March 4, 2025 Story by: Editor
Minnesota is among the top four states in the U.S. experiencing the fastest growth in its Black population since 2010.
According to an analysis by the Pew Research Center, the state’s Black population has increased by 60 percent, adding approximately 197,000 people.
The research, based on Census Bureau microdata from the 2010 and 2023 American Community Survey—provided through IPUMS from the University of Minnesota—shows that the Black population in the United States reached a record 48.3 million in 2023.
For this analysis, “Black population” includes individuals who self-identify as Black or African American, encompassing those who are multiracial or Hispanic.
Utah recorded the fastest Black population growth at 89 percent, while Arizona, Nevada, and Minnesota all saw a 60 percent increase.
In states with already sizable Black populations, such as Texas, Florida, and Georgia, the overall number of Black residents grew the most in numerical terms.
Minnesota’s Black population growth has largely been driven by births and immigration, according to Susan Brower, the state’s demographer. Her office provides population estimates and analyzes demographic trends.
State researchers estimate that between 2010 and 2023, about 103,000 Black babies were born in Minnesota. Additionally, Census data indicates that the state gained approximately 79,000 Black residents born outside the U.S. during that time.
“What’s unique about Minnesota’s trend with respect to Black or African American residents is that it’s really been fueled by international immigration in a way that many states haven’t seen, particularly in the South where the majority are U.S.-born African Americans who are descendants of slavery,” said Brower.
Minnesota has experienced immigration-driven Black population growth since the 1990s, Brower noted. She cited data indicating that since 2000, young adults and young families have been migrating to the state at higher rates than other age groups. Census records show that many Black immigrants in Minnesota come from Ethiopia, Somalia, Nigeria, and Liberia.
While it remains unclear whether Black residents have relocated to Minnesota from other states, Census data suggests that between 2010 and 2023, the state generally saw gains from domestic migration. According to Brower, Minnesota’s primary “trading partners for people”—across all racial groups—are neighboring states as well as large states like California, Texas, and Florida.
With the state’s white, non-Hispanic population aging and having fewer children, Brower emphasized that population growth among communities of color has been a key driver of Minnesota’s overall demographic shifts.
“All of the growth that the state experienced in the last decade is attributable to populations of color. And even, kind of more specifically, the Black or African American population in Minnesota has grown the fastest,” she said.
Brower also highlighted the strong link between population growth and economic stability.
“Population growth and economic growth are really closely tied,” she explained. “When you have a slow-growing population or a slow-growing workforce, it’s really very, very hard to keep the economy going. And so economies that have robust population growth really tend to do much better and to have higher levels of growth.”
Demographic insights like these, she noted, are crucial for policymakers seeking to address the needs of diverse communities. Census data is widely used by governments, nonprofits, philanthropic organizations, and private businesses.
Despite the increase in Minnesota’s Black population, Black residents still make up a smaller share of the state’s overall demographics.
Nationally, 14.4 percent of the U.S. population identifies as Black, whereas in Minnesota, Black residents account for just 9.3 percent.
“We just started at a point where we were so very white in the 1960s and while we’ve become more diverse over time as a state, and we’re on kind of the same trajectory as the U.S., we really started at a much lower point in terms of overall diversity and we’re still there today,” said Brower. Source: MPR News
