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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 Indiana is 625,756 - at 9.3% of the total population of Indiana.
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 Indiana? Which cities and towns in Indiana have seen the greatest increase in its Black population?
We broke down the most recent census data to determine the cities in Indiana with the largest African American population in 2023:
What's the blackest city in Indiana? Gary took the number one over all spot for the largest Black population in Indiana 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 Indiana 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 Indiana or the most diverse places in Indiana.
The 10 Blackest Cities In Indiana For 2023
1. Gary
/10
Population: 69,739
% African American: 77.88%
# Of African American Residents: 54,313
Percent Change Since 2010: -21.68%
More on Gary: Real Estate | Data | Photos
2. Merrillville
/10
Population: 36,196
% African American: 44.89%
# Of African American Residents: 16,250
Percent Change Since 2010: 14.06%
More on Merrillville: Real Estate | Data | Photos
3. East Chicago
/10
Population: 26,502
% African American: 36.48%
# Of African American Residents: 9,667
Percent Change Since 2010: -25.31%
More on East Chicago: Real Estate | Data | Photos
4. Indianapolis
/10
Population: 880,104
% African American: 28.46%
# Of African American Residents: 250,457
Percent Change Since 2010: 14.85%
More on Indianapolis: Real Estate | Data | Photos
5. Michigan City
/10
Population: 31,965
% African American: 27.39%
# Of African American Residents: 8,755
Percent Change Since 2010: -0.5%
More on Michigan City: Real Estate | Data | Photos
6. Lawrence
/10
Population: 49,048
% African American: 25.94%
# Of African American Residents: 12,722
Percent Change Since 2010: 18.9%
More on Lawrence: Real Estate | Data | Photos
7. South Bend
/10
Population: 102,786
% African American: 24.83%
# Of African American Residents: 25,517
Percent Change Since 2010: -0.37%
More on South Bend: Real Estate | Data | Photos
8. Speedway
/10
Population: 13,613
% African American: 24.76%
# Of African American Residents: 3,371
Percent Change Since 2010: 83.31%
More on Speedway: Real Estate | Data | Photos
9. Westville
/10
Population: 6,062
% African American: 22.76%
# Of African American Residents: 1,380
Percent Change Since 2010: -4.76%
More on Westville: Real Estate | Data | Photos
10. Hammond
/10
Population: 77,491
% African American: 21.61%
# Of African American Residents: 16,744
Percent Change Since 2010: 5.97%
More on Hammond: Real Estate | Data | Photos
Methodology: How We Determined The Cities In Indiana 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 Indiana.
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 113 cities.
We then calculated the percent of residents that are Black or African American. The percentages ranked from 77.9% 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. Gary took the distinction of being the most Black, while Cedar Lake was the least African American city. You can download the data here.
Read on for more information on how the cities in Indiana 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 Indiana
If you're looking for a breakdown of African American populations across Indiana according to the most recent data, this is an accurate list.
If you're curious enough, here are the least African American places in Indiana:
- Cedar Lake
- Salem
- Auburn
For more Indiana reading, check out:
- Cheapest Places To Live In Indiana
- Safest Places In Indiana
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Indiana
African American Population By City In Indiana
| Rank | City | % African American |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gary | 77.88% |
| 2 | Merrillville | 44.89% |
| 3 | East Chicago | 36.48% |
| 4 | Indianapolis | 28.46% |
| 5 | Michigan City | 27.39% |
| 6 | Lawrence | 25.94% |
| 7 | South Bend | 24.83% |
| 8 | Speedway | 24.76% |
| 9 | Westville | 22.76% |
| 10 | Hammond | 21.61% |
| 11 | Griffith | 17.26% |
| 12 | Fort Wayne | 15.05% |
| 13 | Anderson | 14.58% |
| 14 | Marion | 13.92% |
| 15 | Evansville | 13.54% |
| 16 | Elkhart | 13.3% |
| 17 | Jeffersonville | 11.62% |
| 18 | Terre Haute | 11.31% |
| 19 | Kokomo | 10.56% |
| 20 | Cumberland | 10.55% |
| 21 | Muncie | 10.47% |
| 22 | Hobart | 10.02% |
| 23 | Brownsburg | 9.07% |
| 24 | Beech Grove | 8.99% |
| 25 | Lafayette | 8.74% |
| 26 | Mishawaka | 8.73% |
| 27 | Portage | 8.6% |
| 28 | Schererville | 8.31% |
| 29 | New Albany | 8.27% |
| 30 | Avon | 8.18% |
| 31 | Plainfield | 7.82% |
| 32 | Crown Point | 7.38% |
| 33 | Richmond | 7.05% |
| 34 | Princeton | 6.8% |
| 35 | Clarksville | 6.36% |
| 36 | Highland | 6.14% |
| 37 | Peru | 6.13% |
| 38 | Vincennes | 5.07% |
| 39 | Dyer | 4.88% |
| 40 | Noblesville | 4.75% |
| 41 | Lake Station | 4.66% |
| 42 | Munster | 4.56% |
| 43 | Greenwood | 4.42% |
| 44 | Bloomington | 4.33% |
| 45 | Washington | 4.16% |
| 46 | Valparaiso | 3.99% |
| 47 | Madison | 3.93% |
| 48 | West Lafayette | 3.69% |
| 49 | Charlestown | 3.63% |
| 50 | Goshen | 3.56% |
| 51 | La Porte | 3.55% |
| 52 | North Manchester | 3.25% |
| 53 | Danville | 3.2% |
| 54 | New Haven | 3.18% |
| 55 | Franklin | 2.92% |
| 56 | North Vernon | 2.84% |
| 57 | New Castle | 2.82% |
| 58 | Carmel | 2.8% |
| 59 | St. John | 2.63% |
| 60 | Mount Vernon | 2.58% |
| 61 | Chesterton | 2.51% |
| 62 | Seymour | 2.37% |
| 63 | Sellersburg | 2.29% |
| 64 | Warsaw | 2.19% |
| 65 | Bluffton | 2.17% |
| 66 | Columbus | 2.11% |
| 67 | Shelbyville | 2.09% |
| 68 | Zionsville | 1.98% |
| 69 | Gas City | 1.97% |
| 70 | Connersville | 1.85% |
| 71 | Tell City | 1.84% |
| 72 | Greencastle | 1.84% |
| 73 | Rensselaer | 1.81% |
| 74 | Alexandria | 1.76% |
| 75 | Plymouth | 1.75% |
| 76 | Crawfordsville | 1.65% |
| 77 | Rushville | 1.54% |
| 78 | Greenfield | 1.47% |
| 79 | Huntingburg | 1.3% |
| 80 | Lebanon | 1.12% |
| 81 | Ellettsville | 1.11% |
| 82 | Jasper | 1.0% |
| 83 | Huntington | 0.94% |
| 84 | Logansport | 0.91% |
| 85 | Garrett | 0.91% |
| 86 | Tipton | 0.9% |
| 87 | Brazil | 0.88% |
| 88 | Angola | 0.86% |
| 89 | Hartford City | 0.64% |
| 90 | Portland | 0.63% |
| 91 | Boonville | 0.63% |
| 92 | Elwood | 0.63% |
| 93 | New Whiteland | 0.61% |
| 94 | Yor | 0.58% |
| 95 | Columbia City | 0.58% |
| 96 | Scottsburg | 0.57% |
| 97 | Martinsville | 0.54% |
| 98 | Decatur | 0.47% |
| 99 | Batesville | 0.44% |
| 100 | Linton | 0.37% |
