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Tuesday, Mar. 31, 2026

Were about half of Duluth’s residents foreign born in the late 19th century?

Brian Arola, MinnPost
yes

About 49% of Duluth residents were foreign born in 1890.

The ratio of 16,222 foreign-born Duluthians out of 33,115 total residents stood out even in an era of Minnesota history with high immigration rates. The percentage of foreign-born residents in Minnesota was 36% in 1890 after peaking at 36.5% in 1870.

Statewide, Germans were the biggest foreign-born group in Minnesota at the time. The next biggest groups were from, in order, Norway, Sweden, Canada and Newfoundland, England and Denmark. 

Immigrants continued to fuel Duluth’s rapid growth in subsequent decades. By 1920, the population of the Lake Superior port city had nearly tripled, with foreign-born residents, mostly from Europe, still accounting for about 30% of the population.

The foreign-born percentages in both the city and state have since dwindled. Today, about 3% of people living in Duluth were born in foreign counties, compared with about 9% of Minnesotans.

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