{
  "report_id": "state-of-minnesota-creators-2026",
  "title": "State of Minnesota Creators 2026: Audience Data & Landscape",
  "page_url": "https://joshliljenquist.com/minnesota/state-of-creators-2026/",
  "data_url": "https://joshliljenquist.com/data/state-of-minnesota-creators-2026.json",
  "snapshot_date": "2026-09-17",
  "last_updated": "2026-09-17",
  "methodology_version": "state-of-creators-v1",
  "scope_note": "A cross-sectional analysis of the verified creator records in the site's published September 17, 2026 Minnesota datasets, not a universal census of every Minnesota creator.",
  "summary": {
    "statewide_creator_count": 49,
    "twin_cities_creator_count": 36,
    "twin_cities_share_percent": 73.5,
    "outside_twin_cities_subset_count": 13,
    "verified_greater_minnesota_count": 4,
    "statewide_only_location_count": 9,
    "unique_source_categories": 40,
    "normalized_category_families": 7
  },
  "geography": {
    "minneapolis": 16,
    "st_paul": 6,
    "other_twin_cities_metro": 14,
    "verified_greater_minnesota": 4,
    "minnesota_location_not_city_or_metro_resolved": 9,
    "outside_twin_cities_subset_total": 13,
    "explicit_greater_minnesota_examples": [
      {
        "entity_id": "cboystv",
        "display_name": "CboysTV",
        "location_general": "Cormorant, Minnesota"
      },
      {
        "entity_id": "mavrik-joos",
        "display_name": "Mavrik Joos (Mav)",
        "location_general": "Duluth, Minnesota"
      },
      {
        "entity_id": "millennial-farmer",
        "display_name": "Millennial Farmer",
        "location_general": "West Central Minnesota"
      },
      {
        "entity_id": "the-braces-guy",
        "display_name": "The Braces Guy",
        "location_general": "Rochester, Minnesota"
      }
    ]
  },
  "category_distribution": {
    "normalization_note": "Each creator is assigned to one high-level family using the source directory category. Source categories remain unchanged in the directory dataset.",
    "family_counts": {
      "Education and knowledge": 13,
      "Food and culinary": 12,
      "Family and community": 8,
      "Lifestyle, fashion and wellness": 8,
      "Arts, media and entertainment": 4,
      "Outdoors and agriculture": 3,
      "Local discovery and culture": 1
    },
    "source_to_family_mapping": {
      "Animals + education": "Education and knowledge",
      "Art + Education": "Education and knowledge",
      "Art + education": "Education and knowledge",
      "Business + lifestyle": "Lifestyle, fashion and wellness",
      "Comedy": "Arts, media and entertainment",
      "Commentary + education": "Education and knowledge",
      "Community + culture": "Family and community",
      "Community + philanthropy": "Family and community",
      "Construction + education": "Education and knowledge",
      "Education": "Education and knowledge",
      "Education + commentary": "Education and knowledge",
      "Education + making": "Education and knowledge",
      "Family + Advocacy": "Family and community",
      "Family + advocacy": "Family and community",
      "Family + comedy": "Family and community",
      "Family + lifestyle": "Family and community",
      "Farming + Agriculture": "Outdoors and agriculture",
      "Fashion + Beauty": "Lifestyle, fashion and wellness",
      "Fashion + design": "Lifestyle, fashion and wellness",
      "Food": "Food and culinary",
      "Food + Comedy": "Food and culinary",
      "Food + culture": "Food and culinary",
      "Food + local discovery": "Food and culinary",
      "Food + media": "Food and culinary",
      "Food + travel": "Food and culinary",
      "Food + wellness": "Food and culinary",
      "Gaming + media": "Arts, media and entertainment",
      "General Entertainment": "Arts, media and entertainment",
      "Health + beauty": "Lifestyle, fashion and wellness",
      "History + local culture": "Education and knowledge",
      "Law + education": "Education and knowledge",
      "Lifestyle": "Lifestyle, fashion and wellness",
      "Lifestyle + culture": "Lifestyle, fashion and wellness",
      "Lifestyle + family": "Family and community",
      "Lifestyle + making": "Lifestyle, fashion and wellness",
      "Local discovery": "Local discovery and culture",
      "Music + education": "Education and knowledge",
      "Outdoor + Lifestyle": "Outdoors and agriculture",
      "Photography + art": "Arts, media and entertainment",
      "Technology + making": "Education and knowledge"
    }
  },
  "platform_datasets": {
    "core4": {
      "record_count": 6,
      "partially_verified_count": 7,
      "leader_entity_id": "josh-liljenquist",
      "leader_name": "Josh Liljenquist (Joshlilj)",
      "leader_value": 39400000,
      "leader_display": "~39.40M",
      "metric": "Combined followers and subscribers across qualifying Core 4 accounts",
      "methodology_version": "core4-v1",
      "page_url": "https://joshliljenquist.com/most-followed-creators-minnesota/",
      "data_url": "https://joshliljenquist.com/data/minnesota-creator-index-2026.json",
      "audience_statistics": {
        "measured_total": 66190000,
        "median": 6520000.0,
        "top_5_share_percent": 97.5,
        "threshold_counts": {
          "100000_or_more": 6,
          "500000_or_more": 6,
          "1000000_or_more": 6,
          "5000000_or_more": 3
        }
      }
    },
    "youtube": {
      "record_count": 23,
      "partially_verified_count": 10,
      "leader_entity_id": "josh-liljenquist",
