In this article, we look at the 25 cities with the highest percentage of African American population.
A report in the Brookings Institution in 2019 highlighted that although the share of African Americans in the population has only grown 1.5% since 1970, internal migration of the community has led to the rise of what is known as ‘black-majority cities’. More African Americans are moving to cities that have a black majority in their quest for opportunity and sustainability.
The Census Bureau has projected the United States to become a minority white country by 2045, with current racial minorities, which include African Americans, Hispanics, and Asians, becoming the primary drivers of the nation’s economy. This shift in population is expected for two reasons. First, the number of combined racial minorities is expected to grow by 74% between 2018 and 2060, and secondly, the ageing white population will likely see a decline over the same period.
Jackson, Mississippi has the highest percentage of African Americans among cities in the United States, accounting for more than 80% of the city’s population. It is often referred to as the blackest city in America. As far as states are concerned, in terms of numbers, Texas has the highest population of African Americans with 3.55 million people, followed by Georgia at second, and Florida being third. These are the top three black states in the country.
The African American community has produced some of the most prominent people in the United States like Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan, and Oprah Winfrey, among others. They are known world over due to their accomplishments. Tiger Woods is an American professional golfer who is widely regarded as one of the world’s famous athletes for his PGA Tour wins. Woods has received endorsement from NIKE, Inc. (NYSE:NKE) for a number of years, starting first in 1996. At one point, it seemed as if NIKE, Inc. (NYSE:NKE) and Tiger Woods were synonymous due to the long partnership they have had over the years.
Michael Jordan is one of the richest African Americans, having a net worth of $2 billion. He is regarded as the greatest NBA player of all time. Jordan now owns shares in NIKE, Inc. (NYSE:NKE)’s Jordan brand, and receives a share of income from every NIKE, Inc. (NYSE:NKE) Jordan sold. You can read more on this in our article, Michael Jordan, 10 Richest Black Americans and Their Stock Picks. TV talk show host, Oprah Winfrey, is one of the richest self-made women in the US. Born in Kosciusko, northeast of Jackson, she boasts a net worth of $2.5 billion, and has investments in WW International, Inc. (NASDAQ:WW) and Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. (NASDAQ:WBD).
According to the Joint Economic Committee (JEC) of the U.S. Senate, there are more than 3 million businesses owned by African Americans, which contribute about $200 billion to the national economy and provide employment to over 1 million Americans. Between 2012 and 2017, businesses owned by African Americans grew at a faster rate than those that were white-owned. The JEC declared that the future and prosperity of the economy is linked to fighting racism and ensuring equal opportunity for all racial groups in the U.S.
Worldwide Technology Company is the biggest company in the US owned by an African American. The technology solutions provider was estimated to have generated over $11 billion in revenue in 2021. It provides supply chain solutions to nearly half of the Fortune 500 companies. Worldwide Technology Company is followed by ActOne Group on the second spot. Founded in 1964 in Torrance, California, the employment agency provides recruitment and procurement solutions to a wide range of industries. It generated $2.8 billion in revenue in 2021. Other major companies owned by the African American Community can be found in Top 20 Biggest Black Owned Companies in the US.
With that out of the way, let’s head over to our list of cities with highest percentage of African American population.
Methodology
We have ranked the cities with the highest percentage of African Americans using population and demographics data released by The U.S. Census Bureau in 2021. Share of residents belonging to the African American racial group in each city was calculated, with the results then sorted in ascending order (least to highest) of percentages. Only cities have been included in these rankings. Census Designated Places (CDPs) are not considered.
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Here are the cities with the highest percentage of African American population.
25. Newark, New Jersey
Total Population: 307,216
African Americans: 144,724
Percentage: 47.11%
Newark is the most populous city in New Jersey and is home to a sizable African American community.
24. Hampton, Virginia
Total Population: 137,746
African Americans: 65,412
Percentage: 47.49%
Hampton is Virginia’s seventh most populous city, with a population of 137,746 according to the 2021 census. 47.49% of its residents are African Americans.
23. Cleveland, Ohio
Total Population: 368,006
African Americans: 176,109
Percentage: 47.85%
Cleveland is the poorest city in Ohio. It is home to over 175,000 African Americans. The number accounts for nearly half of the city’s total population.
22. Trenton, New Jersey
Total Population: 90,458
African Americans: 43,783
Percentage: 48.40%
Trenton, in New Jersey, is among the top places with the highest percentage of African Americans, with an estimated 48.40% of its residents belonging to the community.
21. Savannah, Georgia
Total Population: 147,087
African Americans: 71,711
Percentage: 48.75%
Savannah is a coastal city in the state of Georgia, and is separated from South Carolina by the Savannah River. 48.75% of the population consists of African Americans.
20. Portsmouth, Virginia
Total Population: 97,840
African Americans: 49,357
Percentage: 50.45%
Portsmouth, in Virginia, is 20th on the list of US cities with the highest percentage of African American residents. More than 50% of the population comprises African Americans.
19. Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Total Population: 222,177
African Americans: 113,768
Percentage: 51.21%
Louisiana’s capital city, Baton Rouge, is next on our list, with an estimated 51.21% of the population belonging to the African American community.
