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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 Idaho is 11,392 - at 0.6% of the total population of Idaho.
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 Idaho? Which cities and towns in Idaho have seen the greatest increase in its Black population?
We broke down the most recent census data to determine the cities in Idaho with the largest African American population in 2023:
What's the blackest city in Idaho? Mountain Home took the number one over all spot for the largest Black population in Idaho 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 Idaho 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 Idaho or the most diverse places in Idaho.
The 10 Blackest Cities In Idaho For 2023
1. Mountain Home
/10
Population: 15,863
% African American: 3.01%
# Of African American Residents: 477
Percent Change Since 2010: -2.85%
More on Mountain Home: Real Estate | Data | Photos
2. Moscow
/10
Population: 25,336
% African American: 1.61%
# Of African American Residents: 409
Percent Change Since 2010: 32.79%
More on Moscow: Real Estate | Data | Photos
3. Boise City
/10
Population: 231,537
% African American: 1.55%
# Of African American Residents: 3,592
Percent Change Since 2010: 37.15%
More on Boise City: Real Estate | Data | Photos
4. Meridian
/10
Population: 115,227
% African American: 1.22%
# Of African American Residents: 1,408
Percent Change Since 2010: 94.21%
More on Meridian: Real Estate | Data | Photos
5. Twin Falls
/10
Population: 51,223
% African American: 1.06%
# Of African American Residents: 544
Percent Change Since 2010: 90.88%
More on Twin Falls: Real Estate | Data | Photos
6. Nampa
/10
Population: 98,881
% African American: 0.95%
# Of African American Residents: 943
Percent Change Since 2010: 83.82%
More on Nampa: Real Estate | Data | Photos
7. Pocatello
/10
Population: 55,865
% African American: 0.9%
# Of African American Residents: 501
Percent Change Since 2010: 20.14%
More on Pocatello: Real Estate | Data | Photos
8. Eagle
/10
Population: 29,665
% African American: 0.64%
# Of African American Residents: 189
Percent Change Since 2010: 302.13%
More on Eagle: Real Estate | Data | Photos
9. Payette
/10
Population: 7,999
% African American: 0.6%
# Of African American Residents: 48
Percent Change Since 2010: 1100.0%
More on Payette: Real Estate | Data | Photos
10. Idaho Falls
/10
Population: 64,399
% African American: 0.44%
# Of African American Residents: 281
Percent Change Since 2010: 30.7%
More on Idaho Falls: Real Estate | Data | Photos
Methodology: How We Determined The Cities In Idaho 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 Idaho.
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 32 cities.
We then calculated the percent of residents that are Black or African American. The percentages ranked from 3.0% 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. Mountain Home took the distinction of being the most Black, while Emmett was the least African American city. You can download the data here.
Read on for more information on how the cities in Idaho 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 Idaho
If you're looking for a breakdown of African American populations across Idaho according to the most recent data, this is an accurate list.
If you're curious enough, here are the least African American places in Idaho:
- Emmett
- Hailey
- Rupert
For more Idaho reading, check out:
African American Population By City In Idaho
Rank | City | % African American |
---|---|---|
1 | Mountain Home | 3.01% |
2 | Moscow | 1.61% |
3 | Boise City | 1.55% |
4 | Meridian | 1.22% |
5 | Twin Falls | 1.06% |
6 | Nampa | 0.95% |
7 | Pocatello | 0.9% |
8 | Eagle | 0.64% |
9 | Payette | 0.6% |
10 | Idaho Falls | 0.44% |
11 | Star | 0.41% |
12 | Rexburg | 0.4% |
13 | Blackfoot | 0.39% |
14 | Coeur D'alene | 0.36% |
15 | Caldwell | 0.36% |
16 | Hayden | 0.2% |
17 | Post Falls | 0.18% |
18 | Middleton | 0.14% |
19 | Sandpoint | 0.14% |
20 | Chubbuck | 0.14% |
21 | Garden City | 0.12% |
22 | Lewiston | 0.09% |
23 | Ammon | 0.09% |
24 | Burley | 0.04% |
25 | Weiser | 0.02% |
26 | Kuna | 0.01% |
27 | Preston | 0.0% |
28 | Rathdrum | 0.0% |
29 | Jerome | 0.0% |
30 | Rupert | 0.0% |
31 | Hailey | 0.0% |
32 | Emmett | 0.0% |