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These Hudson Valley Communities Have Smallest English-Speaking Populations

Scattered across New York are a handful of cities, towns and villages where languages other than English are firmly entrenched in the community.

Kiryas Joel, an orthodox Jewish community in Orange County, ranked #1 in a non=English speaking data survey since more than 87 percent of its residents speak Yiddish.

Kiryas Joel, an orthodox Jewish community in Orange County, ranked #1 in a non=English speaking data survey since more than 87 percent of its residents speak Yiddish.

 Photo Credit: Wikipedia
Main Street in Brewster, which ranked #3 in a ranking of communities with non-English speaking residents. More than 54 of the Putnam County village's population speaks Spanish.

Main Street in Brewster, which ranked #3 in a ranking of communities with non-English speaking residents. More than 54 of the Putnam County village's population speaks Spanish.

 Photo Credit: Google Maps street view
Jon Craig
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The latest data from the U.S. Census tells us which languages are most commonly spoken at home among New York State citizens, and while English is the dominant language spoken almost everywhere in Upstate New York, these 32 towns and cities have significant non-English-speaking populations.

In a few instances, non-English speakers even outnumber English-speakers.

In this report, the communities of counties north of Westchester and Rockland are ranked in order of highest to lowest percentage of English speakers, with an Orange County community with the lowest percentage of English speakers ranked #1.

Here are the rankings:

  • No. 31 Chester (Orange County) has an English-speaking population of 2,823 (74.2 percent). Chester's most-spoken non-English language is Spanish, by about 15 percent of its residents.
  • No. 29 Mahopac (Putnam County) has an English-speaking population of 5,483 (74 percent). Mahopac's most-spoken non-English language is Spanish, by about 13 percent of its residents.
  • No. 28 Arlington (Dutchess County) has an English-speaking population of 2,888 (73.7 percent). Arlington's most-spoken non-English language is Arabic, by more than 5 percent of its residents.
  • No. 27 Monroe (Orange County) has an English-speaking population of 5,773 (73.6 percent). Monroe's most-spoken non-English language is Spanish, by nearly 14 percent of its residents.
  • No. 26 New Windsor (Orange County) has an English-speaking population of 5,823 (73.6 percent). New Windsor's most-spoken non-English language is Spanish, by nearly 21 percent of its residents.
  • No. 25 Mechanicstown (Orange County) has an English-speaking population of 4,832 (73.2 percent). Mechanicstown's most-spoken non-English language is Spanish, by more than 17 percent of its residents.
  • No. 20: Orange Lake (Orange County) has an English-speaking population of 5,083 (71.2 percent). Orange Lake's most-spoken non-English language is Spanish by about 21 percent of its residents.
  • No. 18: Balmville (Orange County) has an English-speaking population of 2,022 (70.2 percent). Balmville's most-spoken non-English language is Spanish by nearly 18 percent of its residents.
  • No. 16: Washington Heights (Orange County) has an English-speaking population of 1,481 (69.6 percent). Washington Heights' most-spoken non-English language is Spanish by more than 26 percent of its residents.
  • No. 12: Wappingers Falls (Dutchess County) has an English-speaking population of 3,269 (64.6 percent). Wappingers Falls' most-spoken non-English language is Spanish by about 20 percent of its population.
  • No. 10: Merritt Park (Dutchess County) has an English-speaking population of 810 (63.4 percent). Merritt Park's most-spoken non-English language is Asian Languages, by nearly 10 percent of its population.
  • No. 9 Middletown (Orange County) has an English-speaking population of16,379 (62.7 percent). Middletown's most-spoken non-English language is Spanish, by more than 31 percent of its residents.
  • No. 8 Vails Gate (Orange County) has an English-speaking population of 2,053 (61.2 percent). Vails Gate's most-spoken non-English language is Spanish, by more than 17 percent of its residents.
  • No. 7 Harriman (Orange County) has an English-speaking population of 1,620 (60.7 percent). Harriman's most-spoken non-English language is Spanish, by nearly 21 percent of its residents.
  • No. 4 Newburgh (Orange County) has an English-speaking population of 13,986 (53.7 percent). Newburgh's most-spoken non-English language is Spanish, by more than 43 percent of its residents.
  • No. 3 Brewster (Putnam County) has an English-speaking population of 881 (39.8 percent). Brewster's most-spoken non-English language is Spanish, by more than 54 percent of its residents.
  • No. 1 Kiryas Joel (Orange County) has an English-speaking population of 1,256 (7.7percent). Kiryas Joel's most-spoken non-English language is Yiddish, by more than 87 percent of its residents.

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