Most African American cities in Connecticut research summary. We used Saturday Night Science to analyze Connecticut’s most recent Census data to determine the blackest cities in Connecticut based on the percentage of Black residents. Here are the results of our analysis:
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The city with the largest African American population in Connecticut is Hartford based on the most recent Census data.
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Hartford is 33.81% Black.
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The least African American city in Connecticut is Milford.
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Milford is 3.02% Black.
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Connecticut is 9.8% Black.
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Connecticut is the 21st blackest state in the United States.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The Black community is one of the fastest-growing communities in America this decade.
Roughly 42 million people identifying as Black or African American live in the United States, making up 12% of the total population. According to the most recent American Community Survey, the Black population in Connecticut is 356,149 – at 9.8% 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. Most scholars and historians agree that increasing 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 2026:
Most African American Places In Connecticut
What’s the blackest city in Connecticut? The city with the largest Black population in Connecticut for 2026 is Hartford. See if Hartford ranked as one of the most african american places 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 2026
1. Hartford
/10
Population: 121,127
% African American: 33.81%
# Of African American Residents: 40,955
Percent Change Since 2010: -6.88%
More on Hartford: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
2. New Haven
/10
Population: 134,349
% African American: 27.65%
# Of African American Residents: 37,144
Percent Change Since 2010: -15.42%
More on New Haven: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
3. Waterbury
/10
Population: 114,869
% African American: 23.04%
# Of African American Residents: 26,464
Percent Change Since 2010: 38.85%
More on Waterbury: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
4. West Haven
/10
Population: 55,351
% African American: 19.67%
# Of African American Residents: 10,885
Percent Change Since 2010: 6.07%
More on West Haven: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
5. Bridgeport
/10
Population: 149,153
% African American: 19.66%
# Of African American Residents: 29,330
Percent Change Since 2010: -37.98%
More on Bridgeport: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
6. Stamford
/10
Population: 137,144
% African American: 17.69%
# Of African American Residents: 24,257
Percent Change Since 2010: 47.41%
More on Stamford: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
7. Norwalk
/10
Population: 92,187
% African American: 16.98%
# Of African American Residents: 15,650
Percent Change Since 2010: 39.46%
More on Norwalk: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
8. Middletown
/10
Population: 47,958
% African American: 13.3%
# Of African American Residents: 6,378
Percent Change Since 2010: 3.83%
More on Middletown: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
9. Ansonia
/10
Population: 19,033
% African American: 13.14%
# Of African American Residents: 2,500
Percent Change Since 2010: 28.8%
More on Ansonia: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
10. New London
/10
Population: 27,625
% African American: 12.89%
# Of African American Residents: 3,562
Percent Change Since 2010: -8.01%
More on New London: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
Methodology: How We Determined The Cities In Connecticut With The Largest Black Population For 2026
We still believe in the accuracy of data — especially from the Census. So that’s where we went to get the race breakdown across Connecticut.
That leads us to the Census’s most recently available data, the 2020-2024 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 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 in Connecticut. That left us with 21 cities.
We then calculated the percentage of residents that are Black or African American. The percentages ranked from 33.8% to 3.0%.
Finally, we ranked each city based on the percentage of the 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.
We updated this article for 2026. This is our eleventh time ranking the cities in Connecticut with the largest African American population.
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.
The blackest cities in Connecticut are Hartford, New Haven, Waterbury, West Haven, Bridgeport, Stamford, Norwalk, Middletown, Ansonia, and New London.
If you’re curious enough, here are the least African American places in Connecticut:
- Milford
- Torrington
- Shelton
For more Connecticut reading, check out:
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Connecticut
- Best Places To Live In Connecticut
- Most Dangerous Cities In Connecticut
African American Population By City In Connecticut
| Rank | City | Population | African American Population | % African American |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hartford | 121,127 | 40,955 | 33.81% |
| 2 | New Haven | 134,349 | 37,144 | 27.65% |
| 3 | Waterbury | 114,869 | 26,464 | 23.04% |
| 4 | West Haven | 55,351 | 10,885 | 19.67% |
| 5 | Bridgeport | 149,153 | 29,330 | 19.66% |
| 6 | Stamford | 137,144 | 24,257 | 17.69% |
| 7 | Norwalk | 92,187 | 15,650 | 16.98% |
| 8 | Middletown | 47,958 | 6,378 | 13.3% |
| 9 | Ansonia | 19,033 | 2,500 | 13.14% |
| 10 | New London | 27,625 | 3,562 | 12.89% |
| 11 | Naugatuck | 31,800 | 3,732 | 11.74% |
| 12 | Derby | 12,487 | 1,412 | 11.31% |
| 13 | Danbury | 87,263 | 9,818 | 11.25% |
| 14 | New Britain | 74,223 | 7,640 | 10.29% |
| 15 | Norwich | 39,973 | 3,830 | 9.58% |
| 16 | Groton | 9,490 | 755 | 7.96% |
| 17 | Meriden | 60,545 | 4,517 | 7.46% |
| 18 | Bristol | 61,462 | 4,470 | 7.27% |
| 19 | Shelton | 41,889 | 2,804 | 6.69% |
| 20 | Torrington | 35,547 | 1,998 | 5.62% |
| 21 | Milford | 51,023 | 1,542 | 3.02% |
I was looking for the towns with the least.. I see 3 listed but is there a longer list? Thanks.
Where is Bloomfield? According to Wikipedia the town had 20,500 residents according to the 2010 census and the makeup is 57.5 African-American.