#43 most spoken · language profile
Somali in the United States
An estimated 154,345 people aged 5 and older speak Somali at home across U.S. metropolitan areas. About 36.4% of them, roughly 56,155 people, speak English less than "very well." Interpreter demand is highest where the limited-English population is largest, such as St. Cloud, where about 58.3% of Somali speakers report speaking English less than "very well."
Where Somali is spoken: top metro areas
Ranked by number of speakers at home. 66 additional metro areas have Somali speakers but did not meet Census reliability standards and are not listed.
| # | Metro area | Speakers (± margin) | Limited English | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 52,532 ±6K | 35.1% | 31.1–39% |
| 2 | Columbus, OH | 19,992 ±3K | 31.3% | 27.1–35.5% |
| 3 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 13,109 ±2K | 36.9% | 31.5–42.2% |
| 4 | St. Cloud, MN | 7,423 ±2K | 58.3% | 45.7–70.9% |
| 5 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 4,196 ±966 | 22.1% | 16.5–27.7% |
| 6 | Rochester, MN | 3,640 ±1K | not reliable | — |
| 7 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta, GA | 3,153 ±1K | 21% | 13.2–28.9% |
| 8 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 3,105 ±1K | not reliable | — |
| 9 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 2,336 ±810 | 46.8% | 33.5–60.1% |
| 10 | Syracuse, NY | 2,005 ±732 | 36.5% | 24.1–48.9% |
| 11 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 1,768 ±699 | 37.7% | 24–51.4% |
| 12 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI | 1,495 ±694 | not reliable | — |
| 13 | Portland-South Portland, ME | 1,347 ±651 | not reliable | — |
| 14 | Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 1,301 ±513 | not reliable | — |
| 15 | Lewiston-Auburn, ME | 796 ±373 | not reliable | — |
| 16 | Grand Forks, ND-MN | 736 ±321 | not reliable | — |
Limited English means speaking English less than "very well." Margins of error are at the 90 percent confidence level. "Range" is the 90 percent confidence interval for the limited-English share.
Help Somali speakers be understood
Every dot on this map is a person who deserves to be understood. Medical, legal, and community interpreters turn that need into access. Training is how you start.
Frequently asked questions
- How many people speak Somali in the United States?
- An estimated 154,345 people aged 5 and older speak Somali at home across U.S. metropolitan areas, based on the Census Bureau's 2020 to 2024 American Community Survey.
- What share of Somali speakers have limited English proficiency?
- About 36.4 percent, roughly 56,155 people, report speaking English less than "very well." That is the population professional interpreters serve.
- Which U.S. metro area has the most Somali speakers?
- Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI, with about 52,532 Somali speakers at home.
- Where is Somali interpreter demand highest?
- Demand tracks the size of the limited-English population. St. Cloud, MN stands out, where about 58.3 percent of Somali speakers report speaking English less than "very well."