Facts About the U.S. Black Population (2024)

Regionally, the highest concentration of Black people in the U.S. in 2021 is in the South; more than half (56%) live there. Following the South, 17% live in each the Midwest and the Northeast and 10% live in the West.

When it comes to states of residence, Texas is home to the largest Black population, at about 4.0 million. Florida comes in a close second with 3.8 million, and Georgia comes in third, with 3.6 million.

Facts About the U.S. Black Population (1)

Among metropolitan areas, the New York City metro area – which includes parts of New Jersey and Pennsylvania – has the greatest number of Black residents (3.9 million). In a distant second is the Atlanta metro area, with 2.2 million, and then the Washington, D.C., metro area, with 1.8 million Black residents.

Facts About the U.S. Black Population (2)

The South is also the region with the highest concentration of the single-race U.S. Black population: 59% of that group lives there as of 2021. The Midwest is home to 17%, while another 15% live in the Northeast and 9% live in the West.

The state of Texas has the largest number of single-race Black people (around 3.4 million), followed by Georgia (roughly 3.3 million) and Florida (about 3.2 million).

Facts About the U.S. Black Population (3)

Among metropolitan areas, the New York City metro area – which includes parts of New Jersey and Pennsylvania – has the nation’s largest single-race Black population, with roughly 3.0 million. Other top metropolitan areas include Atlanta, Washington, D.C., Chicago and Philadelphia.

Facts About the U.S. Black Population (4)

Regionally, the South is home to the highest concentration of the multiracial Black population in the U.S., with a plurality (42%) of the total as of 2021. Roughly one-fifth each live in the Midwest (21%), the Northeast (18%) and the West (18%).

California is the top state of residence for multiracial Black people, with about 460,000 living there. Florida is home to 370,000 multiracial Black people, while Texas has 350,000.

Facts About the U.S. Black Population (5)

Among metropolitan areas, the New York City metro area – which includes parts of New Jersey and Pennsylvania – has the highest number of multiracial Black residents (320,000). Other top metropolitan areas for this subgroup include Atlanta, Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia.

Facts About the U.S. Black Population (6)


Regionally, Black Hispanic people are largely concentrated in the Northeast and South (71% in total). About one-in-five live in the West (19%), and one-in-ten live in the Midwest (10%) as of 2021. New York is the top state of residence for the Black Hispanic population, with 500,000 people living there. California is home to the second-highest number of this population (310,000), and Florida comes in third with 300,000 people.

Facts About the U.S. Black Population (7)

Among metropolitan areas, the New York City metro area – which includes parts of New Jersey and Pennsylvania – has the largest Black Hispanic population (580,000 people). Other top metropolitan areas for this subgroup include Miami, Los Angeles and Boston.

Facts About the U.S. Black Population (8)
Facts About the U.S. Black Population (2024)

FAQs

Facts About the U.S. Black Population? ›

The Black population in the U.S. has grown by 30% since 2000, rising from 36.2 million then to 47.2 million in 2021.

What are 5 black history facts? ›

12 LITTLE KNOWN BLACK HISTORY FACTS THAT SHOULDN'T BE LITTLE KNOWN
  • THERE WAS A BLACK WALL STREET IN TULSA. ...
  • THE FIRST BLACK WOMAN RAN FOR PRESIDENT IN 1972 AND WAS ALMOST ASSASSINATED THREE TIMES. ...
  • AFRICAN AMERICANS CREATED BRIDGE. ...
  • THE FIRST SELF-MADE FEMALE MILLIONAIRE WAS A BLACK WOMAN.

What is the largest Black population in America? ›

Among metropolitan areas, the New York City metro area – which includes parts of New Jersey and Pennsylvania – has the nation's largest single-race Black population, with roughly 3.0 million.

What are three black history facts? ›

Black History Month Trivia
  • William Tucker, son of indentured servants from Great Britain, was the first recorded African child to be born in the colonies in 1624.
  • Vermont was the first colony to ban slavery in 1777.
  • In the 1770s, a Quaker named Anthony Benezet created the first school for African American children.
Jan 11, 2022

What state has highest Black population? ›

According to the latest data, Texas holds the highest ranking in terms of black population, with approximately 3.55 million black residents. Following closely behind are Georgia and Florida, with around 3.32 million and 3.25 million black residents, respectively.

