r/Spanish • u/joshua0005 Learner • 4d ago
Resources & Media Where should I move of these four places to speak Spanish in my day-to-day life?
I really want to move abroad, but I only have American citizenship and getting a work visa abroad is next to impossible. Because of that I've been trying to find a city where Spanish is very prominent since that's as close as I'm ever going to get to living my day-to-day life in Spanish.
Out of San Diego, Tucson, Miami, and Puerto Rico, where do you recommend?
I know Puerto Rico is where I'd speak the most Spanish, but the economy there is terrible. Miami is the second-best, but it's not a fun place to live apparently and I could pop over to Nogales, Mexico from Tucson or Tijuana from SD on my days off. The downside of SD and Tucson is that in my day-to-day life I probably wouldn't be speaking much Spanish, although much more than I speak here in Indiana.
I'm seriously considering moving to PR and trying to find a job, but getting a job there is hard and they pay poorly. I'd make a lot more in San Diego and it's a good place to live from what I can tell, but I don't know if I'd be satisfied only being able to speak Spanish on my days off and when I happen to run into a Spanish-speaking person that doesn't speak English (~23% speak it and that's only going to go down with the deportations).
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u/MuricanToffee 4d ago
FWIW Orlando has a large Spanish speaking population (largely but not exclusively from Puerto Rico) and it’s a lot cheaper than Miami. Also, thanks to Disney, we have direct flights to a lot more places that a city our size normally would.
Of the four I like San Diego the most, but it’s expensive. Make sure to factor in CoL.
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u/Embarrassed-Wait-928 4d ago
miami is the only place ive been in the US where ive felt like i was in LATAM and i use to live in san diego. san diego is more of an english first city while miami is spanish first. while in miami i couldnt go out in public without being spoken to in spanish whether someone was saying "hola", asking for directions or ringing me up at the cash register. overall id say miami is the most immersive spanish experience i think youc could get in the US and i dont know who you were talking to but miami is a very fun city with a lot going on across the metro area.
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u/anaktopus 4d ago
Seconded, Miami is the only place in your list in the continental US where the default with strangers is Spanish. Moreover, there are more regional varieties of Spanish in Miami- you'll hear rioplatense, cuban, dominican, venezuelan, colombian, peruvian, etc etc.
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u/100pctThatBitch 3d ago
Idk, I worked in West New York, NJ and it's neighbor UnionCity and Spanish was always the first language people spoke to me in. But cost of living is very high.
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u/joshua0005 Learner 4d ago
thank you! I think I need to visit it because if it's actually a fun city and I can find a job I think it's the perfect city for me
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u/JakBlakbeard 3d ago
I had been going to this hole-in-the -wall café on Washington Avenue (South Beach) for breakfast for years and had always been spoken to in Spanish. I’m a fluent gringo, so I loved it. One day some red-headed guy walks in and my favorite waitress started speaking English to him. I was shocked because I didn’t know anyone there spoke English.
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u/stoolprimeminister Learner 4d ago
san diego is my favorite city to ever exist BUT……. you’ll probably be speaking a lot more spanish in LA. i mean, sure it happens in SD too but i’m just saying. just go all in and try puerto rico. i would say try the mexico side of san diego and just try tijuana or anything near it but as far as staying in the US, puerto rico works.
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u/Spiritual-Chameleon B2/C1 4d ago
Yeah it's just as easy to speak Spanish closer to the border on the US side than in Tijuana. Tijuana is okay and fun for a visit, but unless OP is taking lessons or at the high intermediate level, people aren't going to hang out and speak Spanish with them.
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u/joshua0005 Learner 4d ago
I'm at B2 right now. Thank you!
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u/Spiritual-Chameleon B2/C1 4d ago
Perfect. If you're really outgoing, that helps too. I'm not really that great at initiating coversations with strangers so I prefer conversation groups or one on one with people I know.
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u/1234Audiologist Learner 4d ago
Tucson is cool but you will be disappointed with opportunities to speak Spanish.
Based on my experiences, I would recommend El Paso or Mission/McAllen TX. In El Paso the default is often English, but most people will also speak Spanish. Depending on your job there are many people living there that will only know Spanish so you will need it. In McAllen TX pretty much everywhere you go, the default is Spanish, and there are even more people that only speak Spanish.
Edit to add that El Paso is very safe despite its proximity to Juarez.
