Demographics of Minnesota


The demographics of Minnesota are tracked by the United States Census Bureau, with additional data gathered by the Minnesota State Demographic Center. According to the most recent estimates, Minnesota's population as of 2020 was approximately 5.7 million, making it the 22nd most populous state in the United States. The total fertility rate in Minnesota was roughly 1.87 in 2019, slightly below the replacement rate of 2.1.
For decades, Minnesota has been characterized by a higher number of births than deaths. The state has seen significant population growth in the past century, both through natural increase and immigration. In 2020, approximately 8% of the population was foreign-born.
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Minnesota was a significant destination for European immigrants, especially from Germany, Norway, and Sweden. In more recent years, the state has become a new home for refugees and immigrants from Latin America, East Africa, South Asia, West Africa and Southeast Asia.
The population of Minnesota is not only diverse in terms of birthplace and ancestry but also in terms of age and socioeconomic status. Minnesota boasts a well-educated populace, with one of the highest high school graduation rates in the nation and a robust system of public and private colleges and universities. With a median household income of around $70,000 in 2019, Minnesota is a predominantly middle-class state. However, income disparities and child poverty rates have been persistent issues, reflecting broader national trends.
As of 2020, Minnesota was among the top states in the nation for life expectancy, health care access, and quality of life. Furthermore, Minnesota is known for its commitment to environmental stewardship and outdoor recreation, with numerous state parks, forests, and water bodies.

Population

Minnesota's population experienced significant growth over the years. In 1850, the state had fewer than 6,100 residents, which expanded to over 1.75 million by 1900. Throughout the following six decades, there was a consistent increase of 15.0% in population, reaching 3.41 million in 1960. Subsequently, the growth rate slowed, with an 11.0% rise to 3.8 million in 1970. Over the next three decades, the population continued to grow at an average rate of 9.0%, resulting in a population of 4.91 million according to the 2000 census. In 2020, the population was approximately 5.7 million.
Minnesota's population trends, age distribution, and gender ratios closely approximate the national average. However, it is worth noting that minority groups in Minnesota constitute a smaller proportion of the overall population compared to the nation as a whole.
The center of population in Minnesota is located in Hennepin County, specifically in the city of Rogers.
The population distribution by age in the 2019 American Community Survey was:
  • Under 5 years: 6.2%
  • 5–9 years: 6.5%
  • 10–14 years: 6.5%
  • 15–19 years: 6.6%
  • 20–24 years: 6.8%
  • 25–34 years: 13.7%
  • 35–44 years: 12.7%
  • 45–54 years: 12.6%
  • 55–59 years: 7.1%
  • 60–64 years: 6.3%
  • 65–74 years: 9.3%
  • 75–84 years: 4.4%
  • 85 years and over: 1.3%
Approximately 60% of the state's population lives within the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area and 40% in the remainder of the state. This is a result of the migration of jobs from farming, mining, and logging, prevalent in the 19th century, to the current concentration in professional, office, and service jobs, concentrated in the metropolitan areas.

Most populous counties

2023 rankCountySeat city2020 Census2023 Estimate% gain since 2020
1HennepinMinneapolis--
2RamseySaint Paul--
3DakotaHastings--
4AnokaAnoka--
5WashingtonStillwater--
6St. LouisDuluth--
7OlmstedRochester--
8StearnsSt. Cloud--
9ScottShakopee--
10WrightBuffalo--
11CarverChaska--
12SherburneElk River--
13Blue EarthMankato--
14Crow WingBrainerd--
15RiceFaribault--
16ClayMoorhead--
17Otter TailFergus Falls--
18ChisagoCenter City--
19WinonaWinona--
20GoodhueRed Wing--

Race and ethnicity

As of the 2020 United States Census, the racial and ethnic composition of Minnesota was more diverse than in 2010. The state's population was predominantly White, making up approximately 77.5% of the total population. This group primarily consists of individuals of Northern and Western European descent, with a significant proportion of residents claiming being German, Norwegian, Irish, Swedish, and English ancestry. Among those 65 years and over, 92.4% are White.
African Americans are 7.0% of the population, a figure that has steadily increased over the past three decades. This growth is in part attributed to the influx of immigrants from East Africa, particularly Somalia and Ethiopia, who reside mainly in cities like Minneapolis and St. Paul.
From 2000 to 2010, there was a significant increase in the Hispanic population by 74.5%, and this trend continued from 2010 to 2020. The state's Latino population exceeds 345,000, accounting for about 6% of the total population. Mexican origin residents form the largest group of Latinos in Minnesota, with a population of 213,800, making them the third largest cultural group in the state. Approximately 60% of Mexican Minnesotans reside in the 7-county Twin Cities metro area, with the remaining 40% spread across smaller cities and rural areas of the state.
Asian Americans are 5.2% of the state's total. The Hmong community, originating from Southeast Asia has a significant presence in the Twin Cities metropolitan area.
Native Americans are 1.2% of the population. The two primary tribes in Minnesota are the Dakota and the Ojibwe. The Dakota are indigenous to the Minnesota region and were the state's earliest inhabitants. They traditionally lived in the southeastern part of the state, along the Mississippi and Minnesota rivers. The Dakota are divided into several bands, including the Mdewakanton, Sisseton, Wahpeton, and Wahpekute. Today, there are four Dakota communities in Minnesota: Shakopee Mdewakanton, Prairie Island Indian Community, Upper Sioux Community, and Lower Sioux Indian Community. The Ojibwe migrated to Minnesota from the east around the 17th century, settling primarily in the northern and central parts of the state. There are seven Ojibwe reservations in Minnesota today: Bois Forte, Fond du Lac, Grand Portage, Leech Lake, Mille Lacs, Red Lake, and White Earth.

