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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 Florida is 3,223,893 - at 15.1% of the total population of Florida.
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 Florida? Which cities and towns in Florida have seen the greatest increase in its Black population?
We broke down the most recent census data to determine the cities in Florida with the largest African American population in 2023:
What's the blackest city in Florida? Lauderdale Lakes took the number one over all spot for the largest Black population in Florida 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 Florida 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 Florida or the most diverse places in Florida.
The 10 Blackest Cities In Florida For 2023
1. Lauderdale Lakes
/10
Population: 35,898
% African American: 82.94%
# Of African American Residents: 29,773
Percent Change Since 2010: 15.06%
More on Lauderdale Lakes: Real Estate | Data | Photos
2. Lauderhill
/10
Population: 73,935
% African American: 79.98%
# Of African American Residents: 59,135
Percent Change Since 2010: 16.61%
More on Lauderhill: Real Estate | Data | Photos
3. Riviera Beach
/10
Population: 37,301
% African American: 65.26%
# Of African American Residents: 24,343
Percent Change Since 2010: 12.75%
More on Riviera Beach: Real Estate | Data | Photos
4. Miami Gardens
/10
Population: 111,706
% African American: 64.72%
# Of African American Residents: 72,301
Percent Change Since 2010: -7.9%
More on Miami Gardens: Real Estate | Data | Photos
5. Quincy
/10
Population: 8,038
% African American: 60.97%
# Of African American Residents: 4,901
Percent Change Since 2010: -11.92%
More on Quincy: Real Estate | Data | Photos
6. Belle Glade
/10
Population: 16,983
% African American: 59.27%
# Of African American Residents: 10,065
Percent Change Since 2010: -8.92%
More on Belle Glade: Real Estate | Data | Photos
7. Pahokee
/10
Population: 5,504
% African American: 57.45%
# Of African American Residents: 3,162
Percent Change Since 2010: -13.7%
More on Pahokee: Real Estate | Data | Photos
8. North Miami
/10
Population: 60,449
% African American: 55.8%
# Of African American Residents: 33,729
Percent Change Since 2010: -2.38%
More on North Miami: Real Estate | Data | Photos
9. North Lauderdale
/10
Population: 44,579
% African American: 55.71%
# Of African American Residents: 24,835
Percent Change Since 2010: 19.96%
More on North Lauderdale: Real Estate | Data | Photos
10. Lake Park
/10
Population: 8,971
% African American: 53.47%
# Of African American Residents: 4,797
Percent Change Since 2010: 0.88%
More on Lake Park: Real Estate | Data | Photos
Methodology: How We Determined The Cities In Florida 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 Florida.
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 208 cities.
We then calculated the percent of residents that are Black or African American. The percentages ranked from 82.9% 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. Lauderdale Lakes took the distinction of being the most Black, while Neptune Beach was the least African American city. You can download the data here.
Read on for more information on how the cities in Florida 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 Florida
If you're looking for a breakdown of African American populations across Florida according to the most recent data, this is an accurate list.
