Languages Spoken in Kansas: Census Data & Trends

According to the U.S. Census Bureau (2010 Census / ACS data), the linguistic landscape of Kansas is:

Primary Languages

• English: ~82.7% of residents age 5+ speak English at home ("very well" or better).
• Spanish: ~12.3% – the clear second language, concentrated in Southwest KS (meatpacking), Wichita, Kansas City metro, and agricultural corridors.

Other Notable Languages (each <1% but vibrant communities)

• German: Legacy of Volga German and Mennonite settlements (e.g., Ellis, Russell, Marion counties).
• Vietnamese: Wichita, Kansas City (post-1975 refugees).
• Chinese (Mandarin/Cantonese): University towns (Lawrence, Manhattan), Overland Park.
• Korean: Johnson County (Overland Park, Olathe) – one of the highest per-capita Korean populations in the Midwest.
• Arabic, Somali, Swahili, French: Growing refugee/immigrant communities in Wichita, Kansas City, Garden City.
• Native American Languages: Kickapoo, Potawatomi, Iowa – preservation efforts on reservations (Kickapoo, Prairie Band Potawatomi, Iowa, Sac & Fox).

Trends

Spanish continues to grow. Asian languages (Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, Tagalog) are rising with skilled immigration. English proficiency among non-English speakers is high (>60% speak English "very well").