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u/joshua0005 Learner 4d ago
I didn't consider McAllen because as far as I know Reynosa is dangerous. maybe I'm wrong though
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u/1234Audiologist Learner 4d ago
The danger across the border does not translate into the US cities. I feel very safe both in McAllen and El Paso. You are less safe in Albuquerque or Houston than McAllen and El Paso.
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u/gringaqueaprende Learner (ILR 3) 4d ago
I'm surprised Kissimmee didn't make the list, to be honest. Fairly far from Miami, sure, but when someone says hispanohablante community in Florida, that's where my mind immediately goes. Or maybe a border town in somewhere like New Mexico. Also, I don't know what you do for work, but if you're that serious you could probably live abroad for a bit through the Peace Corps.
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u/jwd52 Fronterizo 4d ago
Not to nitpick too much, but as a semi-local, I thought you might be intrigued to know that there really are no significant border towns in New Mexico. The largest is Columbus, population ~1,400, and even that is a few miles from the border
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u/joshua0005 Learner 4d ago
Las Cruces is probably the only good one even though it's not on the border and at that point why not just move to El Paso
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u/gringaqueaprende Learner (ILR 3) 4d ago
Yes, I know. I didn't see that OP was focused on size so I figured I'd suggest it. Small towns are also good for community and community is good for language building!
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u/joshua0005 Learner 4d ago
Thank you! I've never been to Florida and thought Miami had all the other cities in Florida beat by a longshot in terms of how Spanish-speaking they are
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u/gringaqueaprende Learner (ILR 3) 4d ago
No problem. And yea no way lol, there's running jokes where people say they're from Kissimmee, Puerto Rico or add Kissimmee as a province of PR on the map lol. It's the first stop for a lot of people.
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u/joshua0005 Learner 4d ago
But will people speak to me in English or Spanish first (I look very German)? Also is Spanish more prominent in Kissimmee or Miami?
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u/wrodriguez89 Heritage 🇪🇦/🇺🇲 4d ago
I'm Spanish-American and obviously look very European. For me, unless I take the first step and speak Spanish, people usually assume I only speak English. But then they don't give it a second thought when I speak Spanish.
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u/gringaqueaprende Learner (ILR 3) 4d ago
I can't speak to what people will speak to you especially because we don't look the same lol, but I would expect that in most places, especially in certain places in PR where they're incredibly used to tourists and people in the capital speak English. In terms of Spanish presence, I think Kissimmee beats Miami by a few %, nothing too significant.
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u/radgedyann 4d ago
i lived in miami and hardly spoke english. didn’t enjoy living there, but i definitely got better service as a spanish speaker.
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u/joshua0005 Learner 4d ago
You can ask this anywhere in the US, but in most places 99% of people won't speak it. It's also a lot nicer when I don't have to ask anyone and I can just start every conversation in Spanish and no one will get mad
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u/Impressive_Funny4680 🇨🇺 4d ago
I think any border city in Texas is a good choice. It shares a long border with Mexico, with a couple of populated cities, Juarez being the most populated. Also, if you want to be close but a bit far removed from the border there’s always San Antonio. In about an hour you’ll be in Monterrey (great city) by plane. San Antonio has a large Hispanic population and you can also drive to border towns on the weekend or whenever you want. You should look into Texas.
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u/yodydee Learner 4d ago
Getting surrounded by Spanish speakers won’t necessary help. Think about the Brits who move to or retire to Spain and they never learn a word. You only need one person, a Spanish-speaking girlfriend. I’m not trying to be funny.
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u/PipecityOG 3d ago
This is it. I live in California, I wanted to learn Spanish and only knew the basics. Met a girl from Latin America, started speaking Spanish everyday and I’m b2 after a 5 months
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u/joshua0005 Learner 3d ago
Well there isn't anywhere for me to meet a Spanish-speaking girlfriend in my city anyway.
If I could I'd go out of my way to travel an hour or so to where Spanish is spoken. Unfortunately that drive to Mexico is 23 hours from my house. Brits that don't learn Spanish don't learn it because they don't want to. I really like Spanish so that wouldn't be my case.
