Indian Community • United States
Where Odia Families Live in America
A small, tightly federated community • OSA chapters since the 1980s • Ratha Yatra in every major metro
Odia America is one of the smaller Indian communities on this site — roughly 5,676 Odia speakers nationally (ACS 2017–2021 detailed languages) — but among the most tightly organised. Nearly every metro has an Odisha Society of the Americas chapter, several dating to the mid-1980s, and Ratha Yatra is celebrated coast to coast. For a community this size, where the Jagannath temples are matters more than any population figure.
Last updated: August 2026 • All Indian community guides →
The Short Answer
For most Odia families the deciding factor is a Jagannath temple and a Ratha Yatra worth attending. On that basis, Dallas-Fort Worth stands out — around a thousand Odia families, a consecrated temple in Plano, and more than 2,000 attending Ratha Yatra in 2025. The Bay Area has the oldest, with the first Jagannath temple in California consecrated in 1994.
Washington DC has the deepest institutional history: its OSA chapter dates to 1984 and has hosted seven national conventions. New Jersey’s chapter followed in 1985 and has run Ratha Yatra at Wayne for more than eighteen years.
OSA Chapters and Temples, City by City
| Metro | Chapter / temple | Scale and notes | State income tax |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strongest temple presence | |||
| Dallas-Fort Worth | SRT Plano | Around 1,000 Odia families. More than 2,000 attended Ratha Yatra in 2025. | None |
| Bay Area | Jagannath temple — 1994 | The first Jagannath temple in California. Over 900 attended a single 2023 community gathering. | Yes |
| Washington DC | OSA chapter — 1984 | Seven national conventions hosted, and the only dedicated Jagannath temple in the region. | Yes |
| Atlanta | Jagannath temple | The only Jagannath temple in metro Atlanta, with the community concentrated in Johns Creek and Alpharetta. | Yes |
| Long-running chapters | |||
| New Jersey | OSA chapter — 1985 | Ratha Yatra at Wayne for more than eighteen years, with Odissi dance on the Oak Tree Road corridor. | Yes |
| Los Angeles | OSA-Cal | A statewide chapter. Ratha Yatra marks its 50th anniversary in August 2026. | Yes |
| Chicago | Sri Jagannath Society | Estimated 2,000–4,000 Odia speakers across Schaumburg, Naperville and Lisle. | Yes |
| Houston | Odia cultural center | The first Odia cultural centre in North America, centred on Fort Bend County. | None |
| Newer, tech-driven | |||
| Seattle | Eastside community | Estimated 1,500–3,000 Odia speakers around Redmond and Bellevue, with two Odissi dance schools. | None |
| Austin | Austin Odia Community | Has had its own ratha at the Austin Hindu Temple for several years. | None |
Local speaker estimates above come from our city guides and are drawn from broader Census language categories or community reporting rather than a published Odia count. Treat them as indicative.
About the Data
The Census publishes an Odia figure only at national level, in its detailed languages tabulation: roughly 5,676 speakers. At metro level Odia is folded into a broad “other Indic languages” category alongside Nepali, Marathi and others, so there is no reliable metro breakdown.
The national figure is also almost certainly an undercount for community-planning purposes. Many Odia families report Hindi or English as the language spoken at home, and second-generation Odia Americans rarely appear in a language count at all. Community organisations consistently report larger numbers than the Census does — around a thousand families in Dallas-Fort Worth alone against a national speaker count of under six thousand.
That is why this page is organised around OSA chapters, temples and Ratha Yatra attendance rather than a population ranking. For a community of this size those are simply better signals.
Which City Fits Your Situation
A Jagannath temple is non-negotiable
Dallas-Fort Worth (Plano), the Bay Area, Washington DC and Atlanta all have one. For many Odia families a Jagannath temple is not interchangeable with a general Hindu temple, and that narrows the list immediately.
