A public-data reference · Updated 2026
Who are Somali Minnesotans? Here are the facts.
Minnesota is home to the largest Somali community in the United States. This site assembles what the public record — the U.S. Census Bureau, Minnesota state agencies, and published research — actually says about it. Every number is cited. Check our work.
~108,500
Somali Minnesotans
The largest Somali community in the United States
91%
are U.S. citizens
Non-citizens fell from 76% in 2001 to 9% in 2023
~70%
labor force participation
Higher than the statewide average
~$8B
estimated annual economic impact
IMPLAN economic model, Dr. Bruce Corrie, Concordia University
47%
under age 18
One of the youngest communities in Minnesota
Explore the data
Three chapters, built from primary sources. More coming.
Population & Geography
How many Somali Minnesotans there are, where they live, and why the count depends on how you measure.
Read the numbers →Economy & Work
Labor force participation, industries, entrepreneurship, and two decades of upward mobility.
Read the numbers →History & Timeline
Why Minnesota? From the first arrivals in 1992 to a community thirty years rooted.
Read the story →Methodology & Sources
Where every number comes from, how measures differ, and how to suggest a correction.
Check our work →