How many Somali in Minnesota
Executive summary
Estimates of Minnesotans of Somali descent vary widely: contemporary local and national reporting cites figures from roughly 61,000 to more than 107,000 people, with several outlets and datasets identifying the Minneapolis–Saint Paul area as home to the largest concentration (about 83,000–84,000 in the metro area) [1] [2] [3] [4]. Discrepancies reflect different data definitions (ancestry vs. place of birth vs. language spoken at home) and different sources (U.S. Census American Community Survey estimates, local reporting and independent demographic analyses) [1] [5] [2] [4].
1. Conflicting headline numbers — why one figure is not the whole story
Reporting shows a spread: Fox9 and some national outlets cite “more than 107,000” people of Somali descent in Minnesota when using ancestry estimates from the American Community Survey, while several census-derived summaries and private data projects report totals near 61,000–64,000 Somalis statewide [1] [6] [2] [4]. These divergent headline figures come from different Census Bureau variables (self‑reported ancestry, language spoken at home, or country-of-birth tables) and from different aggregations—so a single “correct” number does not exist in the supplied sources [1] [5] [4].
2. Metro concentration and city-by-city differences
All sources agree Minnesota’s Somali population is heavily concentrated in the Twin Cities. Fox9 and PBS describe roughly 83,000–84,000 Somalis in the Minneapolis–St. Paul metro area, with Minneapolis alone often reported in the tens of thousands; Neilsberg and other city breakdowns show major communities in Minneapolis, St. Paul and St. Cloud [1] [3] [4]. This concentration explains why local politics and enforcement actions focused on Minneapolis–St. Paul get outsized attention relative to statewide percentages [1] [3].
3. Different measures: ancestry, birthplace, language, citizenship
Analysts and reporters use multiple Census Bureau measures. “Ancestry” counts people who self-identify Somali heritage and can yield higher totals (the Fox9 citation of “more than 107,000” uses ancestry estimates) [1]. Place-of-birth counts (people born in Somalia) are lower—Wikipedia cites about 43,000 Somalia-born residents as of 2018—and language-at-home counts (roughly 94,000 Somali-language speakers noted in one historical summary) add a different angle to community size and integration [7]. These different metrics also reveal demographic dynamics: a large share of Minnesota’s Somali community is U.S.-born or naturalized, a fact highlighted in Associated Press reporting summarized by local outlets [8].
4. Recent arrivals, refugees and internal migration shape growth
Historical and state data show waves of refugee resettlement beginning in the 1990s plus secondary migration within the U.S. The Minnesota Department of Health and Department of Human Services recorded tens of thousands of Somali refugees arriving over decades; one compilation notes 23,915 arrivals from Somalia between 1979 and 2017 and 13,582 arrivals between 2005 and 2018, with continued arrivals into 2024 [7]. Secondary migration from other states and recent asylum/refugee flows are explicit drivers of community change in the reporting [7].
5. Civic and policy implications behind the numbers
How the population is counted matters for public policy, resource allocation and political messaging. Reporting of a higher “ancestry” number (over 100,000) amplifies claims about community size used in public debate and enforcement planning, while lower counts (61,000–64,000) based on other Census tabulations produce different policy narratives [1] [2] [4]. Recent news about federal enforcement operations targeting Somali immigrants underscores why precise framing—who is counted, and how many are citizens versus noncitizens—has immediate consequences noted by local and national outlets [3] [9] [8].
6. What the supplied sources do not settle
Available sources do not mention a single authoritative 2025 state-sanctioned head count that reconciles all methodologies; they do not provide a definitive, up‑to‑the‑day reconciled figure that combines ancestry, birthplace and language into one consensus number (not found in current reporting). They also do not supply the raw Census tables behind every quoted headline within this set of excerpts, so precise cross-variable reconciliation is not possible from the supplied material alone [1] [2] [4].
7. Practical takeaway for readers and reporters
When you see a figure for “how many Somalis live in Minnesota,” ask which measure is being used: ancestry, country of birth, language spoken at home, or citizenship status. Fox9 and some outlets cite more than 107,000 by ancestry, Neilsberg and others report around 61,000–64,000 from other Census-derived totals, and local journalism and PBS place the Twin Cities metro Somali population in the 80,000s—each is defensible within its measurement frame [1] [2] [3] [4]. Reporters, policymakers and community members should name the metric being quoted and recognize that different metrics tell different stories about history, integration and need [5] [7].
Sources cited in text: Fox9/ANC reporting [1]; WorldPopulationReview [6]; Minnesota Compass [5]; Wikipedia/history summary and state arrival records [7]; Neilsberg analyses [2] [4]; PBS/Associated Press and AP-sourced reporting summarized locally [3] [9] [8].