The 10 Indiana Cities With The Largest Black Population For 2026


The most African American cities in Indiana are Gary and Merrillville for 2026 based on Saturday Night Science.

By: Chris Kolmar | About RoadSnacks
Last Updated: April 19, 2026

Most African American cities in Indiana research summary. We used Saturday Night Science to analyze Indiana’s most recent Census data to determine the blackest cities in Indiana based on the percentage of Black residents. Here are the results of our analysis:

  • The city with the largest African American population in Indiana is Gary based on the most recent Census data.

  • Gary is 75.73% Black.

  • The least African American city in Indiana is New Whiteland.

  • New Whiteland is 0.0% Black.

  • Indiana is 9.1% Black.

  • Indiana is the 22nd blackest state in the United States.

Cities With Highest Black Population In Indiana Map

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 Indiana is 622,085 – at 9.1% 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. 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 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 2026:

What’s the blackest city in Indiana? The city with the largest Black population in Indiana for 2026 is Gary. See if Gary 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 Indiana or the most diverse places in Indiana.

The 10 Blackest Cities In Indiana For 2026

1. Gary

Gary, IN

Source: Wikipedia User Chris Light (talk) | CC BY-SA 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 68,113
% African American: 75.73%
# Of African American Residents: 51,585
Percent Change Since 2010: -25.62%
More on Gary: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers

2. Merrillville

Merrillville, IN

Source: Wikipedia User Dennisyerger84 | GFDL
Overall SnackAbility

8
/10

Population: 36,476
% African American: 46.09%
# Of African American Residents: 16,811
Percent Change Since 2010: 18.0%
More on Merrillville: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers

3. East Chicago

East Chicago, IN

Source: Wikipedia User Dennisyerger84 | GFDL
Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 26,022
% African American: 36.07%
# Of African American Residents: 9,386
Percent Change Since 2010: -27.48%
More on East Chicago: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers

4. Speedway

Speedway, IN

Source: Wikipedia User NaBUru38 | CC BY-SA 4.0
Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 13,968
% African American: 32.54%
# Of African American Residents: 4,545
Percent Change Since 2010: 147.15%
More on Speedway: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers

5. Lawrence

Lawrence, IN

Source: Wikipedia User NASA Goddard Space Flight Center from Greenbelt, MD, USA | CC BY 2.0
Overall SnackAbility

7
/10

Population: 49,517
% African American: 28.43%
# Of African American Residents: 14,076
Percent Change Since 2010: 31.55%
More on Lawrence: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers

6. Indianapolis

Indianapolis, IN

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 885,860
% African American: 27.56%
# Of African American Residents: 244,161
Percent Change Since 2010: 11.96%
More on Indianapolis: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers

7. Westville

Westville, IN

Source: Wikipedia User Chris Light at en.wikipedia | CC BY-SA 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

7
/10

Population: 5,279
% African American: 25.33%
# Of African American Residents: 1,337
Percent Change Since 2010: -7.73%
More on Westville: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers

8. Michigan City

Michigan City, IN

Source: Wikipedia User Drew Jacksich from San Jose, CA, The Republic of California | CC BY-SA 2.0
Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 31,814
% African American: 23.83%
# Of African American Residents: 7,580
Percent Change Since 2010: -13.85%
More on Michigan City: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers

9. Hammond

Hammond, IN

Source: Wikipedia User HammondMan | CC BY-SA 4.0
Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 76,768
% African American: 22.53%
# Of African American Residents: 17,292
Percent Change Since 2010: 9.44%
More on Hammond: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers

10. South Bend

South Bend, IN

Source: Wikipedia User Khoa Huynh | CC BY-SA 2.0
Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 103,085
% African American: 22.45%
# Of African American Residents: 23,141
Percent Change Since 2010: -9.64%
More on South Bend: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers

Methodology: How We Determined The Cities In Indiana 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 Indiana.

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*
* Not Hispanic or latino

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 5,000 people in Indiana. That left us with 112 cities.

We then calculated the percentage of residents that are Black or African American. The percentages ranked from 75.7% to 0.0%.

Finally, we ranked each city based on the percentage of the Black population, with a higher score being more Black than a lower score. Gary took the distinction of being the most Black, while New Whiteland was the least African American city.

We updated this article for 2026. This is our eleventh time ranking the cities in Indiana with the largest African American population.

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.

The blackest cities in Indiana are Gary, Merrillville, East Chicago, Speedway, Lawrence, Indianapolis, Westville, Michigan City, Hammond, and South Bend.

