Article Table Of Contents
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 Kansas is 159,382 - at 5.4% of the total population of Kansas.
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 Kansas? Which cities and towns in Kansas have seen the greatest increase in its Black population?
We broke down the most recent census data to determine the cities in Kansas with the largest African American population in 2023:
What's the blackest city in Kansas? Kansas City took the number one over all spot for the largest Black population in Kansas 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 Kansas 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 Kansas or the most diverse places in Kansas.
The 10 Blackest Cities In Kansas For 2023
1. Kansas City
/10
Population: 155,745
% African American: 21.41%
# Of African American Residents: 33,344
Percent Change Since 2010: -16.54%
More on Kansas City: Real Estate | Data | Photos
2. Junction City
/10
Population: 23,033
% African American: 19.08%
# Of African American Residents: 4,394
Percent Change Since 2010: -10.42%
More on Junction City: Real Estate | Data | Photos
3. Lansing
/10
Population: 11,321
% African American: 14.15%
# Of African American Residents: 1,602
Percent Change Since 2010: 45.5%
More on Lansing: Real Estate | Data | Photos
4. Leavenworth
/10
Population: 37,216
% African American: 11.08%
# Of African American Residents: 4,123
Percent Change Since 2010: -21.57%
More on Leavenworth: Real Estate | Data | Photos
5. Topeka
/10
Population: 126,802
% African American: 10.13%
# Of African American Residents: 12,841
Percent Change Since 2010: -9.33%
More on Topeka: Real Estate | Data | Photos
6. Bel Aire
/10
Population: 8,148
% African American: 10.05%
# Of African American Residents: 819
Percent Change Since 2010: 26.58%
More on Bel Aire: Real Estate | Data
7. Wichita
/10
Population: 394,574
% African American: 9.97%
# Of African American Residents: 39,354
Percent Change Since 2010: -3.29%
More on Wichita: Real Estate | Data | Photos
8. Coffeyville
/10
Population: 9,032
% African American: 9.94%
# Of African American Residents: 898
Percent Change Since 2010: -29.24%
More on Coffeyville: Real Estate | Data | Photos
9. Parsons
/10
Population: 9,652
% African American: 8.03%
# Of African American Residents: 775
Percent Change Since 2010: -4.32%
More on Parsons: Real Estate | Data | Photos
10. Merriam
/10
Population: 11,110
% African American: 7.21%
# Of African American Residents: 801
Percent Change Since 2010: 4.57%
More on Merriam: Real Estate | Data | Photos
Methodology: How We Determined The Cities In Kansas 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 Kansas.
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 58 cities.
We then calculated the percent of residents that are Black or African American. The percentages ranked from 21.4% 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. Kansas City took the distinction of being the most Black, while Valley Center was the least African American city. You can download the data here.
Read on for more information on how the cities in Kansas 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 Kansas
If you're looking for a breakdown of African American populations across Kansas according to the most recent data, this is an accurate list.
If you're curious enough, here are the least African American places in Kansas:
- Valley Center
- Mulvane
- Ulysses
For more Kansas reading, check out:
African American Population By City In Kansas
| Rank | City | % African American |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kansas City | 21.41% |
| 2 | Junction City | 19.08% |
| 3 | Lansing | 14.15% |
| 4 | Leavenworth | 11.08% |
| 5 | Topeka | 10.13% |
| 6 | Bel Aire | 10.05% |
| 7 | Wichita | 9.97% |
| 8 | Coffeyville | 9.94% |
| 9 | Parsons | 8.03% |
| 10 | Merriam | 7.21% |
| 11 | Bonner Springs | 7.02% |
| 12 | Park City | 6.6% |
| 13 | Lenexa | 6.1% |
| 14 | Gardner | 5.91% |
| 15 | Olathe | 5.76% |
| 16 | Manhattan | 5.58% |
| 17 | Garden City | 5.23% |
| 18 | Independence | 5.02% |
| 19 | Overland Park | 4.93% |
| 20 | Shawnee | 4.88% |
| 21 | Lawrence | 4.74% |
| 22 | Mission | 4.68% |
| 23 | Fort Scott | 4.68% |
| 24 | Iola | 4.52% |
| 25 | Arkansas City | 3.73% |
| 26 | De Soto | 3.7% |
| 27 | Atchison | 3.69% |
| 28 | Hutchinson | 3.37% |
| 29 | Salina | 3.17% |
| 30 | Pittsburg | 3.0% |
| 31 | Liberal | 2.88% |
| 32 | Pratt | 2.66% |
| 33 | Newton | 2.56% |
| 34 | Winfield | 2.56% |
| 35 | Concordia | 2.39% |
| 36 | Emporia | 2.38% |
| 37 | Dodge City | 2.18% |
| 38 | Mcpherson | 1.81% |
| 39 | Wellington | 1.67% |
| 40 | Leawood | 1.53% |
| 41 | Great Bend | 1.53% |
| 42 | Roeland Park | 1.48% |
| 43 | Abilene | 1.48% |
| 44 | Paola | 1.47% |
| 45 | Chanute | 1.42% |
| 46 | Andover | 1.39% |
| 47 | Derby | 1.21% |
| 48 | El Dorado | 1.1% |
| 49 | Prairie Village | 0.92% |
| 50 | Ottawa | 0.82% |
| 51 | Augusta | 0.77% |
| 52 | Hays | 0.76% |
| 53 | Colby | 0.66% |
| 54 | Eudora | 0.26% |
| 55 | Haysville | 0.17% |
| 56 | Ulysses | 0.12% |
| 57 | Mulvane | 0.0% |
| 58 | Valley Center | 0.0% |
