Which Minnesota counties or cities have the largest numbers of naturalized Somali citizens?

1. Where Somali naturalized citizens live: the Twin Cities core and suburbs

Most reporting identifies Minneapolis and the Cedar‑Riverside neighborhood as the hub of Minnesota’s Somali community and points to the Twin Cities metro — especially Hennepin County (Minneapolis) and Ramsey County (St. Paul) — as where the largest numbers reside ^[1][5]. State demographer counts and multiple national outlets say most Somali Minnesotans live in the Twin Cities and surrounding suburbs; KTTC notes “close to 50,000” Somalis live in Hennepin County and that Minneapolis is the focal point of the community ^[5].

2. How many are naturalized vs. U.S.‑born: citizenship dominates

Multiple outlets report that a majority of Somalis in Minnesota are U.S. citizens: roughly 58% are U.S.‑born and, among the foreign‑born, about 87% are naturalized citizens — a pattern reiterated by CNN, PBS, AP, and local TV reporting ^[1][3][2][5]. AP and CNN frame these figures as central to understanding federal enforcement plans aimed at Somali immigrants ^[2][1].

3. County‑level specifics: what the sources say and what they don’t

Sources repeatedly point to Hennepin County (Minneapolis) as having “most” or “close to 50,000” Somali residents and to the Twin Cities metro generally as the concentration, but none of the provided reporting gives a complete county‑by‑county ranked list of naturalized Somali citizens ^[5][4][6]. In short: reporting identifies Hennepin and Ramsey counties and Twin Cities suburbs as the largest population centers, but available sources do not provide a definitive county‑by‑county naturalization tally ^[5][4].

4. Numbers vary because of methodology and politics

Estimates vary widely — the Minnesota demographer’s midrange (40,200–52,400), community estimates as high as 80,000, and some local outlets citing an upper bound near 108,000 — because sources use different data sets (American Community Survey, state demographer, community estimates) and different definitions (Somali ancestry vs. Somali‑born vs. Somali‑identifying) ^[4][6]. Political context — recent federal statements and planned enforcement actions — has prompted intense media focus on citizenship status and created urgency around the numbers reported ^[2][1].

5. Major takeaways for readers and policymakers

The dominant fact in available reporting is that most Somalis in Minnesota are citizens — either U.S.‑born or naturalized — and that the largest concentrations are in Minneapolis (Cedar‑Riverside), Hennepin County, St. Paul and adjacent suburbs ^[1][5][4]. When officials or news outlets refer to “targeting Somali immigrants in Minnesota,” reporting emphasizes that the population targeted by such rhetoric and enforcement is largely composed of citizens or long‑term residents ^[2][3].

6. Limitations, outstanding data gaps and where to look next

State and national journalism cite ACS and state demographer estimates for citizenship rates and broad county concentrations, but they do not publish a ranked list of counties or municipalities by number of naturalized Somali citizens; available sources do not mention a comprehensive county‑level naturalization breakdown ^[5][4]. For a precise county or city ranking of naturalized Somali citizens, readers should consult the American Community Survey microdata or Minnesota state demographer releases directly — those datasets are referenced by reporting but not reproduced in these articles ^[3][6].

Sources cited: CNN ^[1]; KTTC ^[5]; PBS ^[3]; AP News ^[2]; Minnesota demographer/Wikipedia summary ^[4]; KSTP/local reporting ^[6].