The City of Tulsa is committed to creating a globally competitive, world-class city that promotes opportunity for all its residents.
According to the 2022 American Community Survey, 11 percent of the city’s population are foreign-born. 29,000 Tulsans 5 years and older speak English less than “very well.” This means about 8 percent of the Tulsa population may need some form of English language assistance.
On November 9, 2022, Mayor G.T. Bynum signed an executive order adopting the Citywide Language Access Policy for the purpose of providing access to City programs and services for those with limited English proficiency (LEP). All City of Tulsa residents and visitors, regardless of their English language proficiency, should have meaningful access to essential public information about City programs, services, activities, and other benefits. The Language Access Policy is in compliance with local, state, and federal civil rights laws.
Read the Mayor's Executive Order
The City’s Language Access Policy is in alignment with the New Tulsans Initiative and Resilience Strategy goals.
The City of Tulsa has seen a growing community of immigrants over the past few decades with 46,000 immigrant residents making up 11 percent of Tulsa’s population (American Community Survey, 2022). To learn more about the different foreign languages spoken in the City of Tulsa, please see the following infographic.
Foreign-born residents of Tulsa, by continent
Continent Total Percent of foreign-born
Top countries with the most immigrants represented at the City of Tulsa
Country Estimates
According to 2021 American Community Survey Public Use Microdata Sample 5-year estimates of the Tulsa area4, the top languages spoken by Tulsans with limited English proficiency are as follow in order of frequency
Other languages less frequently spoken by Tulsans with limited English proficiency are as follow in alphabetical order.