Somali Population in Ohio by County : 2025 Ranking & Insights
According to the latest U.S. Census estimates, the Somali population in Ohio totals 26,402. Franklin County contains the largest Somali community with 24,432 residents, followed by Cuyahoga County (792), Delaware County (777), and others contributing to this statewide total. This demographic analysis ranks all counties in Ohio by their Somali populations, offering insights into local community distribution and broader settlement trends.
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Top 5 counties with the largest Somali population in Ohio
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1Franklin CountySomali population in Franklin County is 24,4321.85% of Franklin County population is Somali
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2Cuyahoga CountySomali population in Cuyahoga County is 7920.06% of Cuyahoga County population is Somali
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3Delaware CountySomali population in Delaware County is 7770.35% of Delaware County population is Somali
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4Montgomery CountySomali population in Montgomery County is 1740.03% of Montgomery County population is Somali
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5Geauga CountySomali population in Geauga County is 530.06% of Geauga County population is Somali
Overview of Somali population in Ohio
- Population Count and Percentage: American Community Survey data indicate Ohio contains 26,402 Somali residents (0.22% of 11.8 million total state population), positioning the state at the 97th percentile nationally among U.S. states for Somali population concentrations.
- Comparison to State and National Averages: U.S. Census data records indicate Ohio's Somali population of 0.22% exceeds the national average of 0.049% by a factor of 4.5.
- Share of Total National Population: Official American Community Survey data indicates Ohio's 26,402 Somali residents constitute 16.1% of the nation's total Somali population of 163,769, placing the state among jurisdictions with the highest demographic concentrations, with 16.1% of all American Somali Americans residing within state boundaries.
- Population Density per Square Mile: U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey data shows Ohio maintains 0.65 Somali Americans per square mile, representing more than thirteen 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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88 Counties in Ohio Ranked by Somali Population
American Community Survey data [1] show Somali population in Ohio distributed across multiple counties, led by Franklin County, Cuyahoga County, Delaware County, and Montgomery 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*.
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 Ohio 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:
- % of Total County Population – This shows what percentage of the total state population identifies as Somali .
- % of Total Ohio 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
- U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates.
- U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line Shapefiles 2023.
