Most African American cities in Alabama research summary. We analyzed Alabama’s most recent Census data to determine the blackest cities in Alabama based on the percentage of Black residents. Here are the results of our analysis:
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The city with the largest African American population in Alabama is Tuskegee based on the most recent Census data.
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Tuskegee is 93.13% Black.
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The least African American city in Alabama is Orange Beach.
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Orange Beach is 0.0% Black.
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Alabama is 26.3% Black.
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Alabama is the 5th blackest state in the United States.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The Black community is one of the fastest-growing communities in America this decade.
Roughly 42 million people identifying as Black or African American live in the United States, making up 12% of the total population. According to the most recent American Community Survey, the Black population in Alabama is 1,316,314 – at 26.3% of the total population of Alabama.
The percentage growth of Blacks in America is the third largest percentage change for any race according to the Census’s race and ethnicity definition. Most scholars and historians agree that increasing diversity in America is a good thing.
We agree.
But how has the increase in the black population impacted Alabama? Which cities and towns in Alabama have seen the greatest increase in its Black population?
We broke down the most recent census data to determine the cities in Alabama with the largest African American population in 2023:
Most African American Places In Alabama
What’s the blackest city in Alabama? The city with the largest Black population in Alabama for 2023 is Tuskegee. See if Tuskegee ranked as one of the most african american places in America.
And if you already knew these places were Black, check out the best places to live in Alabama or the most diverse places in Alabama.
The 10 Blackest Cities In Alabama For 2023
1. Tuskegee
/10
Population: 9,125
% African American: 93.13%
# Of African American Residents: 8,498
Percent Change Since 2010: -13.0%
More on Tuskegee: Data | Cost Of Living
2. Fairfield
/10
Population: 10,108
% African American: 92.09%
# Of African American Residents: 9,308
Percent Change Since 2010: -10.05%
More on Fairfield: Data | Cost Of Living
3. Prichard
/10
Population: 19,645
% African American: 90.71%
# Of African American Residents: 17,820
Percent Change Since 2010: -10.1%
More on Prichard: Data | Cost Of Living
4. Midfield
/10
Population: 5,219
% African American: 84.81%
# Of African American Residents: 4,426
Percent Change Since 2010: 14.78%
More on Midfield: | Cost Of Living
5. Selma
/10
Population: 18,429
% African American: 83.97%
# Of African American Residents: 15,475
Percent Change Since 2010: -3.5%
More on Selma: Data | Cost Of Living
6. Center Point
/10
Population: 16,422
% African American: 74.23%
# Of African American Residents: 12,190
Percent Change Since 2010: 16.95%
More on Center Point: Data | Cost Of Living
7. Bessemer
/10
Population: 26,171
% African American: 72.53%
# Of African American Residents: 18,982
Percent Change Since 2010: -8.11%
More on Bessemer: Data | Cost Of Living
8. Birmingham
/10
Population: 202,234
% African American: 68.55%
# Of African American Residents: 138,632
Percent Change Since 2010: -13.14%
More on Birmingham: Data | Cost Of Living
9. Lanett
/10
Population: 6,821
% African American: 68.05%
# Of African American Residents: 4,642
Percent Change Since 2010: 14.14%
More on Lanett: Data | Cost Of Living
10. Monroeville
/10
Population: 5,953
% African American: 64.69%
# Of African American Residents: 3,851
Percent Change Since 2010: 12.47%
More on Monroeville: Data | Cost Of Living
Methodology: How We Determined The Cities In Alabama With The Largest Black Population For 2023
We still believe in the accuracy of data — especially from the Census. So that’s where we went to get the race breakdown across Alabama.
That leads us to the Census’s most recently available data, the 2017-2021 American Community Survey data from the US Census.
Specifically, we looked at table B03002: Hispanic OR LATINO ORIGIN BY RACE. Here are the category names as defined by the Census:
- Hispanic or Latino
- White alone*
- Black or African American alone*
- American Indian and Alaska Native alone*
- Asian alone*
- Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone*
- Some other race alone*
- Two or more races*
Our particular column of interest was the number of people who identified as Black or African American.
We limited our analysis to non-CDPs with a population greater than 5,000 people in Alabama. That left us with 101 cities.
We then calculated the percentage of residents that are Black or African American. The percentages ranked from 93.1% to 0.0%.
Finally, we ranked each city based on the percentage of the Black population, with a higher score being more Black than a lower score. Tuskegee took the distinction of being the most Black, while Orange Beach was the least African American city.
We updated this article for 2023. This is our tenth time ranking the cities in Alabama with the largest African American population.
Read on for more information on how the cities in Alabama ranked by population of African American residents or, for a more general take on diversity in America, head over to our ranking of the most diverse cities in America.
