Which Minnesota cities have the largest Somali-born populations in 2025?
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Executive summary
The best available 2025 city-level estimates point to Minneapolis as by far the largest concentration of Somalia-born residents in Minnesota, followed at a distance by St. Paul and St. Cloud; smaller but notable communities exist in Rochester, Marshall and other Twin Cities suburbs [1] [2] [3]. These figures hinge on how “Somali” is measured — country of birth, ancestry, or language at home — and sources differ, so city rankings are consistent at the top but vary in the margins depending on methodology [4] [1].
1. Minneapolis: the primary landing place
Multiple 2025 compilations of American Community Survey and Census-derived estimates place Minneapolis at the top of city lists for Somalia-born residents, with Neilsberg reporting roughly 19,870 Somali residents in Minneapolis — a figure presented as the leading single-city count in the state [1], and other outlets describing Hennepin County (which contains Minneapolis) as home to close to 50,000 Somalis overall [3]; reporters and local histories also emphasize Cedar‑Riverside and the broader Twin Cities as focal neighborhoods for Somali immigrants [2] [5].
2. St. Paul and the second tier of the Twin Cities
St. Paul consistently ranks second in city-level tallies: Neilsberg lists St. Paul at about 6,669 Somali residents in 2025 [1], and broader reporting on the Twin Cities notes that roughly three‑quarters of Minnesota’s Somali population lives in the metro area, reinforcing St. Paul’s role as the second major municipal hub even as exact counts vary by data source and by whether ancestry or country-of-birth is used [2] [4].
3. St. Cloud and regional centers outside the Twin Cities
Beyond the Twin Cities, St. Cloud appears as the largest non‑metro city for Somalia-born residents in 2025, with Neilsberg estimating roughly 3,740 Somali residents [1]; historical migration patterns and secondary arrivals documented by Minnesota demographers and community historians also name Stearns County (St. Cloud’s county) as a frequent destination for resettlement and secondary migration transfers [5].
4. Rochester, Marshall and smaller but meaningful communities
Reporting notes that Rochester had an estimated Somali community (about 4,000 in 2020 according to the state demographer) though some 2024‑25 Census products did not publish a specific Rochester country‑of‑birth count, which complicates precise 2025 placement [3]; earlier migration to towns like Marshall created enduring Somali presences in smaller workforce towns as well, and community estimates often put several additional cities on the map even when ACS cell sizes are small or suppressed for privacy [2] [5].
5. Why city counts vary — ancestry vs. country of birth and data limits
Some media outlets use ancestry or self‑identified Somali descent (which captures U.S.-born second‑generation residents) and therefore report larger totals — for example, Fox 9 cites Census ancestry-based estimates pushing Minnesota Somali‑descent counts into the six figures and Minneapolis ancestry counts much higher than country‑of‑birth figures [4] — while Neilsberg and city rankings that focus on “Somali population” tied to ACS country‑of‑birth tabulations produce smaller but more directly comparable city‑by‑city lists [1]; state demographer notes, local community groups and MN Compass compile complementary metrics, but differences in definitions and ACS sampling margins of error mean city rankings beyond the top two or three should be treated cautiously [6] [3].
6. Bottom line and where to verify
The authoritative pattern across 2025 reporting is clear: Minneapolis leads, St. Paul follows, and St. Cloud is the largest non‑Twin Cities municipality with notable Somali-born populations; Rochester, Marshall and various suburbs host smaller concentrations but exact ranks change with data definitions [1] [2] [3]. For the most reliable, repeatable counts, consult the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey tables (country of birth and ancestry) and Minnesota Compass/state demographer releases; the sources used here (Neilsberg, regional outlets and state reporting) reflect those underlying Census/ACS data but translate them with differing choices about which Somali measure to report [1] [3] [4].