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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 Colorado is 224,190 - at 3.9% of the total population of Colorado.
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 Colorado? Which cities and towns in Colorado have seen the greatest increase in its Black population?
We broke down the most recent census data to determine the cities in Colorado with the largest African American population in 2022:
What's the blackest city in Colorado? Aurora took the number one over all spot for the largest Black population in Colorado for 2022. 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 Colorado 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 Colorado or the most diverse places in Colorado.
The 10 Blackest Cities In Colorado For 2022
1. Aurora
/10
Population: 379,434
% African American: 16.13%
# Of African American Residents: 61,215
Percent Change Since 2010: 31.35%
More on Aurora: Real Estate | Data | Photos
2. Fountain
/10
Population: 30,240
% African American: 9.53%
# Of African American Residents: 2,881
Percent Change Since 2010: 41.16%
More on Fountain: Real Estate | Data | Photos
3. Denver
/10
Population: 715,878
% African American: 8.82%
# Of African American Residents: 63,132
Percent Change Since 2010: 8.44%
More on Denver: Real Estate | Data | Photos
4. Fort Morgan
/10
Population: 11,311
% African American: 7.77%
# Of African American Residents: 879
Percent Change Since 2010: 45.77%
More on Fort Morgan: Real Estate | Data | Photos
5. Colorado Springs
/10
Population: 471,686
% African American: 5.91%
# Of African American Residents: 27,900
Percent Change Since 2010: 19.63%
More on Colorado Springs: Real Estate | Data | Photos
6. Sheridan
/10
Population: 6,072
% African American: 5.62%
# Of African American Residents: 341
Percent Change Since 2010: 41.49%
More on Sheridan: Real Estate | Data | Photos
7. Lone Tree
/10
Population: 13,381
% African American: 3.68%
# Of African American Residents: 493
Percent Change Since 2010: 344.14%
More on Lone Tree: Real Estate | Data | Photos
8. Commerce City
/10
Population: 55,891
% African American: 3.23%
# Of African American Residents: 1,803
Percent Change Since 2010: 94.71%
More on Commerce City: Real Estate | Data | Photos
9. Brighton
/10
Population: 38,355
% African American: 2.72%
# Of African American Residents: 1,042
Percent Change Since 2010: 224.61%
More on Brighton: Real Estate | Data | Photos
10. Northglenn
/10
Population: 39,201
% African American: 2.63%
# Of African American Residents: 1,030
Percent Change Since 2010: 73.4%
More on Northglenn: Real Estate | Data | Photos
Methodology: How We Determined The Cities In Colorado With The Largest Black Population For 2022
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 Colorado.
That lead us to the Census's most recently available data, the 2016-2020 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 71 cities.
We then calculated the percent of residents that are Black or African American. The percentages ranked from 16.1% 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. Aurora took the distinction of being the most Black, while Firestone was the least African American city. You can download the data here.
Read on for more information on how the cities in Colorado 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 Colorado
If you're looking for a breakdown of African American populations across Colorado according to the most recent data, this is an accurate list.
If you're curious enough, here are the least African American places in Colorado:
- Firestone
- Gypsum
- Berthoud
For more Colorado reading, check out:
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Colorado
- Cheapest Places To Live In Colorado
- Best Places To Live In Colorado
African American Population By City In Colorado
Rank | City | % African American |
---|---|---|
1 | Aurora | 16.13% |
2 | Fountain | 9.53% |
3 | Denver | 8.82% |
4 | Fort Morgan | 7.77% |
5 | Colorado Springs | 5.91% |
6 | Sheridan | 5.62% |
7 | Lone Tree | 3.68% |
8 | Commerce City | 3.23% |
9 | Brighton | 2.72% |
10 | Northglenn | 2.63% |
11 | Centennial | 2.41% |
12 | Greeley | 2.37% |
13 | Sterling | 2.26% |
14 | Englewood | 2.22% |
15 | Thornton | 2.1% |
16 | Pueblo | 2.02% |
17 | Avon | 1.98% |
18 | Golden | 1.91% |
19 | Evans | 1.83% |
20 | La Junta | 1.74% |
21 | Edgewater | 1.57% |
22 | Steamboat Springs | 1.56% |
23 | Westminster | 1.54% |
24 | Wellington | 1.53% |
25 | Fort Collins | 1.42% |
26 | Parker | 1.41% |
27 | Littleton | 1.35% |
28 | Lakewood | 1.34% |
29 | Glenwood Springs | 1.28% |
30 | Lamar | 1.25% |
31 | Broomfield | 1.25% |
32 | Cortez | 1.17% |
33 | Greenwood Village | 1.11% |
34 | Longmont | 1.01% |
35 | Fruita | 1.01% |
36 | Boulder | 0.98% |
37 | Carbondale | 0.98% |
38 | Arvada | 0.94% |
39 | Aspen | 0.88% |
40 | Fort Lupton | 0.77% |
41 | Grand Junction | 0.73% |
42 | Woodland Park | 0.72% |
43 | Wheat Ridge | 0.7% |
44 | Castle Rock | 0.66% |
45 | Lafayette | 0.63% |
46 | Superior | 0.6% |
47 | Louisville | 0.59% |
48 | Loveland | 0.54% |
49 | Frederick | 0.5% |
50 | Durango | 0.46% |
51 | Gunnison | 0.41% |
52 | Craig | 0.4% |
53 | Windsor | 0.37% |
54 | John | 0.36% |
55 | Alamosa | 0.34% |
56 | Delta | 0.34% |
57 | Federal Heights | 0.31% |
58 | Erie | 0.18% |
59 | Vail | 0.14% |
60 | Milliken | 0.14% |
61 | Rifle | 0.13% |
62 | Montrose | 0.11% |
63 | Salida | 0.11% |
64 | Eagle | 0.1% |
65 | Cherry Hills Village | 0.0% |
66 | Estes Park | 0.0% |
67 | Trinidad | 0.0% |
68 | Brush | 0.0% |
69 | Berthoud | 0.0% |
70 | Gypsum | 0.0% |
71 | Firestone | 0.0% |