What is Black culture in America? ›

African-American culture, also known as Black American Culture or Black Culture, refers to the contributions of African Americans to the culture of the United States, either as part of or distinct from mainstream American culture.

Who is the first black billionaire? ›

Bob Johnson knows what it takes for people of color to advance to the highest level of the business world. The founder of Black Entertainment Television, Johnson became the first Black billionaire in American history in terms of personal net worth when he sold the pioneering cable network to Viacom for $3B in 2001.

What's the blackest city in America? ›

Throughout the country, there are 342 cities with a population over 100,000. 19 of them had Black (alone or in combination) majorities, and in 46 more cities, between 30% and 50% of the population identified as Black.
...
List.
CityDetroit
Black %80.38%
Black alone %77.69%
Population639,111
Black population513,697
65 more columns

What's the blackest state? ›

Texas has the highest Black population in the United States of 3,936,669, about 14% of Texas's total population.

What city has the most Black millionaires? ›

According to a 2015 study by NerdWallet, the Atlanta area is home to about 2.1 million black owned businesses which is the highest in the nation. Established in 2005, the Atlanta Black Chamber of Commerce is dedicated to supporting and connecting black entrepreneurs in the Atlanta area.

Who was the first black person to go to school? ›

At the tender age of six, Ruby Bridges advanced the cause of civil rights in November 1960 when she became the first African American student to integrate an elementary school in the South.

What are some Black inventions? ›

Top 10 Inventions by Black Inventors
  • Mailbox (1891) – Phillip Downing. ...
  • Traffic light (1922) – Garrett Morgan. ...
  • Automatic Gear Shift (1932) – Richard Spikes. ...
  • Clothes Dryer (1892) – George T. ...
  • Automatic Elevator Doors (1887) – Alexander Miles. ...
  • Folding Chairs (1889) – John Purdy. ...
  • Gas Heating Furnace (1919) – Alice H.
Jan 30, 2023

What is the whitest state in America? ›

Geographic distribution
  • West Virginia 94.4%
  • New Hampshire 93.7%
  • Wyoming 92.0%
  • Montana 90.9%
  • Idaho 90.2%
  • Iowa 89.8%
  • North Dakota 88.0%
  • Kentucky 87.5%

What city has the most Black population in US? ›

New York city had the largest number of people reporting as Black with about 2.3 million, followed by Chicago, 1.1 million, and Detroit, Philadelphia and Houston, which had between 500,000 and 1 million each.

How much does the average Black man make a year? ›

Earnings of Men Aged 20–59, by Age Group and Race/Ethnicity, 2019–2020
Age groupWhite, not HispanicBlack, not Hispanic
20–2931,60019,900
30–3957,20034,000
40–4968,00047,900
50–5969,60048,000

What is African American slang called? ›

African American Vernacular English (AAVE) is the variety formerly known as Black English Vernacular or Vernacular Black English among sociolinguists, and commonly called Ebonics outside the academic community.

What is black culture food? ›

About soul food

Black-eyed peas, yams and sweet potatoes are a few of the foods that commonly appear in soul food dishes. Enslaved Africans also brought over okra and the kola nut, which Western Africans often chewed as a source of caffeine for energy.

What year were blacks allowed to vote? ›

Passed by Congress February 26, 1869, and ratified February 3, 1870, the 15th Amendment granted African American men the right to vote.

Who is the richest Black athlete? ›

#1 Floyd Mayweather Jr. - He's earned the nickname "money" for a reason. Boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. took the top spot overall for the second consecutive year in Sports Illustrated's annual rankings of the 50 highest-paid athletes in America.

Who is the black female billionaire? ›

Now a household name, it is hard to believe that Oprah Winfrey went through poverty, discrimination and years of abuse to get to where she is. She is a true story of inspiration — a self-made one at that, not the Kylie Jenner kind.

Who is the first Black doctor? ›

This article commemorates Dr James McCune Smith, the first Black person from the US to earn a medical degree, who has been called the foremost Black intellectual in the 19th-century US.

What is the whitest city in America? ›

Hialeah, Florida is the whitest city in the United States with 92.6% of its population identifying as White. The non-Hispanic white population, however, is only 2.57%. By 2045, the United States will become minority white according to the Census.

Where is the best place to live for African American? ›

1. Atlanta. You can't mention one of the best cities for Black people and not mention Atlanta, Even though the ratio “may ” be slightly lopsided with regards to the ratio of single women to men, it should still be high on your list as a favorite for Black singles.

