MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - A new Census Bureau estimate raises the number of people of Somali ancestry in Minnesota to more than 32,000.

That means the state is still home to the largest Somali population in the United States.

The new estimate is based on American Community Surveys taken by the bureau from 2008-2010 and updates last year's estimate of nearly 27,000 Somalis in the state.

The estimate includes both people born in Somalia and their descendants.

The states of Ohio, Washington and California also have large Somali populations.

Unlike some other populations in Minnesota, including the Hmong, those of Somali descent are not asked about their ancestry during the census. So the survey data represents the Census Bureau's best estimate of the population.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)

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