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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 Connecticut is 359,156 - at 10.0% of the total population of Connecticut.
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 Connecticut? Which cities and towns in Connecticut have seen the greatest increase in its Black population?
We broke down the most recent census data to determine the cities in Connecticut with the largest African American population in 2023:
What's the blackest city in Connecticut? Hartford took the number one over all spot for the largest Black population in Connecticut 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 Connecticut 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 Connecticut or the most diverse places in Connecticut.
The 10 Blackest Cities In Connecticut For 2023
1. Hartford
/10
Population: 121,562
% African American: 34.09%
# Of African American Residents: 41,439
Percent Change Since 2010: -5.78%
More on Hartford: Real Estate | Data | Photos
2. Bridgeport
/10
Population: 148,529
% African American: 32.14%
# Of African American Residents: 47,734
Percent Change Since 2010: 0.93%
More on Bridgeport: Real Estate | Data | Photos
3. New Haven
/10
Population: 133,874
% African American: 32.06%
# Of African American Residents: 42,925
Percent Change Since 2010: -2.26%
More on New Haven: Real Estate | Data | Photos
4. West Haven
/10
Population: 55,518
% African American: 18.14%
# Of African American Residents: 10,069
Percent Change Since 2010: -1.88%
More on West Haven: Real Estate | Data | Photos
5. Waterbury
/10
Population: 113,783
% African American: 17.88%
# Of African American Residents: 20,350
Percent Change Since 2010: 6.77%
More on Waterbury: Real Estate | Data | Photos
6. Middletown
/10
Population: 47,164
% African American: 13.29%
# Of African American Residents: 6,269
Percent Change Since 2010: 2.05%
More on Middletown: Real Estate | Data | Photos
7. New London
/10
Population: 27,585
% African American: 13.14%
# Of African American Residents: 3,626
Percent Change Since 2010: -6.35%
More on New London: Real Estate | Data | Photos
8. Stamford
/10
Population: 134,820
% African American: 12.43%
# Of African American Residents: 16,760
Percent Change Since 2010: 1.85%
More on Stamford: Real Estate | Data | Photos
9. New Britain
/10
Population: 74,022
% African American: 12.38%
# Of African American Residents: 9,166
Percent Change Since 2010: 18.9%
More on New Britain: Real Estate | Data | Photos
10. Norwalk
/10
Population: 90,821
% African American: 11.87%
# Of African American Residents: 10,784
Percent Change Since 2010: -3.9%
More on Norwalk: Real Estate | Data | Photos
Methodology: How We Determined The Cities In Connecticut 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 Connecticut.
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 9,000 people. That left us with 21 cities.
We then calculated the percent of residents that are Black or African American. The percentages ranked from 34.1% to 2.1%.
Finally, we ranked each city based on the percent of Black population with a higher score being more Black than a lower score. Hartford took the distinction of being the most Black, while Milford was the least African American city. You can download the data here.
Read on for more information on how the cities in Connecticut 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 Connecticut
If you're looking for a breakdown of African American populations across Connecticut according to the most recent data, this is an accurate list.
If you're curious enough, here are the least African American places in Connecticut:
- Milford
- Shelton
- Torrington
For more Connecticut reading, check out:
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Connecticut
- Safest Places In Connecticut
- Best Places To Live In Connecticut
African American Population By City In Connecticut
Rank | City | % African American |
---|---|---|
1 | Hartford | 34.09% |
2 | Bridgeport | 32.14% |
3 | New Haven | 32.06% |
4 | West Haven | 18.14% |
5 | Waterbury | 17.88% |
6 | Middletown | 13.29% |
7 | New London | 13.14% |
8 | Stamford | 12.43% |
9 | New Britain | 12.38% |
10 | Norwalk | 11.87% |
11 | Ansonia | 10.42% |
12 | Norwich | 10.25% |
13 | Derby | 8.83% |
14 | Meriden | 8.57% |
15 | Danbury | 8.43% |
16 | Groton | 8.35% |
17 | Naugatuck | 7.73% |
18 | Bristol | 5.36% |
19 | Torrington | 2.89% |
20 | Shelton | 2.35% |
21 | Milford | 2.08% |