Birth data

Historical

The racial demographics of Minnesota have evolved considerably since the state's early settlement period. According to the United States Census data, the state's population in 1850 was 99.4% White, with a very small Black population of 0.6%, and virtually no representation of other racial groups.
This racial makeup largely remained consistent through the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with the White population consistently above 98% through 1940. Meanwhile, the Black and Native American populations fluctuated marginally, remaining below 1%. Asian and other races weren't distinctly represented in the census until the later part of the 19th century.
By 1950, the state began to see slight increases in racial diversity. The White population fell slightly to 99%, with a small increase in the Black population to 0.5%, and other racial groups beginning to be represented. It wasn't until the latter half of the 20th century that more notable changes occurred. By 1980, the White population had fallen to 96.6%, while the Black population had risen to 1.3%. In 1990, the racial composition continued to diversify, with the White population falling to 94.4%, and the Black population rising to 2.2%. The Asian population also increased to 1.8%, due in part to resettlement of some Hmong peoples following the Laotian Civil War.
Significant shifts in racial demographics were evident by the turn of the 21st century. By 2010, the White population was 85.3% and the Black population increased to 5.2%. The Asian population rose to 4%, and those identifying as two or more races rose to 2.4%. This trend was reflected in the 2020 census as well.

Native American tribes

Immigration

Immigration to Minnesota was fueled by the efforts of railroad companies and civic boosters who published books explaining Minnesota's virtues. New Minnesotans also sent letters back to the "old country" explaining the new hope and prosperity they had found in Minnesota. The first major wave of immigrants, in the 1850s through 1870s, was primarily from Germany and Ireland. The Irish immigrants settled in Minnesota as early as 1851, escaping from the Great Famine of Ireland. Most settlers moved to farming areas in the central and southern regions of the state. Germans composed the largest immigrant group to Minnesota. When World War I started, 70% of the population was either foreign-born or had at least one parent born outside the United States. Of that number, more than one fourth were Germans. New Ulm, Saint Cloud, and Shakopee were particular centers of German immigration. Scandinavians from Norway, Sweden, and Denmark, as well as immigrants from the Nordic country of Finland soon followed, but they tended to settle in distinctive communities of Norwegian, Swedish, Danish, and Finnish groups instead of common Scandinavian or Nordic communities.
Irish immigrants were the fourth largest group after the Germans, Swedes, and Norwegians, many of whom came as a result of the Great Famine. Reportedly, they were encouraged to immigrate by Archbishop John Ireland. The Irish concentrated in Saint Paul. Other Europeans from Italy, Slovenia, Poland, Czech Republic/ Bohemia, and Slovakia became the dominant group immigrating to the United States, and they tended to settle in the Twin Cities, Duluth, and the Iron Range. The Mesabi Range was especially popular among southeastern Europeans, particularly Slovenians and other Central European immigrants from the former Habsburg Empire, who found employment in the iron mines. With extraordinary encouragement from Walter Mondale, Hmong and Vietnamese immigrants started to come to Minnesota around the mid-1970s as the pro-American governments in their home countries collapsed. Many came through VOLAGS contracted with the State Department, who helped them settle in. As of the 2015 American Community Survey, there are a number residents from Laos and Thailand in the state, which include individuals of Hmong ancestry.
In the mid-1990s, Somali immigrants began to settle in the United States as political turmoil occurred in Somalia; Minnesota became one of the prime destinations. According to the Office of Immigration Statistics, in 1996, 439 people came directly from Somalia to Minnesota, but the office estimates many more first arrived in other states and moved to Minnesota. In 2002, official estimates put the statewide population at around 15,000 residents. Many came through VOLAGS, who helped them settle. As of the 2015 American Community Survey, there are 57,000 residents in the state who are of Somali ancestry. The 2018-2022 5-year ACS estimate put the population at about 82,000, 58.0% of which were foreign-born.
One of the fastest growing immigrant groups in Minnesota is the Karen people, an ethnic minority in conflict with the government in Myanmar. Most of the estimated 5,000 Karen in Minnesota came from refugee camps in Thailand. Many also arrived through VOLAGS.
As of the 2015 American Community Survey, the largest foreign-born groups in Minnesota are from Mexico, Somalia, India, Laos including Hmong, Vietnam, China excluding Hong Kong and Taiwan, Ethiopia, and Thailand including Hmong.
In 2019, 1,104 refugees were settled in Minnesota. The most common countries of origin of refugees were Myanmar, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ukraine, Somalia, and Ethiopia. In 2022, the state reported that 43% of refugees were from Ukraine, 33% from Afghanistan, and 6% from Somalia.
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