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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 Illinois is 1,773,138 - at 13.8% of the total population of Illinois.
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 Illinois? Which cities and towns in Illinois have seen the greatest increase in its Black population?
We broke down the most recent census data to determine the cities in Illinois with the largest African American population in 2023:
What's the blackest city in Illinois? East St. Louis took the number one over all spot for the largest Black population in Illinois 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 Illinois 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 Illinois or the most diverse places in Illinois.
The 10 Blackest Cities In Illinois For 2023
1. East St. Louis
/10
Population: 19,437
% African American: 95.17%
# Of African American Residents: 18,498
Percent Change Since 2010: -31.66%
More on East St. Louis: Real Estate | Data | Photos
2. Dolton
/10
Population: 21,588
% African American: 91.9%
# Of African American Residents: 19,839
Percent Change Since 2010: -5.78%
More on Dolton: Real Estate | Data | Photos
3. Country Club Hills
/10
Population: 16,746
% African American: 87.7%
# Of African American Residents: 14,686
Percent Change Since 2010: 3.97%
More on Country Club Hills: Real Estate | Data
4. Riverdale
/10
Population: 10,909
% African American: 87.56%
# Of African American Residents: 9,552
Percent Change Since 2010: -25.4%
More on Riverdale: Real Estate | Data | Photos
5. Hazel Crest
/10
Population: 13,727
% African American: 87.32%
# Of African American Residents: 11,987
Percent Change Since 2010: 0.18%
More on Hazel Crest: Real Estate | Data | Photos
6. Richton Park
/10
Population: 12,867
% African American: 87.13%
# Of African American Residents: 11,211
Percent Change Since 2010: 8.76%
More on Richton Park: Real Estate | Data
7. Calumet Park
/10
Population: 7,167
% African American: 86.42%
# Of African American Residents: 6,194
Percent Change Since 2010: -4.55%
More on Calumet Park: Real Estate | Data | Photos
8. University Park
/10
Population: 7,239
% African American: 82.3%
# Of African American Residents: 5,958
Percent Change Since 2010: -5.2%
More on University Park: Real Estate | Data | Photos
9. Matteson
/10
Population: 19,047
% African American: 81.94%
# Of African American Residents: 15,607
Percent Change Since 2010: 13.37%
More on Matteson: Real Estate | Data | Photos
10. South Holland
/10
Population: 21,524
% African American: 80.9%
# Of African American Residents: 17,413
Percent Change Since 2010: 4.91%
More on South Holland: Real Estate | Data | Photos
Methodology: How We Determined The Cities In Illinois 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 Illinois.
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 326 cities.
We then calculated the percent of residents that are Black or African American. The percentages ranked from 95.2% 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. East St. Louis took the distinction of being the most Black, while Elburn was the least African American city. You can download the data here.
Read on for more information on how the cities in Illinois 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 Illinois
If you're looking for a breakdown of African American populations across Illinois according to the most recent data, this is an accurate list.
If you're curious enough, here are the least African American places in Illinois:
- Elburn
- Lake Bluff
- Spring Grove
For more Illinois reading, check out:
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Illinois
- Best Places To Live In Illinois
- Most Dangerous Cities In Illinois
African American Population By City In Illinois
| Rank | City | % African American |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | East St. Louis | 95.17% |
| 2 | Dolton | 91.9% |
| 3 | Country Club Hills | 87.7% |
| 4 | Riverdale | 87.56% |
| 5 | Hazel Crest | 87.32% |
| 6 | Richton Park | 87.13% |
| 7 | Calumet Park | 86.42% |
| 8 | University Park | 82.3% |
| 9 | Matteson | 81.94% |
| 10 | South Holland | 80.9% |
| 11 | Calumet City | 75.87% |
| 12 | Markham | 75.11% |
| 13 | Lynwood | 72.2% |
| 14 | Broadview | 70.86% |
| 15 | Bellwood | 70.48% |
| 16 | Glenwood | 68.87% |
| 17 | Park Forest | 68.8% |
| 18 | Sauk Village | 64.47% |
| 19 | Harvey | 64.4% |
| 20 | Flossmoor | 64.07% |
| 21 | Cahokia | 63.22% |
| 22 | Maywood | 60.54% |
| 23 | Homewood | 47.78% |
| 24 | Lansing | 44.82% |
| 25 | Hillside | 43.77% |
| 26 | Kankakee | 39.65% |
| 27 | Chicago Heights | 39.16% |
| 28 | Danville | 33.78% |
| 29 | Fairview Heights | 33.59% |
| 30 | Crete | 31.63% |
| 31 | Blue Island | 31.39% |
| 32 | Belleville | 31.26% |
| 33 | Chicago | 28.76% |
| 34 | Forest Park | 27.93% |
| 35 | Chester | 27.61% |
| 36 | Carbondale | 27.39% |
| 37 | Pinckneyville | 27.14% |
| 38 | Peoria | 26.67% |
| 39 | Berkeley | 26.16% |
| 40 | Zion | 25.9% |
| 41 | Alton | 25.14% |
| 42 | North Chicago | 24.79% |
| 43 | Evergreen Park | 24.5% |
| 44 | Shiloh | 24.31% |
| 45 | Alsip | 23.47% |
| 46 | Justice | 23.04% |
| 47 | Decatur | 22.95% |
| 48 | Crest Hill | 22.05% |
| 49 | Westchester | 21.77% |
| 50 | Swansea | 21.25% |
| 51 | Rockford | 21.0% |
| 52 | Springfield | 19.92% |
| 53 | Rantoul | 18.79% |
| 54 | Waukegan | 18.45% |
| 55 | Bolingbrook | 18.35% |
| 56 | Oak Park | 18.21% |
| 57 | Champaign | 17.7% |
| 58 | Rock Island | 17.09% |
| 59 | East Moline | 17.07% |
| 60 | Joliet | 16.8% |
| 61 | Urbana | 16.75% |
| 62 | Greenville | 16.7% |
| 63 | Mount Vernon | 16.44% |
| 64 | Freeport | 16.34% |
| 65 | Evanston | 15.76% |
| 66 | Collinsville | 15.43% |
| 67 | Murphysboro | 15.13% |
| 68 | Hillsboro | 14.64% |
| 69 | Dekalb | 14.53% |
| 70 | Vandalia | 13.92% |
| 71 | Galesburg | 13.44% |
| 72 | O'fallon | 13.2% |
| 73 | Robinson | 12.82% |
| 74 | Normal | 11.84% |
| 75 | Woodridge | 11.78% |
| 76 | Steger | 11.76% |
| 77 | Beach Park | 11.74% |
| 78 | Glendale Heights | 11.34% |
| 79 | Romeoville | 11.12% |
| 80 | Dixon | 10.63% |
| 81 | Aurora | 10.49% |
| 82 | Posen | 10.45% |
| 83 | Bourbonnais | 10.42% |
| 84 | Granite City | 10.14% |
| 85 | Yorkville | 10.05% |
| 86 | Jacksonville | 9.77% |
| 87 | Bloomington | 9.32% |
| 88 | North Riverside | 8.81% |
| 89 | Moline | 8.76% |
| 90 | Centralia | 8.75% |
| 91 | Frankfort | 8.66% |
| 92 | Summit | 8.64% |
| 93 | Park City | 8.63% |
| 94 | Edwardsville | 8.61% |
| 95 | Pontiac | 8.53% |
| 96 | Pontoon Beach | 8.48% |
| 97 | Skokie | 8.44% |
| 98 | Crestwood | 8.43% |
| 99 | Macomb | 8.31% |
| 100 | Plainfield | 8.26% |
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