Somali Population in Pennsylvania by County : 2025 Ranking & Insights
According to the latest U.S. Census estimates, the Somali population in Pennsylvania totals 1,012. Allegheny County contains the largest Somali community with 324 residents, followed by Cumberland County (235), Philadelphia County (193), and others contributing to this statewide total. This demographic analysis ranks all counties in Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania
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1Allegheny CountySomali population in Allegheny County is 3240.03% of Allegheny County population is Somali
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2Cumberland CountySomali population in Cumberland County is 2350.09% of Cumberland County population is Somali
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3Philadelphia CountySomali population in Philadelphia County is 1930.01% of Philadelphia County population is Somali
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4Chester CountySomali population in Chester County is 860.02% of Chester County population is Somali
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5Delaware CountySomali population in Delaware County is 550.01% of Delaware County population is Somali
Overview of Somali population in Pennsylvania
- Population Count and Percentage: American Community Survey data indicate Pennsylvania contains 1,012 Somali residents (less than 0.01% of 13.0 million total state population), positioning the state at the 47th percentile nationally among U.S. states for Somali population concentrations.
- Comparison to State and National Averages: U.S. Census surveys show Pennsylvania's Somali demographic representation of less than 0.01% remains below the national average of 0.049%, positioning the state below typical U.S. demographic distribution patterns.
- Share of Total National Population: Official American Community Survey data indicates Pennsylvania contains 1,012 Somali residents, representing less than 1% of the nation's total Somali population of 163,769, constituting a minimal fraction of the national demographic community relative to the state's overall population size.
- Population Density per Square Mile: U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey data shows Pennsylvania's density of 0.023 Somali Americans per square mile remains below the national average of 0.046 per square mile, indicating relatively sparse distribution compared to national demographic concentrations.
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67 Counties in Pennsylvania Ranked by Somali Population
American Community Survey data [1] show Somali population in Pennsylvania distributed across multiple counties, led by Allegheny County, Cumberland County, Philadelphia County, and Chester 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 Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania 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.
