04% | 7,929 | 1.20% |
| Total Population Age 5+ | 605,676 | 100.00% | 662,509 | 100.00% |
| Population Speaking English Less Than "Very Well" in 2000 | ||
| Language Spoken at Home: | Number | Percent |
| Spanish | 65,294 | 54.42% |
| Other Indo-European* | 12,383 | 28.12% |
| Asian Language** | 42,505 | 41.28% |
| Other Language | 2,242 | 28.28% |
| Total | 122,424 | 18.48% |
| Population Speaking English Less Than "Very Well" in 1990 | ||
| Language Spoken at Home: | Number | Percent |
| Spanish | 43,200 | 52.36% |
| Other Indo-European* | 10,202 | 30.08% |
| Asian Language** | 30,916 | 43.07% |
| Other Language | 1,891 | 30.13% |
| Total | 86,209 | 14.23% |
* "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