Summary: Black Populations Across Alabama
If you’re looking for a breakdown of African American populations across Alabama according to the most recent data, this is an accurate list.
If you’re curious enough, here are the least African American places in Alabama:
- Orange Beach
- Mountain Brook
- Gulf Shores
For more Alabama reading, check out:
African American Population By City In Alabama
| Rank | City | % African American |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tuskegee | 93.13% |
| 2 | Fairfield | 92.09% |
| 3 | Prichard | 90.71% |
| 4 | Midfield | 84.81% |
| 5 | Selma | 83.97% |
| 6 | Center Point | 74.23% |
| 7 | Bessemer | 72.53% |
| 8 | Birmingham | 68.55% |
| 9 | Lanett | 68.05% |
| 10 | Monroeville | 64.69% |
| 11 | Montgomery | 61.4% |
| 12 | Pleasant Grove | 61.37% |
| 13 | Greenville | 60.96% |
| 14 | Tarrant | 57.78% |
| 15 | Atmore | 53.34% |
| 16 | Mobile | 52.37% |
| 17 | Anniston | 50.93% |
| 18 | Talladega | 50.15% |
| 19 | Chickasaw | 47.24% |
| 20 | Demopolis | 45.88% |
| 21 | Phenix City | 45.62% |
| 22 | Roanoke | 45.6% |
| 23 | Eufaula | 44.08% |
| 24 | Tuscaloosa | 43.98% |
| 25 | Clay | 42.89% |
| 26 | Bay Minette | 42.09% |
| 27 | Hueytown | 41.75% |
| 28 | Pinson | 40.1% |
| 29 | Troy | 38.85% |
| 30 | Brewton | 38.6% |
| 31 | Valley | 37.71% |
| 32 | Opelika | 36.55% |
| 33 | Gadsden | 36.5% |
| 34 | Irondale | 35.91% |
| 35 | Dothan | 34.31% |
| 36 | Alexander City | 32.73% |
| 37 | Sylacauga | 31.35% |
| 38 | Huntsville | 30.59% |
| 39 | Pike Road | 30.58% |
| 40 | Smiths Station | 29.98% |
| 41 | Ozark | 29.32% |
| 42 | Calera | 28.4% |
| 43 | Sheffield | 27.76% |
| 44 | Millbrook | 27.0% |
| 45 | Wetumpka | 26.41% |
| 46 | Fultondale | 26.1% |
| 47 | Northport | 25.36% |
| 48 | Lincoln | 23.68% |
| 49 | Tuscumbia | 23.25% |
| 50 | Andalusia | 23.15% |
| 51 | Decatur | 22.58% |
| 52 | Enterprise | 21.76% |
| 53 | Prattville | 20.88% |
| 54 | Montevallo | 20.31% |
| 55 | Clanton | 19.45% |
| 56 | Opp | 19.4% |
| 57 | Jacksonville | 19.27% |
| 58 | Hoover | 19.13% |
| 59 | Florence | 18.59% |
| 60 | Auburn | 17.72% |
| 61 | Alabaster | 17.49% |
| 62 | Helena | 17.15% |
| 63 | Oxford | 15.97% |
| 64 | Attalla | 15.29% |
| 65 | Athens | 15.08% |
| 66 | Daphne | 14.92% |
| 67 | Madison | 13.84% |
| 68 | Saraland | 13.72% |
| 69 | Leeds | 13.28% |
| 70 | Pell City | 13.27% |
| 71 | Homewood | 12.54% |
| 72 | Muscle Shoals | 11.69% |
| 73 | Guntersville | 11.67% |
| 74 | Gardendale | 11.36% |
| 75 | Rainbow City | 11.33% |
| 76 | Pelham | 11.08% |
| 77 | Robertsdale | 10.06% |
| 78 | Hamilton | 9.92% |
| 79 | Russellville | 9.23% |
| 80 | Jasper | 8.77% |
| 81 | Foley | 8.06% |
| 82 | Moody | 8.0% |
| 83 | Spanish Fort | 7.81% |
| 84 | Satsuma | 6.46% |
| 85 | Trussville | 6.46% |
| 86 | Chelsea | 6.44% |
| 87 | Vestavia Hills | 6.29% |
| 88 | Hartselle | 5.95% |
| 89 | Fairhope | 5.03% |
| 90 | Scottsboro | 3.79% |
| 91 | Oneonta | 3.79% |
| 92 | Albertville | 3.6% |
| 93 | Boaz | 3.51% |
| 94 | Fort Payne | 2.9% |
| 95 | Glencoe | 1.79% |
| 96 | Southside | 1.2% |
| 97 | Cullman | 1.12% |
| 98 | Arab | 0.96% |
| 99 | Gulf Shores | 0.46% |
| 100 | Mountain Brook | 0.42% |
