Black Population By State

Black Population
Black Population
1.TexasTexas3.6M
2.GeorgiaGeorgia3.3M
3.FloridaFlorida3.2M
4.New YorkNew York3.0M
5.CaliforniaCalifornia2.2M
6.North CarolinaNorth Carolina2.1M
7.MarylandMaryland1.8M
8.IllinoisIllinois1.8M
9.VirginiaVirginia1.6M
10.OhioOhio1.5M
11.LouisianaLouisiana1.5M
12.PennsylvaniaPennsylvania1.4M
13.MichiganMichigan1.4M
14.AlabamaAlabama1.3M
15.South CarolinaSouth Carolina1.3M
16.New JerseyNew Jersey1.2M
17.TennesseeTennessee1.1M
18.MississippiMississippi1.1M
19.MissouriMissouri699.8K
20.IndianaIndiana648.5K
21.MassachusettsMassachusetts494.0K
22.ArkansasArkansas453.8K
23.MinnesotaMinnesota398.4K
24.ConnecticutConnecticut388.7K
25.WisconsinWisconsin376.3K
26.KentuckyKentucky362.4K
27.ArizonaArizona339.2K
28.WashingtonWashington307.6K
29.NevadaNevada304.7K
30.OklahomaOklahoma290.0K
31.ColoradoColorado234.8K
32.DelawareDelaware218.9K
33.KansasKansas168.8K
34.IowaIowa132.0K
35.NebraskaNebraska96.5K
36.OregonOregon82.7K
37.West VirginiaWest Virginia65.8K
38.Rhode IslandRhode Island62.2K
39.New MexicoNew Mexico45.9K
40.UtahUtah40.1K
41.North DakotaNorth Dakota26.8K
42.MaineMaine25.8K
43.HawaiiHawaii23.4K
44.AlaskaAlaska21.9K
45.New HampshireNew Hampshire20.1K
46.South DakotaSouth Dakota17.8K
47.IdahoIdaho15.7K
48.VermontVermont9.0K
49.MontanaMontana5.5K
50.WyomingWyoming5.2K

Introduction

America's Black population has seen exponential growth and diversification, from the early arrivals during the era of the transatlantic slave trade to the increasing waves of immigrants from Africa and the Caribbean since the 1980s. Currently, the U.S Census estimates that the Black or African American population comprises roughly 14.6% of the national total. This translates to approximately 47.8 million people, with the Black-only population accounting for 13.4%.

  • Texas leads all other states with a Black population of around 3.6 million. This is followed closely by Georgia and Florida with 3.3 and 3.2 million individuals respectively. New York and California also boast significant Black populations, with approximately 3.0 and 2.2 million individuals respectively.
  • By contrast, the states with the smallest Black populations tend to be those within the Rocky Mountain region and the northernmost parts of New England. States such as Wyoming and Montana both have Black populations of less than 10,000 residents.
  • Moreover, the data reveals an intriguing concentration of the Black population in the Southern United States, a likely reflection of historical migration patterns.
  • Meanwhile, states with large total populations, such as California and New York, also have significant Black populations. This suggests a correlation between the overall state population and the number of Black inhabitants.

Most Black Populated States

Holding the lead with an impressive 3.6 million Black residents, Texas tops our list. Not too far behind is Georgia, with approximately 3.3 million Black inhabitants. Following suit is Florida, housing a black population of approximately 3.2 million. New York comes fourth in the rank, showing a sizable number of around 3 million Black residents. Meanwhile, California, as one of the largest states in the U.S., hosts about 2.2 million Black residents. North Carolina stakes its claim at the sixth rank, with a Black population of nearly 2.1 million. Further down the list, we see Maryland and Illinois each carrying around 1.8 million Black residents. Virginia presents a slightly smaller number, with a Black population of about 1.6 million. Lastly, representing the Midwest, Ohio makes it to the top ten with an approximate Black population of 1.5 million. States with the Most Black Population:

  1. Texas - 3.6M
  2. Georgia - 3.3M
  3. Florida - 3.2M
  4. New York - 3.0M
  5. California - 2.2M
  6. North Carolina - 2.1M
  7. Maryland - 1.8M
  8. Illinois - 1.8M
  9. Virginia - 1.6M
  10. Ohio - 1.5M

Least Black Populated States

Wyoming reports the least number of Black or African American residents, with just 5.2K individuals. This, however, does not come as a surprise when one takes into account Wyoming's overall population status, which is the smallest in the country. Montana follows suit, home to a slightly larger Black population with 5.5K individuals. Vermont, with its Black population comprising of roughly 9.0K individuals, also falls in line with Wyoming and Montana, featuring among the states with the smallest Black populations. Idaho houses a slightly larger Black community than Wyoming and Montana, with approximately 15.7K Black or African American residents. South Dakota and New Hampshire also feature a Black population under 25K, with figures standing at approximately 17.8K and 20.1K respectively. Alaska, Hawaii, and Maine have marginally larger Black communities ranging from 21.9K in Alaska to 25.8K in Maine. Finally, North Dakota rounds up the ten states with the smallest Black populations, hosting an estimated 26.8K Black or African American residents. Least Black Populated States:

