CensusScope is a product of the Social Science Data Analysis Network.
San Francisco 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 | 396,596 | 57.59% | 404,571 | 54.26% |
| Spanish | 75,933 | 11.03% | 89,759 | 12.04% |
| Other Indo-European* | 42,460 | 6.17% | 49,788 | 6.68% |
| Asian Language** | 167,931 | 24.38% | 194,584 | 26.10% |
| Other | 5,769 | 0.84% | 6,948 | 0.93% |
| Total Population Age 5+ | 688,689 | 100.00% | 745,650 | 100.00% |
| Population Speaking English Less Than "Very Well" in 2000 | ||
| Language Spoken at Home: | Number | Percent |
| Spanish | 44,779 | 49.89% |
| Other Indo-European* | 18,377 | 36.91% |
| Asian Language** | 120,900 | 62.13% |
| Other Language | 2,345 | 33.75% |
| Total | 186,401 | 25.00% |
| Population Speaking English Less Than "Very Well" in 1990 | ||
| Language Spoken at Home: | Number | Percent |
| Spanish | 38,330 | 50.48% |
| Other Indo-European* | 14,972 | 35.26% |
| Asian Language** | 106,792 | 63.59% |
| Other Language | 2,073 | 35.93% |
| Total | 162,167 | 23.55% |
* "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