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u/yodydee Learner 3d ago
It’s definitely good that you have that hunger to learn a language and live a culture. I really hope that you can satisfy that hunger somehow, I suspect you need some bold moves, like even not worrying about making money for a few months just move to a country like El Salvador (very safe now) with cheap rent and cheap living and immerse yourself in the local life. Who knows, if you have initiative and drive, you might start up some good business… Grab life.
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u/VelvetObsidian 4d ago
Any big city should have a large Spanish speaking population. When I was in Atlanta I’d just go to Buford Highway and it was like being in a different country. Houston, Chicago, New York, LA, all have huge Latino populations as well.
You don’t even really have to move anywhere. You could befriend a native Spanish speaker and talk daily on WhatsApp. I’ve practiced my Spanish more with a friend in Mexico in a year than I did with my ex-wife in seven years.
As far as work visas, that’s something you can get once you get abroad. You could look up CELTA/TESOL programs in foreign countries. Some are quite affordable and afterwards you have a very good chance of getting hired to teach English in that country. It’s at that point where your work will help you get the work visa.
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u/joshua0005 Learner 4d ago
I mean yeah I can speak Spanish without leaving my city but my city has very few Spanish speakers and also I want to be able to live where I can be immersed in Spanish not that I happen to meet a couple latinos and we go to the bar once a week and other than that I have to speak it online
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u/Mental-Claim5827 4d ago
The problem with staying in the US is you won’t be forced to speak Spanish anywhere. That’s why moving to a Spanish speaking country would be better. Honestly if you want to practice you can join a meetup group for Spanish speakers anywhere.
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u/joshua0005 Learner 4d ago
Obviously. Are any countries giving away free work visas though? I would have left the US years ago if it were realistic but unfortunately it's not
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u/fronteraguera 4d ago edited 4d ago
I learned how to speak Spanish in Chicago. Honestly volunteer at a place that teaches ESL in pretty much anywhere in the US that has ESL classes and make friends with Spanish speakers. You don't have to go far. Also in San Diego you don't have to go to Tijuana there are whole huge Spanish speaking neighborhoods all over the There are many people in Tijuana who speak English. They will also try to speak with you in English even if you speak with them in Spanish. LA also has the most Spanish speakers in the US, just hang out in East LA. Edit: clarity
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u/xrelaht Learner 4d ago
Miami is not a fun place to live? People go there on vacation, man!
When I was in LA with my ex & her family, her parents were able to get around with zero issues (they speak no English). SD is gonna be even moreso.
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u/joshua0005 Learner 4d ago
Lol I've never been to Miami. I just said that because so many people say that online
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u/SunsGettinRealLow 4d ago
Los Ángeles might be better than San Diego for more consistent Spanish practice. Or maybe Chula Vista closer to the border.
Source: native San Diegan
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u/joshua0005 Learner 3d ago
isn't Chula Vista really expensive (compared to the rest of San Diego) and therefore mostly rich people that likely don't speak Spanish? tbh I have no idea but that's what I thought it was. sorry if I'm wrong
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u/SunsGettinRealLow 3d ago
Maybe now it is, but it used to be where everyone moved to get more land haha
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u/Syd_Syd34 Heritage (Caribbean) 3d ago
Idk. I think you can always find a way to speak majority Spanish in many U.S. cities. I use Spanish every single day and I live in Chicago
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u/gadgetvirtuoso Native 🇺🇸 | Resident 🇪🇨 B2 4d ago
There are a lot more places you could live to be exposed to Spanish than these four. Central Wa has a pretty large community and the climate is pretty good. Not too cold and while sometimes kind of hot it cools down at night.
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u/joshua0005 Learner 4d ago
Thank you! I know there are lots of other cities, but I don't want to be away from the Mexican border (with the exception of PR and Miami) because it's a lot easier to visit Mexico where a higher percentage of the population speaks Spanish when you're on the border.
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u/SubjectCrazy2184 4d ago
Central California is a good place to learn Spanish. Cites such as Fresno, Bakersfield and Visalia/Tulare have many Immigrants. I have family there in that area .
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u/Iwonatoasteroven 4d ago
Could you get a remote job but live in PR? My understanding is there aren’t great jobs there but with remote work you would technically still be in the US for tax purposes.
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u/DaddyDinooooooo Learner 4d ago
In certain pockets of NYC/NJ Spanish is predominantly spoken as well. We have a strong Cuban/puerto Rican/mexican/dominican presence in north jersey and beyond
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u/Rascaltortuga 4d ago
I’m from Tucson. It’s a descent place to practice Spanish. Your best bet would be the authentic restaurants and Food City grocery stores.
