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The Black community is one of the fastest growing communities in America this decade.
There are now 42 million people who identify as Black or African American living in America, 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. As most scholars and historians agree, an increase in the 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:
What's the blackest city in Alabama? Tuskegee took the number one over all spot for the largest Black population in Alabama for 2023. See if it ranked as one of the most african american cities in America.
Read on below to see how we crunched the numbers and how your town ranked.
To see where Alabama ranked as a state on diversity, we have a ranking of the most diverse states 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: Real Estate | Data | Photos
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: Real Estate | Data | Photos
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: Real Estate | Data | Photos
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: Real Estate | Data | Photos
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: Real Estate | Data | Photos
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: Real Estate | Data | Photos
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: Real Estate | Data | Photos
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: Real Estate | Data | Photos
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: Real Estate | Data | Photos
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: Real Estate | Data | Photos
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 breakdown of race across Alabama.
That lead 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 here 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. That left us with 101 cities.
We then calculated the percent 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 percent of 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. You can download the data here.
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:
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Alabama
- Worst Places To Live In Alabama
- Most Dangerous Cities In Alabama
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% |
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