What state has the most all Black towns? ›

But one unique feature of the state is its large number of historical all- black towns. In fact, as early as the mid-nineteenth century and through the turn of the twentieth-century, African Americans settled over 20 towns throughout Oklahoma–more than any other U.S. state.

Which state has the least Mexicans? ›

Maine, West Virginia, and Vermont were among those with the lowest Hispanic population shares, at 1% each.

Which state has the most Mexicans? ›

The states with the highest Hispanic population are:
  • California (15.57 million)
  • Texas (11.52 million)
  • Florida (5.66 million)
  • New York (3.75 million)
  • Arizona (2.31 million).

What state has the most Asians? ›

California has the highest Asian American population, with a total of over 5,866,435 Asian Americans. This is about 14.8%% of California's total population.

What is the richest Black town? ›

History: View Park–Windsor Hills is one of the richest Black communities in the U.S. and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. It is also producer-actor Issa Rae's hometown and the inspiration for her HBO drama Insecure, about Black L.A. single life.

What area is considered black Beverly Hills? ›

This has led neighborhoods in the Baldwin Hills — a collection of affluent wealthy and middle-class areas including Baldwin Hills Estates, Ladera Heights, Baldwin Vista, and especially View Park — to be known as “The Black Beverly Hills.”

What is the capital of Black America? ›

Atlanta is home to some of America's most prominent Black politicians, artists, businesses, and HBCUs.

What are African Americans known for? ›

From the arts to medicine, education, music, cultural inventions, entrepreneurship, civil rights leaders, noble laureates, etcetera, Blacks have played an influential role in shaping America and are paid tribute to throughout the month.

Who is the most famous Black guy? ›

Martin Luther King, Jr. No single African American in history is perhaps as famous as Martin Luther King, Jr.

Which Black leader is famous? ›

Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and Rosa Parks are often elevated—and with good reason. These figures made contributions to Black history and, by extension, American history, that cannot be overstated.

Who was the first Black man to go to Harvard? ›

Harvard's first Black graduate, Richard T. Greener, went on to become the first Black professor at the University of South Carolina and dean of the Howard University School of Law. Born in Philadelphia in 1844, Richard T.

When did Harvard allow Black students? ›

Prior to 1968, there was no formal plan to recruit minority students, and only 64 African American students had graduated from HMS and HSDM prior to the Class of 1973. Influenced by the civil rights movement, and spurred by the assassination of Dr.

When did blacks first go to college? ›

1799: John Chavis, a Presbyterian minister and teacher, is the first black person on record to attend an American college or university. There is no record of his receiving a degree from what is now Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia.

What did slaves invent? ›

Slaves' inventions exploited by owners

Slave owners often took credit for their slaves' inventions. In one well-documented case, a black inventor named Ned invented an effective, innovative cotton scraper. His slave master, Oscar Stewart, attempted to patent the invention.

What African-American invented the refrigerator? ›

Frederick McKinley Jones was a prolific early 20th century black inventor who helped to revolutionize both the cinema and refrigeration industries. Between 1919 and 1945 he patented more than sixty inventions in divergent fields with forty of those patents in refrigeration.

Who was the African-American that changed the world? ›

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Who are the top 5 Black historical figures? ›

7 Black History Heroes Every Student Should Know
  • Martin Luther King Jr., Civil Rights Leader.
  • Serena Williams, Pro Athlete.
  • Malcolm X, Human Rights Activist.
  • Katherine Johnson, Mathematician.
  • Ruby Bridges, Civil Rights Activist.
  • Duke Ellington, American Composer.
  • Madam C.J. Walker, Entrepreneur and Philanthropist.
Feb 1, 2023

What are 2 facts about Black History Month? ›

It was first celebrated during the second week of February in 1926 to coincide with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln (February 12) and abolitionist/editor Frederick Douglass (February 14). In 1976, as part of the nation's bicentennial, the week was expanded to a month.

Who are 5 Black Americans who are important to US history? ›

Notable African Americans who helped change the world
  • Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander | Writer | 1898-1989. ...
  • Richard Allen | Minister | 1760-1831. ...
  • Maya Angelou | Poet | 1928-2014. ...
  • Arthur Ashe | Tennis Player | 1943-1993. ...
  • James Baldwin | American novelist | 1924-1987. ...
  • Ruby Bridges | Civil Rights Activist | 1954-present.
Feb 14, 2023

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