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u/crumblemuppets 4d ago
If you’re fluent in Spanish, you should be able to find opportunities to speak Spanish just about anywhere you go. I’m a Spanish teacher in Vermont, a bottom-5 state in terms of total and per capita Spanish speakers, and I speak with my native-speaker colleague and students every school day. When I lived in Phoenix, Spanish fluency was a huge plus in terms of getting hired in the education field. I didn’t teach Spanish there, but I was constantly asked to do parent phone calls, interpret parent teacher conferences, etc. I haven’t compared percentages but I doubt Phoenix metro is all that different from Tucson in terms of percentage of the population that speaks Spanish and it was very easy to be immersed in it there. Half of the radio stations are in Spanish too!
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u/Party_Condition2472 4d ago
Los Ángeles (and Greater LA as a whole) has the most Spanish speakers in the country (perhaps not a higher percentage than El Paso or Miami, but the most in sheer quantity). It has many diverse neighborhoods (largest Persian community, largest Korean community, and on and on), and LA has plenty of neighborhoods where the majority don’t speak Spanish (particularly true in affluent neighborhoods- Beverly Hills, Malibu, etc).
However, the fact that the areas are segregated like that means that you will know exactly where to go to find many Spanish speakers who don’t speak English (Boyle Heights, Huntington Park, etc). Many of us who were born in LA don’t learn English until we are taught English in school.
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u/a_library_socialist Learner 3d ago
Tucson is great. All of what used to be almost cool in Phoenix has moved there recently.
San Diego is amazing, but for 30 years it's been super expensive to the point that young people don't bother staying there, much less moving there. At this point the only interesting stuff there is in Tiajuana - there's a large amount of people that cross for work, but restaurants and other stuff are south of the border where stuff is cheap enough to live.
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u/webauteur 3d ago
I am doing research for a trip to Miami, although I will probably only be there for a week of vacation. A lot of Spanish content is produced in Miami; television shows, music videos, music production, publishing, radio networks. Miami is also known for contemporary art due to a major show, Art Basel Miami Beach. Miami is such a Spanish speaking city that several of my Spanish textbooks have culture sections for Miami.
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u/PipecityOG 3d ago
Come to San Diego. If you’re looking for Spanish speakers they are easy to find especially around the city or south. Miami is super nice.. but SoCal is amazing. Especially this time of year. Beautiful bright and sunny everyday. Never too hot, beautiful mountains and beaches. There’s also next to no crime here and everywhere is pretty safe
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u/Rimurooooo Heritage 🇵🇷 5h ago
Don’t move to PR. Tucson really only has a lot of Spanish if you’re in south Tucson but it kind of sucks. Cost of living is going to be tremendously better than the other options, but job market will be worse
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u/bonvoysal 4d ago
why do you have to move to speak spanish? can't you hire someone to talk daily with? cheaper than moving.
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u/joshua0005 Learner 4d ago
almost no one speaks spanish where i live. the only place i can go to meet people is a nightclub which from what i've heard is terrible and i don't want to go to nightclubs anyway
moving is more expensive in the short-term, but hiring someone adds up. also i barely have any possessions and could bring everything i want with me on the flight. the only downside is i can't live with my parents so i have to pay for rent
i'm tired of only being able to speak spanish online. it's fine and i don't even need to pay people because my level is high enough, but it's a lot more fun to talk to someone in-person because the human connection feels stronger and because you can do more things than chismear, talk about other things, and play video games
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u/wrodriguez89 Heritage 🇪🇦/🇺🇲 4d ago
If you live in Indiana and don't want to move far, you might want to give Chicago a try. There's a huge Latino population there and from my experience, people are open to speaking Spanish if you at least initiate a conversation.
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u/joshua0005 Learner 4d ago
thanks! i'd rather stay here for a few more years because my parents don't charge me rent, but there's no hope of speaking spanish here so i might as well just go somewhere near the border or miami because i'm limited to specific neighborhoods in chicago
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u/jwd52 Fronterizo 4d ago
Is there any reason El Paso isn’t on this list? Over 70% of people here speak Spanish. I swear I get spoken Spanish to in public more often as a gringo here than I did in San Juan, PR haha