Which Minnesota cities or neighborhoods have the highest Somali population concentrations?
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Executive summary
Minnesota is consistently reported as home to the largest Somali population in the United States, with recent estimates ranging from about 61,000 to more than 107,000 people of Somali descent statewide and roughly 83,000–84,000 in the Twin Cities metro [1] [2] [3]. Within Minneapolis–Saint Paul the largest Somali concentrations are documented in Minneapolis (especially the Cedar‑Riverside "Little Mogadishu" neighborhood) and St. Paul, with Hennepin and Ramsey counties holding the biggest county totals [4] [5] [6] [7].
1. Minnesota leads the country in Somali residents — but the numbers vary
Multiple recent outlets and datasets assert Minnesota has the largest Somali population in the U.S., but the absolute counts differ substantially: WorldPopulationReview and related county/city breakdowns list statewide totals around 61,000–64,000 and show Minneapolis as the single largest city concentration (around 19,800–20,500) with St. Paul and St. Cloud following [1] [4]. Other reporting that uses ancestry measures or alternative ACS weighting reports totals of roughly 107,000 Somalis in Minnesota and about 83,000–84,000 in the Twin Cities metro, illustrating how definition and methodology change the headline number [3] [2] [8].
2. Where Somalis cluster: Twin Cities, Cedar‑Riverside and beyond
Journalistic and historical sources identify Minneapolis’ Cedar‑Riverside neighborhood as the state’s largest concentrated Somali neighborhood — nicknamed "Little Mogadishu" for its density of Somali businesses, mosques and community organizations — and a principal hub for newly arrived immigrants [6] [9] [10]. Reporting and local studies also point to sizable Somali populations across the Twin Cities: Minneapolis and St. Paul lead city counts, with significant communities spread through Hennepin, Ramsey and neighboring counties [4] [5] [7].
3. County and suburban patterns: Hennepin, Ramsey and suburbs matter
County-level analysis shows Hennepin County contains the largest Somali population in Minnesota (reported at roughly 28,000 in one county breakdown), followed by Ramsey County and notable numbers in Dakota and Stearns counties — evidence that Somali residents are not only urban but also suburban and regional [5]. Academic and local research highlights suburbs such as Eden Prairie as having important Somali populations within the Twin Cities suburban ring [11].
4. Why counts differ: ancestry vs. place‑of‑birth vs. survey methods
Differences among sources stem from choices about measurement: ancestry (people who self‑identify as Somali), place of birth (Somalia-born residents), ACS sampling frames, multi‑year estimates and private analyses yield disparate totals. Outlets that report "more than 107,000" rely on ancestry-based ACS extrapolations; others using narrower definitions produce figures in the 60,000–75,000 range [3] [1] [12]. Several reports explicitly acknowledge margins of error and that exact counts are unknowable without a single, uniform definition [13].
5. Political and reporting context alters attention to places
Coverage since December 2025 has sharpened focus on Minnesota’s Somali neighborhoods because of federal enforcement plans and fraud investigations; that attention often centers on Cedar‑Riverside and Minneapolis more broadly [7] [14]. Advocacy groups and cultural institutions push back, emphasizing Cedar‑Riverside’s role as a civic and commercial hub and cautioning that selective coverage can stigmatize entire communities [15] [16].
6. What the sources agree on and what they don’t
Sources consistently agree Minnesota hosts the nation’s largest Somali community and that Cedar‑Riverside is a central neighborhood; they disagree on the statewide and city-level totals, reflecting methodological variance [1] [6] [3]. Available sources do not mention a single definitive census-style headcount uniquely validated for all Somali Minnesotans; instead they present multiple credible estimates and note margins of error [13].
7. Takeaway for readers seeking specifics
If you need a conservative, census‑based city/county snapshot, use sources that break out ACS-derived counts (e.g., Neilsberg/ZipAtlas for city totals and county breakdowns) while noting their lower estimates [4] [5] [17]. If you need the broader community footprint for policy or advocacy work, rely on ancestry‑based metro figures cited by major outlets that place the Twin Cities Somali population above 80,000 [2] [8]. All reporting recommends caution: definitions shape the number and Cedar‑Riverside remains the most reliably identified high‑concentration neighborhood [6] [9].