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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 California is 2,128,184 - at 5.4% of the total population of California.
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 California? Which cities and towns in California have seen the greatest increase in its Black population?
We broke down the most recent census data to determine the cities in California with the largest African American population in 2023:
What's the blackest city in California? Inglewood took the number one over all spot for the largest Black population in California 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 California 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 California or the most diverse places in California.
The 10 Blackest Cities In California For 2023
1. Inglewood
/10
Population: 108,206
% African American: 39.86%
# Of African American Residents: 43,135
Percent Change Since 2010: -8.35%
More on Inglewood: Real Estate | Data | Photos
2. Compton
/10
Population: 96,083
% African American: 26.68%
# Of African American Residents: 25,631
Percent Change Since 2010: -18.58%
More on Compton: Real Estate | Data | Photos
3. Hawthorne
/10
Population: 87,863
% African American: 26.17%
# Of African American Residents: 22,998
Percent Change Since 2010: -2.49%
More on Hawthorne: Real Estate | Data | Photos
4. Carson
/10
Population: 95,104
% African American: 22.21%
# Of African American Residents: 21,126
Percent Change Since 2010: 1.07%
More on Carson: Real Estate | Data | Photos
5. Oakland
/10
Population: 437,548
% African American: 21.61%
# Of African American Residents: 94,543
Percent Change Since 2010: -12.85%
More on Oakland: Real Estate | Data | Photos
6. California City
/10
Population: 14,914
% African American: 20.01%
# Of African American Residents: 2,985
Percent Change Since 2010: 67.41%
More on California City: Real Estate | Data | Photos
7. Lancaster
/10
Population: 171,820
% African American: 19.96%
# Of African American Residents: 34,297
Percent Change Since 2010: 23.33%
More on Lancaster: Real Estate | Data | Photos
8. Antioch
/10
Population: 114,750
% African American: 19.47%
# Of African American Residents: 22,342
Percent Change Since 2010: 34.96%
More on Antioch: Real Estate | Data | Photos
9. Suisun City
/10
Population: 29,436
% African American: 19.2%
# Of African American Residents: 5,651
Percent Change Since 2010: -0.72%
More on Suisun City: Real Estate | Data | Photos
10. Gardena
/10
Population: 60,917
% African American: 18.99%
# Of African American Residents: 11,567
Percent Change Since 2010: -11.08%
More on Gardena: Real Estate | Data | Photos
Methodology: How We Determined The Cities In California 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 California.
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 421 cities.
We then calculated the percent of residents that are Black or African American. The percentages ranked from 39.9% 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. Inglewood took the distinction of being the most Black, while Orland was the least African American city. You can download the data here.
Read on for more information on how the cities in California 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 California
If you're looking for a breakdown of African American populations across California according to the most recent data, this is an accurate list.
If you're curious enough, here are the least African American places in California:
- Orland
- Healdsburg
- Livingston
For more California reading, check out:
- Cheapest Places To Live In California
- Best Places To Raise A Family In California
- Safest Places In California
African American Population By City In California
| Rank | City | % African American |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Inglewood | 39.86% |
| 2 | Compton | 26.68% |
| 3 | Hawthorne | 26.17% |
| 4 | Carson | 22.21% |
| 5 | Oakland | 21.61% |
| 6 | California City | 20.01% |
| 7 | Lancaster | 19.96% |
| 8 | Antioch | 19.47% |
| 9 | Suisun City | 19.2% |
| 10 | Gardena | 18.99% |
| 11 | Richmond | 17.95% |
| 12 | Emeryville | 17.58% |
| 13 | Vallejo | 17.48% |
| 14 | Moreno Valley | 17.36% |
| 15 | Hercules | 17.16% |
| 16 | Calipatria | 16.37% |
| 17 | Adelanto | 15.85% |
| 18 | Victorville | 15.64% |
| 19 | Fairfield | 15.61% |
| 20 | Lemon Grove | 15.25% |
| 21 | Susanville | 13.64% |
| 22 | Pittsburg | 13.27% |
| 23 | Barstow | 13.27% |
| 24 | Corcoran | 12.88% |
| 25 | Sacramento | 12.76% |
| 26 | Rialto | 12.63% |
| 27 | Bellflower | 12.53% |
| 28 | Palmdale | 12.44% |
| 29 | Rio Vista | 12.42% |
| 30 | Blythe | 11.9% |
| 31 | Long Beach | 11.58% |
| 32 | San Bernardino | 11.53% |
| 33 | Pinole | 11.11% |
| 34 | San Pablo | 10.99% |
| 35 | Stockton | 10.89% |
| 36 | Rancho Cordova | 10.65% |
| 37 | Elk Grove | 10.55% |
| 38 | Signal Hill | 10.53% |
| 39 | East Palo Alto | 10.36% |
| 40 | San Leandro | 9.71% |
| 41 | Twentynine Palms | 9.64% |
| 42 | Soledad | 9.27% |
| 43 | Vacaville | 9.23% |
| 44 | Rancho Cucamonga | 9.2% |
| 45 | Hayward | 9.09% |
| 46 | Brentwood | 9.04% |
| 47 | Colton | 8.69% |
| 48 | Culver City | 8.56% |
| 49 | Fontana | 8.38% |
| 50 | Oakley | 8.38% |
| 51 | Perris | 8.33% |
| 52 | Los Angeles | 8.31% |
| 53 | Loma Linda | 8.26% |
| 54 | Beaumont | 8.24% |
| 55 | Cerritos | 8.23% |
| 56 | Lynwood | 8.11% |
| 57 | Lakewood | 8.07% |
| 58 | Hemet | 7.99% |
| 59 | Lathrop | 7.91% |
| 60 | Desert Hot Springs | 7.8% |
| 61 | Crescent City | 7.58% |
| 62 | Pasadena | 7.51% |
| 63 | American Canyon | 7.5% |
| 64 | Paramount | 7.48% |
| 65 | Lawndale | 7.36% |
| 66 | La Mesa | 7.26% |
| 67 | Berkeley | 7.26% |
| 68 | Lake Elsinore | 7.14% |
| 69 | Seaside | 7.05% |
| 70 | Artesia | 6.97% |
| 71 | Tehachapi | 6.82% |
| 72 | Chowchilla | 6.76% |
| 73 | Apple Valley | 6.68% |
| 74 | San Jacinto | 6.65% |
| 75 | Banning | 6.65% |
| 76 | Bakersfield | 6.63% |
| 77 | Marina | 6.59% |
| 78 | Fresno | 6.47% |
| 79 | Chino | 6.45% |
| 80 | El Cajon | 6.22% |
| 81 | Menifee | 6.22% |
| 82 | Highland | 6.21% |
| 83 | Redlands | 6.12% |
| 84 | Alameda | 6.01% |
| 85 | Lemoore | 5.78% |
| 86 | Lomita | 5.73% |
| 87 | San Diego | 5.65% |
| 88 | Claremont | 5.65% |
| 89 | Corona | 5.61% |
| 90 | Upland | 5.49% |
| 91 | Pomona | 5.47% |
| 92 | Wasco | 5.46% |
| 93 | Riverside | 5.42% |
| 94 | Ontario | 5.25% |
| 95 | Murrieta | 5.19% |
| 96 | Monrovia | 4.98% |
| 97 | Hanford | 4.96% |
| 98 | San Francisco | 4.92% |
| 99 | Oroville | 4.89% |
| 100 | Tracy | 4.88% |
