Somali Population in Scott County, MN by City : 2025 Ranking & Insights

U.S. Census data shows 2,118 Somali residents in Scott County, MN - all concentrated in three cities: Shakopee (1,257), Savage (831), and Elko New Market (30). No other incorporated cities in the county report a measurable presence. This analysis ranks all cities in Scott County based on their Somali population.

Top 5 cities with the largest Somali population in Scott County

View All
  • 1
    Shakopee
    Somali population in Shakopee is 1,257
    2.79% of Shakopee population is Somali
  • 2
    Savage
    Somali population in Savage is 831
    2.54% of Savage population is Somali
  • 3
    Elko New Market
    Somali population in Elko New Market is 30
    0.61% of Elko New Market population is Somali
  • 4
    Belle Plaine
    Somali population in Belle Plaine is 0
    - of Belle Plaine population is Somali
  • 5
    Belle Plaine township
    Somali population in Belle Plaine township is 0
    - of Belle Plaine township population is Somali

Overview of Somali population in Scott County

  • Population Count and Percentage: American Community Survey data shows Scott County contains 2,118 Somali residents (1.4% of 152,957 total county population), ranking the jurisdiction at the 99th percentile nationally among counties and 90th percentile within Minnesota for Somali demographic concentrations across both absolute and proportional measures.
  • Comparison to State and National Averages: Census Bureau's ACS show Scott County's Somali population of 1.4% surpassing both Minnesota's state average of 1.1% and the national average of 0.049%, positioning the county as a high-concentration jurisdiction exceeding demographic benchmarks across all geographic scales.
  • Share of Total State Population: Official American Community Survey data documents Scott County with 2,118 Somali residents, representing 3.5% of Minnesota's total Somali population of 61,353.
  • Population Density per Square Mile: U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey document Scott County with 5.9 Somali Americans per square mile, seven and three-quarters times Minnesota's average density of 0.77 per square mile, placing the county among the most densely concentrated jurisdictions within the state.
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15 Cities in Scott County Ranked by Somali Population

View Methodology
American Community Survey data show Somali populations in two incorporated cities: Shakopee ( rank_1_geo_dempop residents) and rank_2_geo_name ( rank_2_geo_dempop residents). The table below provides additional context, including total population, population density, and demographic distributions, based on the current ACS data for incorporated cities included in this analysis*.
cities in Scott County, MN ranked by Somali population count
Rank by Somali Population
City
Somali Population
% of Total City Population
% of Total Scott County Somali Population
5 Year Rank Trend
1 Shakopee 1,257 2.79% 59.35%
2 Savage 831 2.54% 39.24%
3 Elko New Market 30 0.61% 1.42%
4 Belle Plaine 0 - -
4 Belle Plaine township 0 - -
4 Cedar Lake township 0 - -
4 Helena township 0 - -
4 0 - -
4 0 - -
4 0 - -
4 0 - -
4 0 - -
4 0 - -
4 0 - -
4 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 city in Scott County, MN 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 city. To provide additional context, we’ve also included two key percentages:
  1. % of Total City Population – This shows what percentage of the total state population identifies as Somali .
  2. % of Total Scott County 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.
  • City 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.