Somali Population in South Dakota by City : 2025 Ranking & Insights
The Somali population in South Dakota totals 743, with all individuals residing in the state''s incorporated cities. Census data confirms that multiple cities across South Dakota - such as Sioux Falls, Brookings, and Aberdeen - report non-zero figures, reflecting a widespread yet fully municipal distribution. Since the statewide count aligns precisely with the combined total across these cities, there appears to be little to no Somali presence in unincorporated areas. The analysis below explores how this urban concentration compares with patterns seen in other parts of the country.
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Top 5 cities with the largest Somali population in South Dakota
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1Sioux FallsSomali population in Sioux Falls is 6530.33% of Sioux Falls population is Somali
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2BrookingsSomali population in Brookings is 840.35% of Brookings population is Somali
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3AberdeenSomali population in Aberdeen is 40.01% of Aberdeen population is Somali
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4BrittonSomali population in Britton is 10.09% of Britton population is Somali
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5Rapid CitySomali population in Rapid City is 10.00% of Rapid City population is Somali
Overview of Somali population in South Dakota
- Population Count and Percentage: American Community Survey data indicate South Dakota contains 743 Somali residents (0.083% of 899,194 total state population), positioning the state at the 45th percentile nationally among U.S. states for Somali population concentrations.
- Comparison to State and National Averages: U.S. Census data records indicate South Dakota's Somali population of 0.083% exceeds the national average of 0.049% by a factor of 1.7.
- Share of Total National Population: Official American Community Survey data indicates South Dakota contains 743 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 document South Dakota with less than 0.01 Somali Americans per square mile, below the national average of 0.046 per square mile, placing the state among jurisdictions with below-average demographic concentrations nationally.
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114 Cities in South Dakota Ranked by Somali Population
American Community Survey data [1] show Somali population in South Dakota present in Sioux Falls, Brookings, and Aberdeen, along with several other incorporated cities reporting non-zero populations. The table below provides broader statistics, including total population figures, density measures, and demographic distributions based on current ACS data for all incorporated cities 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 city in South Dakota 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:
- % of Total City Population – This shows what percentage of the total state population identifies as Somali .
- % of Total South Dakota 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
- U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates.
- U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line Shapefiles 2023.