You want the largest Ratha Yatra
Dallas-Fort Worth drew more than 2,000 in 2025. Los Angeles marks the 50th anniversary of its Ratha Yatra in August 2026 — the longest-running in the country.
You want deep institutional roots
Washington DC. Its OSA chapter dates to 1984 and has hosted seven national conventions, making it the organisational centre of Odia America.
You are in tech and want no state income tax
Dallas-Fort Worth combines the strongest Odia infrastructure with no state income tax. Seattle and Austin have younger, faster-growing communities on the same tax basis.
You want Odissi training for your children
Seattle has two Odissi dance schools, and New Jersey has an established Odissi presence along Oak Tree Road. Classical dance is often the strongest second-generation link in a community this size.
OSA, Ratha Yatra and Community Life
OSA — Odisha Society of the Americas
The national body, with chapters in most major metros and an annual convention that rotates between host cities. For a community this size the federation matters more than it would for a larger one — it is what makes a few hundred families in one metro part of something national.
Ratha Yatra is the measure
The chariot festival is the defining Odia event, and building and pulling a ratha requires real organisation. A metro with its own ratha — rather than families travelling to another city — has crossed a meaningful threshold. Austin reached it recently; Los Angeles has been doing it for half a century.
Jagannath temples are the anchor
Jagannath worship is specifically Odia, and a dedicated temple is a substantial undertaking for a community of this size. The Bay Area consecrated the first in California in 1994; Atlanta and Washington DC each have the only one in their region; Dallas-Fort Worth’s temple in Plano anchors the largest community.
Odissi keeps the second generation connected
Odissi is one of India’s classical dance forms and distinctly Odia. Where a metro supports dedicated Odissi schools, families are investing in cultural continuity well beyond the annual festival.
Common Questions
How many Odia speakers are there in the United States?
Around 5,676, according to the Census Bureau’s detailed languages tabulation covering 2017–2021. That figure is widely regarded as an undercount for community purposes — Dallas-Fort Worth alone reports around a thousand Odia families.
Which US city has the largest Odia community?
Dallas-Fort Worth, by community reporting — roughly a thousand families, a consecrated Jagannath temple in Plano and more than 2,000 at Ratha Yatra in 2025. The Census does not publish Odia figures at metro level.
Which cities have Jagannath temples?
The Bay Area consecrated the first in California in 1994. Dallas-Fort Worth has one in Plano, and Atlanta and Washington DC each have the only dedicated Jagannath temple in their region.
Where is the oldest Ratha Yatra in America?
Los Angeles, where OSA-Cal marks the 50th anniversary in August 2026. New Jersey has run one at Wayne for more than eighteen years.
What is OSA?
The Odisha Society of the Americas, the national federation of Odia community organisations. Chapters date to 1984 in Washington DC and 1985 in New Jersey, and the annual convention rotates between host cities.
Odia City Guides
- Odia in Dallas-Fort Worth — Plano, the temple and the largest Ratha Yatra
- Odia in the Bay Area — the first Jagannath temple in California
- Odia in Washington DC — OSA since 1984 and seven national conventions
- Odia in New Jersey — Wayne Ratha Yatra and Oak Tree Road
- Odia in Atlanta — Johns Creek, Alpharetta and the region’s only Jagannath temple
- Odia in Chicago — Schaumburg, Naperville and Lisle
- Odia in Houston — Fort Bend County and the first Odia cultural centre in North America
- Odia in Los Angeles — OSA-Cal and 50 years of Ratha Yatra
- Odia in Seattle — Redmond, Bellevue and two Odissi schools
- Odia in Austin — its own ratha at the Austin Hindu Temple
Data Sources
National Odia figure: U.S. Census Bureau, Detailed Languages Spoken at Home, ACS 2017–2021, released June 2025. The ACS does not publish Odia separately at metro level — it is folded into a broad “other Indic languages” category — so this page uses organisation and temple data instead. Chapter founding dates, family counts and festival attendance are organisation-reported rather than Census data, and are drawn from our individual city guides. Read our full research methodology →