Somali Population in Minnesota by County : 2025 Ranking & Insights

According to the latest U.S. Census estimates, the Somali population in Minnesota totals 61,353. Hennepin County contains the largest Somali community with 28,053 residents, followed by Ramsey County (7,847), Dakota County (4,901), and others contributing to this statewide total. This demographic analysis ranks all counties in Minnesota by their Somali populations, offering insights into local community distribution and broader settlement trends.

Top 5 counties with the largest Somali population in Minnesota

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  • 1
    Hennepin County
    Somali population in Hennepin County is 28,053
    2.21% of Hennepin County population is Somali
  • 2
    Ramsey County
    Somali population in Ramsey County is 7,847
    1.44% of Ramsey County population is Somali
  • 3
    Dakota County
    Somali population in Dakota County is 4,901
    1.11% of Dakota County population is Somali
  • 4
    Anoka County
    Somali population in Anoka County is 4,790
    1.30% of Anoka County population is Somali
  • 5
    Stearns County
    Somali population in Stearns County is 3,883
    2.44% of Stearns County population is Somali

Overview of Somali population in Minnesota

  • Population Count and Percentage: American Community Survey documents Minnesota with 61,353 Somali residents (1.1% of 5.7 million total state population), ranking the state at the 100th percentile nationally among U.S. jurisdictions for Somali demographic representation.
  • Comparison to State and National Averages: U.S. Census data records indicate Minnesota's Somali population of 1.1% exceeds the national average of 0.049% by a factor of 21.8.
  • Share of Total National Population: Official American Community Survey data indicates Minnesota's 61,353 Somali residents constitute 37.5% of the nation's total Somali population of 163,769, placing the state among jurisdictions with the highest demographic concentrations, with 37.5% of all American Somali Americans residing within state boundaries.
  • Population Density per Square Mile: U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey data shows Minnesota maintains 0.77 Somali Americans per square mile, representing more than sixteen times the national average of 0.046 per square mile, placing the state among jurisdictions with the highest demographic concentrations nationally.
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87 Counties in Minnesota Ranked by Somali Population

View Methodology
American Community Survey data [1] show Somali population in Minnesota distributed across multiple counties, led by Hennepin County, Ramsey County, Dakota County, and Anoka County, while several other counties recorded no residents identified as Americans of Somali birth or descent. The table below provides broader statistics, including total population figures, density measures, and demographic distributions based on current ACS data for all counties included in this analysis*.
counties in Minnesota ranked by Somali population count
Rank by Somali Population
County
Somali Population
% of Total County Population
% of Total Minnesota Somali Population
5 Year Rank Trend
1 Hennepin County 28,053 2.21% 45.72%
2 Ramsey County 7,847 1.44% 12.79%
3 Dakota County 4,901 1.11% 7.99%
4 Anoka County 4,790 1.30% 7.81%
5 Stearns County 3,883 2.44% 6.33%
6 Olmsted County 2,361 1.44% 3.85%
7 Rice County 2,252 3.34% 3.67%
8 2,118 1.38% 3.45%
9 945 0.35% 1.54%
10 757 1.73% 1.23%
11 549 0.79% 0.89%
12 528 0.53% 0.86%
13 510 1.48% 0.83%
14 456 0.69% 0.74%
15 353 0.94% 0.58%
16 235 0.92% 0.38%
17 208 0.35% 0.34%
18 184 0.09% 0.30%
19 126 0.41% 0.21%
20 74 0.18% 0.12%
21 48 0.07% 0.08%
22 31 0.06% 0.05%
23 25 0.26% 0.04%
24 16 0.04% 0.03%
25 15 0.05% 0.02%
26 13 0.02% 0.02%
27 11 0.02% 0.02%
27 11 0.26% 0.02%
28 8 0.02% 0.01%
29 7 0.03% 0.01%
30 6 0.02% 0.01%
31 5 0.04% 0.01%
32 4 0.04% 0.01%
32 4 0.01% 0.01%
32 4 0.03% 0.01%
33 3 0.01% 0.00%
34 2 0.00% 0.00%
34 2 0.01% 0.00%
34 2 0.01% 0.00%
35 1 0.01% 0.00%
35 1 0.02% 0.00%
35 1 0.00% 0.00%
35 1 0.00% 0.00%
35 1 0.01% 0.00%
35 1 0.00% 0.00%
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36 0 - -
36 0 - -
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36 0 - -
36 0 - -
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Methodology

This ranking list is based on data from the American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates, conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. The ACS is one of the most reliable sources for understanding population trends across different locations, and it provides estimates for various racial and ethnic groups at city, county, state and all geography levels down to the Census block group.
This list ranks county in Minnesota by their Somali population, using the most recent ACS data available.

How the Census defines Somali population

The U.S. Census Bureau allows people to self-identify their ancestry, meaning individuals can write upto ancestries when responding to the survey. In this ranking, we include everyone who identifies as having Somali ancestry, whether alone or in combination with another ancestry.
Here are a few important things to know about how ancestry is reported:
  • Some people identify as Somali alone, while others identify as Somali along with another race (such as Somali and German).
  • We’ve used the “Somali alone or in any combination” category unless noted otherwise, which gives a broader picture of the Somali population in each area.

How We Ranked the Data

This ranking is based on the total number of people who identified as Somali alone or in combination in county. To provide additional context, we’ve also included two key percentages:
  1. % of Total County Population – This shows what percentage of the total state population identifies as Somali .
  2. % of Total Minnesota Somali Population – This tells us how much of the entire U.S. Somali population lives in that state.
To keep things simple, all population numbers have been rounded to the nearest whole number, and percentages are rounded to one decimal place. Because of rounding, some percentages may not add up to exactly 100%.

Things to Keep in Mind

Like all survey-based data, ACS estimates come with some limitations. Here are a few things to be aware of:
  • In places with very small Somali populations, the numbers may not be reported at all due to privacy protections or sampling variability in the survey.
  • Since the ACS is based on a sample, the numbers are estimates, not exact counts. That means they may slightly differ from other sources like the decennial U.S. Census.
  • County that don’t have any reported Somali population are not included in the ranking but are listed separately below for reference.
This ranking is meant to provide a clear, data-driven look at where Somali populations are most concentrated while keeping the numbers easy to understand.

Sources

  1. 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates.
  2. 2023.