Jun 10, 2025 - News
How Korean became Virginia's third most-spoken language
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Korean is the most commonly spoken language in Virginia other than English and Spanish, per census data out last week.
Why it matters: It's one of only two states where that's the case.
The big picture: Virginia's Korean population is also the fifth-largest nationwide, reflecting the modern immigration patterns that have contributed to an increasingly diverse state.
- While the Commonwealth has over a century of Korean history, it wasn't until the 1960s and 70s when Korean immigrants began settling in larger numbers in Northern Virginia.
- And it would ultimately lead to Annandale becoming Virginia's original Koreatown.
By the numbers: Over 1.3 million Virginians speak a language other than English at home, according to census data. About half are Spanish speakers, followed by:
- Korean: Nearly 58,000 speakers.
- Arabic: 55,580.
- Vietnamese: 49,320.