You Probably Can’t Guess the Third-Most Spoken Language in Las Vegas
Posted on: May 18, 2026, 10:20h.
Last updated on: May 18, 2026, 11:10h.
- Nevada is the only state where this Filipino language is spoken widely
- Nevada is home to more than 275,000 Filipinos
Nevada’s most spoken language after English and Spanish might be a surprise to some.
Home to Las Vegas and the casino capital of the country, more than 3.2 million people reside in Nevada. Nearly all of them speak at least some English, and Spanish is also widely spoken in the Silver State.
After English and Spanish, the third-most spoken language in Nevada and Las Vegas is a relatively little-known language.
While the third-most spoken language in many states is Chinese, German, French, and Vietnamese, in Nevada, it’s Tagalog.
According to the US Census Bureau American Community Survey, and first reported by Visual Capitalist, Tagalog (including Filipino) is Nevada’s third-most spoken language. Nearly 90,000 Nevadans speak the Tagalog language, topping Chinese in fourth place with approximately 36,000 speakers.
The Census Bureau reports that more than 600,000 people in Nevada speak Spanish, with about 365,000 of those Spanish speakers also speaking English “very well.” Another 235,000 Spanish speakers speak a bit of English.
Filipino Is Nevada’s Largest Asian Ethnicity
Nevada and Las Vegas have experienced a surge in migration in recent years, with many Californians seeking residency to evade ever-escalating taxes. The Las Vegas metropolitan area has experienced steady 5%+ annual population growth since 2020.
The Filipino community is Nevada’s largest Asian American group and continues to grow. Last fall, Filipino Town became an official district in Las Vegas, as designated by Clark County. Filipino Town is also a registered domestic nonprofit with the Nevada Secretary of State.
Filipino Town stretches 1.2 miles on Maryland Parkway, from Flamingo Rd. north to Desert Inn Rd. The area is designed to “help preserve and celebrate the culture, commerce, food, celebrations, and religion of Filipino people who have made Clark County their home,” the county’s resolution reads.
Many of Las Vegas’ Filipino residents are employed in the local gaming industry and are represented by the Culinary Workers Union Local 226. Culinary is Nevada’s largest immigrant organization, led by Latino, Asian Pacific Americans, and Black union workers.
The Culinary Union has a diverse membership, which is 55% women and 60% immigrants. The demographics of Culinary Union members are approximately 54% Latino/a, 18% white, 15% Asian, and 12% Black,” the Culinary Union said.
Culinary members work in a variety of non-gaming roles, including hotel housekeeping, cocktail and food servers, porters, bellmen, cooks, bartenders, laundry, and kitchen workers.
Why Nevada?
Behind only Hawaii, Nevada is home to the highest percentage of Filipino residents in the country. About 4% of Nevada’s residents identify as Filipino.
Nevada estimates that there are over 250,000 Filipinos residing in Nevada.
Nevada, and particularly Southern Nevada, has been attractive to Filipinos for its affordable cost of living, good healthcare, and robust jobs in the hospitality industry. Filipinos have been considered a backbone of the Las Vegas economy.
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