If you're curious enough, here are the least African American places in Florida:
- Neptune Beach
- St. Augustine Beach
- Hialeah Gardens
For more Florida reading, check out:
African American Population By City In Florida
| Rank | City | % African American |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lauderdale Lakes | 82.94% |
| 2 | Lauderhill | 79.98% |
| 3 | Riviera Beach | 65.26% |
| 4 | Miami Gardens | 64.72% |
| 5 | Quincy | 60.97% |
| 6 | Belle Glade | 59.27% |
| 7 | Pahokee | 57.45% |
| 8 | North Miami | 55.8% |
| 9 | North Lauderdale | 55.71% |
| 10 | Lake Park | 53.47% |
| 11 | Opa-Locka | 53.43% |
| 12 | Marianna | 50.7% |
| 13 | Florida City | 49.79% |
| 14 | West Park | 49.09% |
| 15 | Pembroke Park | 46.75% |
| 16 | Miramar | 44.52% |
| 17 | Fort Pierce | 43.0% |
| 18 | Perry | 42.8% |
| 19 | Live Oak | 42.17% |
| 20 | Palatka | 39.67% |
| 21 | North Miami Beach | 36.11% |
| 22 | Tallahassee | 35.77% |
| 23 | Sunrise | 33.65% |
| 24 | Boynton Beach | 33.37% |
| 25 | West Palm Beach | 32.98% |
| 26 | Margate | 32.56% |
| 27 | Daytona Beach | 32.26% |
| 28 | Lake City | 31.91% |
| 29 | Jacksonville | 30.26% |
| 30 | Fort Lauderdale | 29.83% |
| 31 | Oakland Park | 29.76% |
| 32 | Avon Park | 29.76% |
| 33 | Tamarac | 29.5% |
| 34 | Pompano Beach | 29.37% |
| 35 | Lantana | 29.02% |
| 36 | Cocoa | 28.6% |
| 37 | Haines City | 28.34% |
| 38 | Starke | 27.47% |
| 39 | Delray Beach | 27.3% |
| 40 | Sanford | 27.26% |
| 41 | Royal Palm Beach | 26.82% |
| 42 | Greenacres | 25.96% |
| 43 | Deerfield Beach | 25.4% |
| 44 | Pensacola | 24.67% |
| 45 | Winter Haven | 24.12% |
| 46 | Eustis | 23.45% |
| 47 | Dade City | 23.34% |
| 48 | Leesburg | 23.02% |
| 49 | Apopka | 23.0% |
| 50 | Fort Myers | 22.66% |
| 51 | Orlando | 22.46% |
| 52 | Alachua | 22.43% |
| 53 | Orange Park | 22.18% |
| 54 | Macclenny | 21.8% |
| 55 | Plantation | 21.65% |
| 56 | Coral Springs | 21.65% |
| 57 | Panama City | 21.54% |
| 58 | Bartow | 21.52% |
| 59 | Arcadia | 21.47% |
| 60 | Pembroke Pines | 21.35% |
| 61 | Tampa | 21.11% |
| 62 | Gainesville | 20.97% |
| 63 | St. Petersburg | 20.72% |
| 64 | Ocoee | 20.66% |
| 65 | Homestead | 20.4% |
| 66 | Dania Beach | 20.34% |
| 67 | Lake Wales | 20.01% |
| 68 | Sebring | 19.87% |
| 69 | Ocala | 19.67% |
| 70 | Lakeland | 19.45% |
| 71 | Crestview | 19.34% |
| 72 | Holly Hill | 18.65% |
| 73 | Miami Shores | 18.41% |
| 74 | Fort Meade | 18.41% |
| 75 | Hallandale Beach | 18.25% |
| 76 | Wildwood | 17.5% |
| 77 | Port St. Lucie | 17.29% |
| 78 | Temple Terrace | 17.22% |
| 79 | Hollywood | 17.0% |
| 80 | High Springs | 16.89% |
| 81 | Altamonte Springs | 16.63% |
| 82 | Palmetto | 16.62% |
| 83 | Palm Bay | 16.48% |
| 84 | Callaway | 16.21% |
| 85 | Palm Springs | 16.18% |
| 86 | Springfield | 15.83% |
| 87 | Coconut Creek | 15.28% |
| 88 | Mount Dora | 15.19% |
| 89 | Sarasota | 14.95% |
| 90 | Deland | 14.88% |
| 91 | Maitland | 14.72% |
| 92 | Bradenton | 14.65% |
| 93 | Groveland | 14.6% |
| 94 | Clermont | 13.99% |
| 95 | Miami | 13.63% |
| 96 | Stuart | 13.45% |
| 97 | Winter Garden | 13.26% |
| 98 | Tavares | 13.05% |
| 99 | Rockledge | 12.93% |
| 100 | Plant City | 12.44% |