18. Mobile, Alabama
Total Population: 184,960
African Americans: 97,051
Percentage: 52.47%
Mobile, a port city, in the state of Alabama, is home to nearly 0.1 million African Americans. In recent years, a number of films and TV productions have been shot in Alabama cities like Mobile and Montgomery. One of them being ‘Just Mercy’, which was released by Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. (NASDAQ:WBD) in 2019.
17. Augusta, Georgia
Total Population: 200,032
African Americans: 108,334
Percentage: 54.16%
Augusta is a city in Georgia that is well known in the United States for the Masters Golf Tournament that is held there every first full week of April. Demographically, African Americans dominate the racial makeup of the city. Augusta is considered to be the best place in Georgia to live and retire.
16. Macon, Georgia
Total Population: 156,762
African Americans: 86,500
Percentage: 55.18%
Another Georgian city on the list is Macon. Located just 120 miles from Augusta, Macon is also an African-American-majority city.
15. Flint, Michigan
Total Population: 80,628
African Americans: 45,374
Percentage: 56.28%
African Americans comprise 56.28% of the population in Flint. The city was once a leading manufacturer of automobiles. It is the birthplace of General Motors Company (NYSE:GM). Although the company is now headquartered in Detroit, General Motors Company (NYSE:GM) announced last month to invest more than $1 billion in two of its plants in Flint.
14. Mount Vernon, New York
Total Population: 72,584
African Americans: 40,898
Percentage: 56.35%
Well over half of the city’s population in Mount Vernon is inhabited by African Americans. It has the highest percentage of African American population in the New York state.
13. New Orleans, Louisiana
Total Population: 376,971
African Americans: 215,766
Percentage: 57.24%
Located near the Gulf of Mexico, New Orleans in Louisiana is popular for its music and cuisine. Demographically, 57.24% of the population consists of African Americans.
12. Shreveport, Louisiana
Total Population: 183,489
African Americans: 107,110
Percentage: 58.37%
An estimated 58.37% of Shreveport’s population of 183,489 residents are African Americans. This Louisiana city served as the Confederate state capital after the end of the American Civil War.
11. Baltimore, Maryland
Total Population: 576,498
African Americans: 344,531
Percentage: 59.76%
With a population of well over half a million, Baltimore is the most populous city in the state of Maryland. It is also its poorest. In 2021, it had a poverty rate of 23.9%. Close to 60% of its population comprises African Americans.
10. Miami Gardens, Florida
Total Population: 110,881
African Americans: 68,121
Percentage: 61.44%
Miami Gardens is located 16 miles north of downtown Miami. The city’s demographic makeup is racially dominated by the African American community, which accounts for 61.44% of the total population.
9. Memphis, Tennessee
Total Population: 628,118
African Americans: 398,824
Percentage: 63.50%
Memphis is the poorest city in Tennessee, and ranks second on poverty in the list of U.S. cities having a population in access of 500,000. In 2021, The U.S. Census Bureau estimated that about 63.50% of the population comprised African Americans.
8. Montgomery, Alabama
Total Population: 198,659
African Americans: 126,268
Percentage: 63.56%
Montgomery’s population in 2021 was recorded at 198,659 residents. Out of these, 63.56% were African Americans. Montgomery is the capital city of Alabama. It was home to the first White House of the Confederacy.
7. Southfield, Michigan
Total Population: 75,901
African Americans: 48,391
Percentage: 63.76%
Located in Michigan’s Oakland County, the city of Southfield has one of the highest percentages of American American population in the United States. The community makes up for about 63.76% of the city’s population.
6. Birmingham, Alabama
Total Population: 196,410
African Americans: 139,691
Percentage: 71.12%
Birmingham is regarded as the ‘blackest city in Alabama‘, with over 70% of its residents belonging to the African American community.
5. Albany, Georgia
Total Population: 67,146
African Americans: 49,281
Percentage: 73.39%
We are now into the top five cities with the highest percentage of African American population. Albany is a city in Georgia, that is located along the Flint River. Close to three-fourths of the city’s population comprises African Americans.
4. Detroit, Michigan
Total Population: 632,589
African Americans: 484,779
Percentage: 76.63%
Detroit is the largest city in Michigan, and among the poorest cities in the United States. It also has the highest child poverty rate in the country for cities having a population greater than 300,000. The number of African American population in Detroit is nearly half a million.
3. Lauderhill, Florida
Total Population: 73,461
African Americans: 58,704
Percentage: 79.91%
Lauderhill, in Florida, is the third blackest city in the United States, in terms of percentage of residents belonging to the African American community. Their share of the population was recorded at 79.91% in the 2021 census.
2. East Orange, New Jersey
Total Population: 68,893
African Americans: 55,087
Percentage: 79.96%
Located in Essex County of New Jersey, East Orange only had a population of 68,893 in 2021. African Americans constituted a major chunk of it, with their share of the population estimated to be close to 80%.
1. Jackson, Mississippi
Total Population: 149,813
African Americans: 122,612
Percentage: 81.84%
Jackson is the capital city of Mississippi, which is one of the poorest states in the United States. The 2021 census results show that Jackson is the city having the highest percentage of African American population in the country – estimated at 81.84% by The U.S. Census Bureau. It is also the fourth poorest city in the U.S. and had a poverty rate of 32.2% in 2021.
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