What’s the immigration population in the state of Minneapolis
Executive summary
The user’s phrasing conflates a city with a state; the relevant geography is Minnesota (the state) and Minneapolis (the city). Minnesota is home to roughly half a million foreign‑born residents—estimates range from about 448,000 (earlier ACS‑based estimates) to roughly 524,000 in 2024—representing around 8–9% of the state’s population, while the Minneapolis metropolitan area (not the city alone) has a higher foreign‑born share (about 10.7%) [1] [2] [3].
1. Clarifying the question: Minneapolis is a city; the proper comparison is Minnesota the state
The phrase “state of Minneapolis” is technically incorrect: Minneapolis is a city within Minnesota; reporting and demographic sources therefore treat “immigration population” at the city, metropolitan, and state levels separately, and available sources provide state totals and metro shares rather than a single canonical “state of Minneapolis” figure [4] [5] [3].
2. Statewide totals: roughly half a million foreign‑born people in Minnesota
Multiple state and local demographic resources converge on the same conclusion: Minnesota’s foreign‑born population is measured in the hundreds of thousands—about 448,397 (≈8.2% in earlier ACS summaries cited by the State Demographic Center) and rising in more recent compilations to roughly 524,000 (about 9% of the state’s population in 2024) depending on the year and method used [2] [1] [3].
3. Minneapolis versus the Twin Cities metro: higher foreign‑born share in the metro area
While statewide foreign‑born share is near 8–9%, the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area concentrates more immigrants: data cited by USAFacts places the Minneapolis metro at about 10.7% foreign‑born (the highest metro share in Minnesota), and local metro profiles and city reports emphasize that most foreign‑born Minnesotans live in Hennepin and Ramsey counties (which contain Minneapolis and St. Paul) [3] [5] [6]. The sources do not provide a single, source‑verified count for foreign‑born residents inside Minneapolis city limits in this packet, so the metro percentage is the best available proximate indicator [5] [7].
4. Who makes up that immigrant population and recent trends
The immigrant population in Minnesota is diverse and shifting: Mexican-born residents have been the largest foreign‑born group historically, Somali and other East African communities are especially significant (Somali communities are among the largest in the U.S.), and other sizable origin groups include India, Laos (Hmong), Vietnam, China, and Ethiopia; state estimates by country of birth and historical ACS aggregates are cited by the Minnesota State Demographic Center and MN Compass [2] [1] [8]. Trendwise, immigrants in Minnesota are younger and have grown as a share of the labor force—state business and DEED analyses point to immigration as a primary source of labor‑force growth and note a 40% increase in immigrant participation in the labor force in an earlier decade [9] [6].
5. Sources, measurement differences, and implicit agendas
Estimates vary because different organizations use different datasets and methods: MN Compass and the State Demographer generally rely on American Community Survey (ACS) pooled estimates and state administrative inputs (noting undercount risks), the Migration Policy Institute provides state profiles using IPUMS/Census methods, and USAFacts compiles and projects ACS/Census estimates for 2024—each approach yields slightly different totals and shares [1] [7] [3] [10]. Advocacy or business groups emphasizing immigrants’ economic contributions (e.g., Minnesota Chamber, DEED) frame the data to support pro‑immigration labor and growth narratives, while some outlets focus on unauthorized population profiles (Migration Policy Institute) or on concentration and service needs in metro counties; readers should note these emphases when comparing claims [9] [11] [12].
6. Bottom line and where to look next for a city‑level figure
Bottom line: Minnesota’s immigrant population is on the order of half a million people (roughly 8–9% of the state), and the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metro shows a higher foreign‑born share (≈10.7%); the packet of sources does not include a single, authoritative city‑of‑Minneapolis foreign‑born count for 2024, so for a precise city‑level number the U.S. Census Bureau’s ACS 5‑year table for “foreign born” by place (or the Minneapolis city data brief) should be consulted alongside the State Demographic Center and local Minneapolis data briefs referenced above [3] [10] [5] [7].