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

The Somali population in Steele County, MN is reported at 353 residents, according to recent U.S. Census estimates. Of all the cities in Steele County in this analysis*, only Owatonna shows any Somali residents - totaling 353. Since this matches the county''s total, the Somali population appears completely concentrated within that single city. The section below explores how this localized presence compares with similar regions in Minnesota.

Top 5 cities with the largest Somali population in Steele County

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  • 1
    Owatonna
    Somali population in Owatonna is 353
    1.33% of Owatonna population is Somali
  • 2
    Aurora township
    Somali population in Aurora township is 0
    - of Aurora township population is Somali
  • 3
    Berlin township
    Somali population in Berlin township is 0
    - of Berlin township population is Somali
  • 4
    Blooming Prairie
    Somali population in Blooming Prairie is 0
    - of Blooming Prairie population is Somali
  • 5
    Deerfield township
    Somali population in Deerfield township is 0
    - of Deerfield township population is Somali

Overview of Somali population in Steele County

  • Population Count and Percentage: American Community Survey data document Steele County with 353 Somali residents (0.94% of 37,413 total county population), positioning the jurisdiction at the 97th percentile nationally among counties and 82nd percentile within Minnesota for Somali population concentrations, despite absolute population figures.
  • Comparison to State and National Averages: Census Bureau's ACS data documents Steele County's Somali demographic representation of 0.94%, exceeding the national average of 0.049% while remaining below Minnesota's elevated state average of 1.1%, placing the county above national concentration levels while below state demographic averages.
  • Share of Total State Population: Official American Community Survey data indicates Steele County contains 353 Somali residents, representing less than 1% of Minnesota's total Somali population of 61,353.
  • Population Density per Square Mile: U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey document Steele County contains $dem_per_sqmi Somali Americans per square mile, above Minnesota's average of 0.77 per square mile, indicating marginally stronger community presence than most state counties.
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13 Cities in Steele County Ranked by Somali Population

View Methodology
American Community Survey data [1] show Somali population concentrated in one incorporated city: Owatonna, with 353 residents. The table below provides additional context, including total population, population density, and demographic distributions, based on current ACS data for incorporated cities included in this analysis*.
cities in Steele County, MN ranked by Somali population count
Rank by Somali Population
City
Somali Population
% of Total City Population
% of Total Steele County Somali Population
5 Year Rank Trend
1 Owatonna 353 1.33% 100.00%
2 Aurora township 0 - -
2 Berlin township 0 - -
2 Blooming Prairie 0 - -
2 Deerfield township 0 - -
2 Ellendale 0 - -
2 Havana township 0 - -
2 0 - -
2 0 - -
2 0 - -
2 0 - -
2 0 - -
2 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 Steele 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 Steele 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.