* No Official Census: The US Census doesn't specifically ask about Russian language proficiency, only about ancestry.
* Language Proficiency Varies: Someone could be of Russian descent but not speak Russian. Others might speak Russian fluently, while some might only understand a few phrases.
* Immigration and Emigration: Russian immigration patterns to the US have fluctuated over the years.
However, here are some estimates and insights:
* Ancestry Estimates: According to the 2020 US Census, there were over 2.8 million people who reported Russian ancestry.
* Language Estimates: Based on various sources, it's believed that around 1 million people in the US speak Russian at home.
* Population Concentrations: Russian speakers tend to be concentrated in major cities, particularly in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, and Seattle.
It's important to remember that these are estimates. The actual number of Russian speakers in the US is likely to be higher, as many people may not report their language proficiency or their ancestry.