If you’re curious enough, here are the least African American places in Indiana:

  1. New Whiteland
  2. Garrett
  3. Auburn

For more Indiana reading, check out:

African American Population By City In Indiana

Rank City Population African American Population % African American
1 Gary 68,113 51,585 75.73%
2 Merrillville 36,476 16,811 46.09%
3 East Chicago 26,022 9,386 36.07%
4 Speedway 13,968 4,545 32.54%
5 Lawrence 49,517 14,076 28.43%
6 Indianapolis 885,860 244,161 27.56%
7 Westville 5,279 1,337 25.33%
8 Michigan City 31,814 7,580 23.83%
9 Hammond 76,768 17,292 22.53%
10 South Bend 103,085 23,141 22.45%
11 Griffith 16,273 2,364 14.53%
12 Hobart 29,558 4,235 14.33%
13 Fort Wayne 268,589 37,558 13.98%
14 Avon 23,437 3,228 13.77%
15 Brownsburg 31,215 3,883 12.44%
16 Elkhart 53,733 6,670 12.41%
17 Jeffersonville 51,043 6,103 11.96%
18 Evansville 116,116 13,643 11.75%
19 Plainfield 36,369 4,256 11.7%
20 Anderson 55,367 6,436 11.62%
21 Mishawaka 51,021 5,471 10.72%
22 Cumberland 6,267 656 10.47%
23 Lafayette 71,159 7,356 10.34%
24 Kokomo 59,122 5,868 9.93%
25 Marion 27,531 2,691 9.77%
26 Portage 38,082 3,546 9.31%
27 Clarksville 22,016 1,925 8.74%
28 Terre Haute 58,427 5,076 8.69%
29 Highland 23,680 2,050 8.66%
30 Muncie 64,751 5,217 8.06%
31 Crown Point 34,393 2,728 7.93%
32 New Albany 37,581 2,884 7.67%
33 Schererville 29,701 2,278 7.67%
34 Munster 23,733 1,754 7.39%
35 Beech Grove 14,913 1,089 7.3%
36 Richmond 35,581 2,203 6.19%
37 Greenwood 66,029 3,704 5.61%
38 Greencastle 9,864 504 5.11%
39 Noblesville 73,362 3,697 5.04%
40 Princeton 8,372 412 4.92%
41 Bloomington 80,049 3,939 4.92%
42 Zionsville 32,095 1,518 4.73%
43 New Haven 15,698 660 4.2%
44 La Porte 22,449 897 4.0%
45 Washington 12,367 447 3.61%
46 New Castle 17,367 607 3.5%
47 Vincennes 16,586 577 3.48%
48 West Lafayette 45,159 1,567 3.47%
49 Valparaiso 34,733 1,148 3.31%
50 Charlestown 8,294 270 3.26%
51 Carmel 101,651 3,087 3.04%
52 Peru 10,901 320 2.94%
53 Franklin 26,168 717 2.74%
54 Lake Station 13,185 336 2.55%
55 Shelbyville 20,296 515 2.54%
56 Tipton 5,280 132 2.5%
57 Columbus 51,824 1,295 2.5%
58 Nappanee 6,815 169 2.48%
59 Dyer 16,400 391 2.38%
60 Goshen 34,420 798 2.32%
61 Rensselaer 5,573 129 2.31%
62 St. John 22,567 520 2.3%
63 Madison 12,223 266 2.18%
64 Greenfield 24,940 530 2.13%
65 Logansport 17,790 333 1.87%
66 Alexandria 5,155 96 1.86%
67 Bluffton 10,529 194 1.84%
68 Mooresville 9,751 178 1.83%
69 Crawfordsville 16,491 292 1.77%
70 Rushville 6,036 106 1.76%
71 Angola 9,408 165 1.75%
72 Warsaw 16,768 292 1.74%
73 Chesterton 14,446 242 1.68%
74 Huntington 17,030 239 1.4%
75 Tell City 7,505 98 1.31%
76 Yor 11,699 139 1.19%
77 Connersville 13,109 142 1.08%
78 Rochester 6,215 67 1.08%
79 Seymour 22,371 239 1.07%
80 Jasper 15,991 154 0.96%
81 Ellettsville 6,698 64 0.96%
82 North Vernon 7,078 66 0.93%
83 Scottsburg 7,362 67 0.91%
84 Frankfort 15,917 134 0.84%
85 Mount Vernon 6,400 52 0.81%
86 Gas City 6,076 47 0.77%
87 Batesville 7,282 56 0.77%
88 Brazil 7,831 60 0.77%
89 Hartford City 5,794 43 0.74%
90 Plymouth 10,664 78 0.73%
91 Elwood 8,356 61 0.73%
92 Decatur 9,811 68 0.69%
93 Lebanon 17,812 113 0.63%
94 Sellersburg 10,137 63 0.62%
95 Portland 6,416 39 0.61%
96 Bedford 13,837 83 0.6%
97 Danville 11,714 61 0.52%
98 Huntingburg 6,396 30 0.47%
99 Greensburg 12,229 57 0.47%
100 Martinsville 11,933 50 0.42%
About Chris Kolmar

Chris Kolmar has been in the real estate business for almost ten years now. He originally worked for Movoto Real Estate as the director of marketing before founding HomeSnacks.

He believes the key to finding the right place to live comes down to looking at the data, reading about things to do, and, most importantly, checking it out yourself before you move.

If you've been looking for a place to live in the past several years, you've probably stumbled upon his writing already.

You can find out more about him on LinkedIn or his website.

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