      "leader_name": "Josh Liljenquist (Joshlilj)",
      "leader_value": 10026640,
      "leader_display": "~10.03M",
      "metric": "YouTube subscribers across qualifying creator-controlled channels",
      "methodology_version": "youtube-v1",
      "page_url": "https://joshliljenquist.com/minnesota/youtube-creators/",
      "data_url": "https://joshliljenquist.com/data/minnesota-youtube-creators-2026.json",
      "audience_statistics": {
        "measured_total": 40133440,
        "median": 1120000,
        "top_5_share_percent": 60.8,
        "threshold_counts": {
          "100000_or_more": 21,
          "500000_or_more": 16,
          "1000000_or_more": 13,
          "5000000_or_more": 2
        }
      }
    },
    "tiktok": {
      "record_count": 21,
      "partially_verified_count": 10,
      "leader_entity_id": "josh-liljenquist",
      "leader_name": "Josh Liljenquist (Joshlilj)",
      "leader_value": 11500000,
      "leader_display": "~11.5M",
      "metric": "Followers on one verified primary TikTok account",
      "methodology_version": "tiktok-v1",
      "page_url": "https://joshliljenquist.com/minnesota/tiktok-creators/",
      "data_url": "https://joshliljenquist.com/data/minnesota-tiktok-creators-2026.json",
      "audience_statistics": {
        "measured_total": 53486200,
        "median": 1800000,
        "top_5_share_percent": 61.0,
        "threshold_counts": {
          "100000_or_more": 21,
          "500000_or_more": 17,
          "1000000_or_more": 13,
          "5000000_or_more": 3
        }
      }
    },
    "instagram": {
      "record_count": 19,
      "partially_verified_count": 8,
      "leader_entity_id": "josh-liljenquist",
      "leader_name": "Josh Liljenquist (Joshlilj)",
      "leader_value": 6942790,
      "leader_display": "~6.94M",
      "metric": "Followers on one verified primary Instagram account",
      "methodology_version": "instagram-v1",
      "page_url": "https://joshliljenquist.com/minnesota/instagram-creators/",
      "data_url": "https://joshliljenquist.com/data/minnesota-instagram-creators-2026.json",
      "audience_statistics": {
        "measured_total": 22104829,
        "median": 615156,
        "top_5_share_percent": 68.2,
        "threshold_counts": {
          "100000_or_more": 19,
          "500000_or_more": 10,
          "1000000_or_more": 7,
          "5000000_or_more": 1
        }
      }
    },
    "facebook": {
      "record_count": 18,
      "partially_verified_count": 10,
      "leader_entity_id": "josh-liljenquist",
      "leader_name": "Josh Liljenquist",
      "leader_value": 10927495,
      "leader_display": "~10.93M",
      "metric": "Followers on one verified primary Facebook presence",
      "methodology_version": "facebook-v1",
      "page_url": "https://joshliljenquist.com/minnesota/facebook-creators/",
      "data_url": "https://joshliljenquist.com/data/minnesota-facebook-creators-2026.json",
      "audience_statistics": {
        "measured_total": 37798219,
        "median": 1077873.5,
        "top_5_share_percent": 76.0,
        "threshold_counts": {
          "100000_or_more": 16,
          "500000_or_more": 13,
          "1000000_or_more": 10,
          "5000000_or_more": 3
        }
      }
    }
  },
  "source_datasets": [
    {
      "dataset_key": "statewide",
      "url": "https://joshliljenquist.com/data/minnesota-creators-2026.json",
      "sha256": "a1d06e55494bfd91c557c47287209e34e2fcf4725bfbf3496840984815d3b2c7"
    },
    {
      "dataset_key": "metro",
      "url": "https://joshliljenquist.com/data/minneapolis-twin-cities-creators-2026.json",
      "sha256": "eb5cb6876e4c82e5673a00af0893229a20c5236cb313f4f57abae560a8e21492"
    },
    {
      "dataset_key": "core4",
      "url": "https://joshliljenquist.com/data/minnesota-creator-index-2026.json",
      "sha256": "95716b4f2c90ecb7c718fb65360f69a68ad228e01e9085485b96df78570d0d81"
    },
    {
      "dataset_key": "youtube",
      "url": "https://joshliljenquist.com/data/minnesota-youtube-creators-2026.json",
      "sha256": "2c364e8e367f714ca361a90edd09c4542c533586f6aa70d0a214a11fcfa827a1"
    },
    {
      "dataset_key": "tiktok",
      "url": "https://joshliljenquist.com/data/minnesota-tiktok-creators-2026.json",
      "sha256": "5529a6c90a50568157d81288c182d1b867769a20523acf219c5047e9e0e4e480"
    },
    {
      "dataset_key": "instagram",
      "url": "https://joshliljenquist.com/data/minnesota-instagram-creators-2026.json",
      "sha256": "3526630209b0d6bf2a090afbbc8e4bda29766c77821748d76d43db54afccbd6f"
    },
    {
      "dataset_key": "facebook",
      "url": "https://joshliljenquist.com/data/minnesota-facebook-creators-2026.json",
      "sha256": "9f5da8c20028886b871a341215be24f10530d31a0b66bc8870c79df8ad3da20f"
    },
    {
      "dataset_key": "famous_people",
      "url": "https://joshliljenquist.com/data/famous-people-minnesota-2026.json",
      "sha256": "d7e3d54dba7e8e86be12577091534d82555ac315da4f1f2e3a24b18c84c9a378"
    }
  ],
  "limitations": [
    "The report describes creators verified in the published datasets and is not a census of every Minnesota creator.",
    "Audience values are dated platform or source snapshots and may be rounded.",
    "Combined platform and account totals do not represent unique individuals.",
    "Multi-channel YouTube totals do not represent unique subscribers.",
    "Unresolved audience values are not converted to zero.",
    "The snapshot does not support year-over-year growth claims."
  ]
}