U.S. States with the Highest Black Population in 2024 – Report

The Black population, according to the 2018 United States Census estimates, accounts for approximately 14.6% of the nation’s populace, totaling 47.8 million people. Specifically, the Black-only population stands at 13.4%.

Notably, since 1980, the black immigrant population has soared fivefold.

Tragically, between 1500 and 1820, an estimated 12.5 million African men, women, and children were forcibly taken from their homelands and sold into various slave trades worldwide. 

Of these, roughly 410,000 were brought to the United States, predominantly arriving in ports like Charleston, Baltimore, and parts of Maryland, Virginia, and New Orleans.

The initial U.S. Census in 1790 enumerated 757,208 African Americans, a staggering 92% of whom were enslaved.

 By the 1860 Census, the count had risen to 4,441,830 African Americans, with 89% enduring enslavement. This census marked the final count conducted during the era of slavery.

By 1900, the black population had reached 8 million, witnessing a swift ascent over the ensuing century to reach 42 million by 2010. 

Geographically, approximately 55% of the black population resides in the southern and southeastern regions of the United States, with a majority of the top ten states falling within this area. 

States with the Highest Black Population

The remaining population is distributed across 18% in the Midwest, 17% in the Northeast, and 10% in the West.

Texas leads the nation with the highest population at 3,936,669, constituting roughly 14% of the state’s total population. Following closely is Florida with 3,867,495 (18%), trailed by New York with 3,763,977 (19%), and Georgia with 3,549,349 (34%).

In terms of relative population concentration, the District of Columbia tops the list at 48%, followed by Mississippi with 39%, and Georgia and Louisiana, each with 34%. Maryland follows closely behind with 33%.

States with the Lowest Population

Conversely, Wyoming boasts the lowest Black population at 11,306 (2%), trailed by Montana with 12,007 (1%), and Vermont with 12,936 (2%). 

Twelve states report a population comprising less than 5% of their total populace, with Wyoming and Idaho registering only 1%, while Wyoming, Vermont, Maine, New Hampshire, and Utah report 2%. South Dakota, New Mexico, and Oregon stand at 3%, while North Dakota and Hawaii are at 4%.