  1. Wyoming - 5.2K
  2. Montana - 5.5K
  3. Vermont - 9.0K
  4. Idaho - 15.7K
  5. South Dakota - 17.8K
  6. New Hampshire - 20.1K
  7. Alaska - 21.9K
  8. Hawaii - 23.4K
  9. Maine - 25.8K
  10. North Dakota - 26.8K

By Region

Alabama

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Alabama

Metric

Value

Rank

Black Population

1.3M

#14

Alaska

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Alaska

Metric

Value

Rank

Black Population

21.9K

#44

Arizona

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Arizona

Metric

Value

Rank

Black Population

339.2K

#27

Arkansas

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Arkansas

Metric

Value

Rank

Black Population

453.8K

#22

California

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California

Metric

Value

Rank

Black Population

2.2M

#5

Colorado

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Colorado

Metric

Value

Rank

Black Population

234.8K

#31

Connecticut

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Connecticut

Metric

Value

Rank

Black Population

388.7K

#24

Delaware

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Delaware

Metric

Value

Rank

Black Population

218.9K

#32

Florida

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Florida

Metric

Value

Rank

Black Population

3.2M

#3

Georgia

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Georgia

Metric

Value

Rank

Black Population

3.3M

#2

Hawaii

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Hawaii

Metric

Value

Rank

Black Population

23.4K

#43

Idaho

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Idaho

Metric

Value

Rank

Black Population

15.7K

#47

Illinois

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Illinois

Metric

Value

Rank

Black Population

1.8M

#8

Indiana

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Indiana

Metric

Value

Rank

Black Population

648.5K

#20

Iowa

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Iowa

Metric

Value

Rank

Black Population

132.0K

#34

Kansas

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Kansas

Metric

Value

Rank

Black Population

168.8K

#33

Kentucky

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Kentucky

Metric

Value

Rank

Black Population

362.4K

#26

Louisiana

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Louisiana

Metric

Value

Rank

Black Population

1.5M

#11

Maine

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Maine

Metric

Value

Rank

Black Population

25.8K

#42

Maryland

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Maryland

Metric

Value

Rank

Black Population

1.8M

#7

Massachusetts

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Massachusetts

Metric

Value

Rank

Black Population

494.0K

#21

Michigan

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Michigan

Metric

Value

Rank

Black Population

1.4M

#13

Minnesota

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Minnesota

Metric

Value

Rank

Black Population

398.4K

#23

Mississippi

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Mississippi

Metric

Value

Rank

Black Population

1.1M

#18

Missouri

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Missouri

Metric

Value

Rank

Black Population

699.8K

#19

Montana

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Montana

Metric

Value

Rank

Black Population

5.5K

#49

Nebraska

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Nebraska

Metric

Value

Rank

Black Population

96.5K

#35

Nevada

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Nevada

Metric

Value

Rank

Black Population

304.7K

#29

New Hampshire

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New Hampshire

Metric

Value

Rank

Black Population

20.1K

#45

New Jersey

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New Jersey

Metric

Value

Rank

Black Population

1.2M

#16

New Mexico

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New Mexico

Metric

Value

Rank

Black Population

45.9K

#39

New York

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New York

Metric

Value

Rank

Black Population

3.0M

#4

North Carolina

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North Carolina

Metric

Value

Rank

Black Population

2.1M

#6

North Dakota

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North Dakota

Metric

Value

Rank

Black Population

26.8K

#41

Ohio

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Ohio

Metric

Value

Rank

Black Population

1.5M

#10

Oklahoma

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Oklahoma

Metric

Value

Rank

Black Population

290.0K

#30

Oregon

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Oregon

Metric

Value

Rank

Black Population

82.7K

#36

Pennsylvania

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Pennsylvania

Metric

Value

Rank

Black Population

1.4M

#12

Rhode Island

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Rhode Island

Metric

Value

Rank

Black Population

62.2K

#38

South Carolina

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South Carolina

Metric

Value

Rank

Black Population

1.3M

#15

South Dakota

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South Dakota

Metric

Value

Rank

Black Population

17.8K

#46

Tennessee

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Tennessee

Metric

Value

Rank

Black Population

1.1M

#17

Texas

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Texas

Metric

Value

Rank

Black Population

3.6M

#1

Utah

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Utah

Metric

Value

Rank

Black Population

40.1K

#40

Vermont

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Vermont

Metric

Value

Rank

Black Population

9.0K

#48

Virginia

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Virginia

Metric

Value

Rank

Black Population

1.6M

#9

Washington

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Washington

Metric

Value

Rank

Black Population

307.6K

#28

West Virginia

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West Virginia

Metric

Value

Rank

Black Population

65.8K

#37

Wisconsin

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Wisconsin

Metric

Value

Rank

Black Population

376.3K

#25

Wyoming

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Wyoming

Metric

Value

Rank

Black Population

5.2K

#50