CensusScope is a product of the Social Science Data Analysis Network.
Rocky Mount, NC |
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 | 120,175 | 97.05% | 126,383 | 94.58% |
| Spanish | 1,946 | 1.57% | 5,149 | 3.85% |
| Other Indo-European* | 1,505 | 1.22% | 1,182 | 0.88% |
| Asian Language** | 94 | 0.08% | 418 | 0.31% |
| Other | 112 | 0.09% | 496 | 0.37% |
| Total Population Age 5+ | 123,832 | 100.00% | 133,628 | 100.00% |
| Population Speaking English Less Than "Very Well" in 2000 | ||
| Language Spoken at Home: | Number | Percent |
| Spanish | 2,640 | 51.27% |
| Other Indo-European* | 243 | 20.56% |
| Asian Language** | 240 | 57.42% |
| Other Language | 127 | 25.60% |
| Total | 3,250 | 2.43% |
| Population Speaking English Less Than "Very Well" in 1990 | ||
| Language Spoken at Home: | Number | Percent |
| Spanish | 906 | 46.56% |
| Other Indo-European* | 477 | 31.69% |
| Asian Language** | 40 | 42.55% |
| Other Language | 30 | 26.79% |
| Total | 1,453 | 1.17% |
* "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