how many somalis are in the us

There is no single “perfect” number, but the best recent estimates suggest there are roughly 250,000–270,000 people of Somali origin in the United States as of the mid‑2020s.

Quick Scoop

• The U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey data, summarized by major news outlets and demography sites, puts the Somali‑heritage population at about 260,000 nationwide around 2024–2025.

• Minnesota has the largest Somali American community , with roughly 100,000‑plus people of Somali descent in the state, and more than 80,000 in the Twin Cities metro alone.

• Other notable Somali communities are in Ohio, Washington, California, and a number of Midwestern states , though in most states Somalis are still a small fraction of the total population.

Why the numbers differ

• Counts change depending on whether you measure “Somali‑born,” “Somali ancestry,” or “Somali alone or in combination” , and different datasets (ACS vs. full Census vs. private compilations) use different definitions.

• Because of those definitional differences, reputable sources produce slightly different national totals (for example, 160k+, 200k+, or around 260k) , all referring to overlapping but not identical groups of people.

Bottom line: if you say “around a quarter‑million Somalis live in the U.S. today,” you are in the right ballpark, and more precise numbers depend on the specific definition and dataset being used.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.