How has Minnesota's Somali population changed over the last 20 years?
Executive summary
Available sources disagree widely on counts but consistently report that Minnesota hosts the largest Somali community in the United States; recent estimates cited range from "more than 32,000" (Census Bureau estimate reported in 2024) to 61,000–64,000 in several 2025 data summaries and as high as historical estimates of ~87,800 in 2008 [1] [2] [3] [4]. Sources also emphasize that most Somali Minnesotans arrived since the early 1990s and are concentrated in the Twin Cities metro [5] [6].
1. Numbers vary — official estimates vs. community claims
Different outlets and datasets give very different totals for Minnesota’s Somali population: worldpopulationreview and several 2025 city/county summaries place the Somali population around 61,000–64,354 and say Somalis make up about 1.1–1.12% of the state [2] [3] [7], while a 2024 news item reports a new Census estimate raising people of Somali ancestry in Minnesota to “more than 32,000” [1]. Historical and community sources offer higher figures — the Minnesota Historical Society libguide cites 87,853 as of 2008 and the Minnesota Demographer’s earlier range was 40,200–52,400 with some community estimates up to 80,000 [4] [6]. These discrepancies reflect differences in methods (ancestry questions vs. birthplace vs. community counts) and reporting dates [1] [6] [4].
2. Why counts diverge: methodology, definitions and timing
Sources use different definitions — “people of Somali ancestry,” “Somali-born,” or residents identifying as Somali in American Community Survey-based estimates — producing divergent totals [1] [8]. Some 2025 data products likely aggregate ACS or other newer estimates to produce totals near 61k–64k [3] [2], while the Census Bureau item cited by AP-style reporting gave a lower “more than 32,000” figure for Somali ancestry in 2024 [1]. Community organizations and historical guides have at times presented higher figures [4]. Available sources do not provide a single reconciled time series using a uniform method.
3. Trend over ~20 years: growth, settlement patterns and age structure
All sources agree Somalis began arriving in sizable numbers after the Somali civil war in the early 1990s and that growth since then made Minnesota the national hub for Somali Americans [6] [5] [9]. The HRSA/state overview and Minnesota Chamber pieces note Minnesota became home to the largest Somali population and that refugee settlement concentrated Somalis in the Twin Cities; younger age profiles among Somali Minnesotans are also emphasized [5] [9]. Specific year‑by‑year growth rates over the last 20 years are not presented in the supplied materials; available sources do not mention a continuous 2005–2025 time series using the same measurement to quantify exact growth.
4. Where in Minnesota the community is concentrated
Multiple 2025 summaries map Somali residents primarily to Minneapolis, St. Paul and St. Cloud, with Hennepin and Ramsey counties holding the largest concentrations; one county-level breakdown cited Hennepin County with about 28,053 Somali residents and Minneapolis around 19,870 in a 2025 snapshot [3] [10]. The Minnesota Demographer and historical reporting likewise describe a heavy Twin Cities concentration, especially Cedar-Riverside in Minneapolis [6].
5. Socioeconomic context and civic contributions
Reports highlight both challenges and contributions: the Minnesota Chamber points to Somali labor presence in home health and food manufacturing and notes entrepreneurship and economic participation; historical pieces recount significant Somali-run businesses and community enterprises in Minneapolis [5] [6]. National-level ACS summaries show Somali employment trends and community organizations in Minnesota, but available sources do not provide a unified, current poverty or income time series for the whole community [8] [5].
6. What to watch and limitations in the record
Key limitations: counts differ because sources use different definitions (ancestry vs. birthplace vs. ACS-derived Somali identification) and different years; some widely cited figures are from 2008 or 2010-era data while others are 2024–2025 estimates [4] [8] [1] [2]. For a rigorous 20‑year trend you would need consistent, repeated measures (same definition) across censuses/ACS releases — available sources do not present that single reconciled time series (not found in current reporting). Researchers should examine raw ACS microdata or state demographer reports to harmonize definitions.
Summary recommendation: use the most transparent, methodologically consistent source available (for example, specify whether you mean “Somali ancestry,” “Somali-born,” or ACS-defined Somali category) and compare like with like over time; the supplied reporting uniformly supports that Minnesota has been and remains the largest Somali population center in the U.S., even if exact counts differ widely across sources [2] [1] [6].