CensusScope is a product of the Social Science Data Analysis Network.
Albany 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 | 249,914 | 91.18% | 250,439 | 90.08% |
| Spanish | 4,878 | 1.78% | 7,507 | 2.70% |
| Other Indo-European* | 15,339 | 5.60% | 13,715 | 4.93% |
| Asian Language** | 2,815 | 1.03% | 4,549 | 1.64% |
| Other | 1,148 | 0.42% | 1,808 | 0.65% |
| Total Population Age 5+ | 274,094 | 100.00% | 278,018 | 100.00% |
| Population Speaking English Less Than "Very Well" in 2000 | ||
| Language Spoken at Home: | Number | Percent |
| Spanish | 2,297 | 30.60% |
| Other Indo-European* | 4,275 | 31.17% |
| Asian Language** | 2,028 | 44.58% |
| Other Language | 576 | 31.86% |
| Total | 9,176 | 3.30% |
| Population Speaking English Less Than "Very Well" in 1990 | ||
| Language Spoken at Home: | Number | Percent |
| Spanish | 1,398 | 28.66% |
| Other Indo-European* | 4,959 | 32.33% |
| Asian Language** | 1,222 | 43.41% |
| Other Language | 243 | 21.17% |
| Total | 7,822 | 2.85% |
* "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