Somali Population in Washington by County : 2025 Ranking & Insights

According to the latest U.S. Census estimates, the Somali population in Washington totals 14,202. King County contains the largest Somali community with 13,807 residents, followed by Clark County (133), Pierce County (95), and others contributing to this statewide total. This demographic analysis ranks all counties in Washington by their Somali populations, offering insights into local community distribution and broader settlement trends.

Top 5 counties with the largest Somali population in Washington

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  • 1
    King County
    Somali population in King County is 13,807
    0.61% of King County population is Somali
  • 2
    Clark County
    Somali population in Clark County is 133
    0.03% of Clark County population is Somali
  • 3
    Pierce County
    Somali population in Pierce County is 95
    0.01% of Pierce County population is Somali
  • 4
    Spokane County
    Somali population in Spokane County is 55
    0.01% of Spokane County population is Somali
  • 5
    Kitsap County
    Somali population in Kitsap County is 30
    0.01% of Kitsap County population is Somali

Overview of Somali population in Washington

  • Population Count and Percentage: American Community Survey data indicate Washington contains 14,202 Somali residents (0.18% of 7.7 million total state population), positioning the state at the 95th percentile nationally among U.S. states for Somali population concentrations.
  • Comparison to State and National Averages: U.S. Census data records indicate Washington's Somali population of 0.18% exceeds the national average of 0.049% by a factor of 3.7.
  • Share of Total National Population: Official American Community Survey records show Washington hosts 14,202 Somali residents, representing 8.7% of the nation's total Somali population of 163,769, establishing the state as a significant demographic concentration center within national boundaries.
  • Population Density per Square Mile: U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey data indicates Washington's density of 0.21 Somali Americans per square mile exceeds the national average of 0.046 per square mile by more than quadruple, establishing the state as a significant concentration center for Somali demographic communities.
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39 Counties in Washington Ranked by Somali Population

View Methodology
American Community Survey data [1] show Somali population in Washington distributed across multiple counties, led by King County, Clark County, Pierce County, and Spokane 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*.
counties in Washington ranked by Somali population count
Rank by Somali Population
County
Somali Population
% of Total County Population
% of Total Washington Somali Population
5 Year Rank Trend
1 King County 13,807 0.61% 97.22%
2 Clark County 133 0.03% 0.94%
3 Pierce County 95 0.01% 0.67%
4 Spokane County 55 0.01% 0.39%
5 Kitsap County 30 0.01% 0.21%
6 Whatcom County 26 0.01% 0.18%
7 Snohomish County 17 0.00% 0.12%
8 15 0.02% 0.11%
9 12 0.01% 0.08%
10 8 0.01% 0.06%
11 4 0.02% 0.03%
12 0 - -
12 0 - -
12 0 - -
12 0 - -
12 0 - -
12 0 - -
12 0 - -
12 0 - -
12 0 - -
12 0 - -
12 0 - -
12 0 - -
12 0 - -
12 0 - -
12 0 - -
12 0 - -
12 0 - -
12 0 - -
12 0 - -
12 0 - -
12 0 - -
12 0 - -
12 0 - -
12 0 - -
12 0 - -
12 0 - -
12 0 - -
12 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 county in Washington 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:
  1. % of Total County Population – This shows what percentage of the total state population identifies as Somali .
  2. % of Total Washington 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

  1. 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates.
  2. 2023.