Most African American cities in Iowa research summary. We used Saturday Night Science to analyze Iowa’s most recent Census data to determine the blackest cities in Iowa based on the percentage of Black residents. Here are the results of our analysis:
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The city with the largest African American population in Iowa is Waterloo based on the most recent Census data.
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Waterloo is 17.45% Black.
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The least African American city in Iowa is Manchester.
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Manchester is 0.0% Black.
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Iowa is 3.7% Black.
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Iowa is the 36th blackest state in the United States.
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 Iowa is 117,940 – at 3.7% of the total population of Iowa.
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 Iowa? Which cities and towns in Iowa have seen the greatest increase in its Black population?
We broke down the most recent census data to determine the cities in Iowa with the largest African American population in 2024:
Most African American Places In Iowa
What’s the blackest city in Iowa? The city with the largest Black population in Iowa for 2024 is Waterloo. See if Waterloo 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 Iowa or the most diverse places in Iowa.
The 10 Blackest Cities In Iowa For 2024
1. Waterloo
/10
Population: 67,256
% African American: 17.45%
# Of African American Residents: 11,737
Percent Change Since 2010: 15.59%
More on Waterloo: Data | Cost Of Living
2. Coralville
/10
Population: 22,494
% African American: 13.92%
# Of African American Residents: 3,132
Percent Change Since 2010: 81.35%
More on Coralville: Data | Cost Of Living
3. Des Moines
/10
Population: 213,164
% African American: 11.44%
# Of African American Residents: 24,382
Percent Change Since 2010: 25.95%
More on Des Moines: Data | Cost Of Living
4. Davenport
/10
Population: 101,448
% African American: 10.84%
# Of African American Residents: 10,994
Percent Change Since 2010: 7.97%
More on Davenport: Data | Cost Of Living
5. Johnston
/10
Population: 23,856
% African American: 10.44%
# Of African American Residents: 2,491
Percent Change Since 2010: 6127.5%
More on Johnston: Data | Cost Of Living
6. Cedar Rapids
/10
Population: 136,929
% African American: 8.45%
# Of African American Residents: 11,568
Percent Change Since 2010: 74.58%
More on Cedar Rapids: Data | Cost Of Living
7. Iowa City
/10
Population: 74,878
% African American: 8.36%
# Of African American Residents: 6,258
Percent Change Since 2010: 117.67%
More on Iowa City: Data | Cost Of Living
8. Fairfield
/10
Population: 9,474
% African American: 7.9%
# Of African American Residents: 748
Percent Change Since 2010: 364.6%
More on Fairfield: Data | Cost Of Living
9. Anamosa
/10
Population: 5,493
% African American: 6.43%
# Of African American Residents: 353
Percent Change Since 2010: 7.95%
More on Anamosa: Data | Cost Of Living
10. Burlington
/10
Population: 23,976
% African American: 5.74%
# Of African American Residents: 1,376
Percent Change Since 2010: -20.92%
More on Burlington: Data | Cost Of Living
Methodology: How We Determined The Cities In Iowa With The Largest Black Population For 2024
We still believe in the accuracy of data — especially from the Census. So that’s where we went to get the race breakdown across Iowa.
That leads us to the Census’s most recently available data, the 2018-2022 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 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 Iowa. That left us with 76 cities.
We then calculated the percentage of residents that are Black or African American. The percentages ranked from 17.5% 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. Waterloo took the distinction of being the most Black, while Manchester was the least African American city.
We updated this article for 2024. This is our tenth time ranking the cities in Iowa with the largest African American population.
Read on for more information on how the cities in Iowa 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 Iowa
If you’re looking for a breakdown of African American populations across Iowa according to the most recent data, this is an accurate list.
The blackest cities in Iowa are Waterloo, Coralville, Des Moines, Davenport, Johnston, Cedar Rapids, Iowa City, Fairfield, Anamosa, and Burlington.
If you’re curious enough, here are the least African American places in Iowa:
- Manchester
- Centerville
- Glenwood
For more Iowa reading, check out:
African American Population By City In Iowa
| Rank | City | Population | African American Population | % African American |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Waterloo | 67,256 | 11,737 | 17.45% |
| 2 | Coralville | 22,494 | 3,132 | 13.92% |
| 3 | Des Moines | 213,164 | 24,382 | 11.44% |
| 4 | Davenport | 101,448 | 10,994 | 10.84% |
| 5 | Johnston | 23,856 | 2,491 | 10.44% |
| 6 | Cedar Rapids | 136,929 | 11,568 | 8.45% |
| 7 | Iowa City | 74,878 | 6,258 | 8.36% |
| 8 | Fairfield | 9,474 | 748 | 7.9% |
| 9 | Anamosa | 5,493 | 353 | 6.43% |
| 10 | Burlington | 23,976 | 1,376 | 5.74% |
| 11 | Mount Pleasant | 9,214 | 482 | 5.23% |
| 12 | Clinton | 24,524 | 1,256 | 5.12% |
| 13 | Sioux City | 85,469 | 4,366 | 5.11% |
| 14 | Clive | 18,576 | 924 | 4.97% |
| 15 | Fort Dodge | 24,850 | 1,214 | 4.89% |
| 16 | Pleasant Hill | 10,456 | 506 | 4.84% |
| 17 | Estherville | 5,881 | 274 | 4.66% |
| 18 | Keokuk | 9,868 | 436 | 4.42% |
| 19 | North Liberty | 20,393 | 897 | 4.4% |
| 20 | West Des Moines | 68,744 | 3,016 | 4.39% |
| 21 | Urbandale | 45,591 | 1,975 | 4.33% |
| 22 | Storm Lake | 11,194 | 468 | 4.18% |
| 23 | Ottumwa | 25,359 | 1,034 | 4.08% |
| 24 | Muscatine | 23,671 | 961 | 4.06% |
| 25 | Dubuque | 59,315 | 2,389 | 4.03% |
| 26 | Denison | 8,316 | 334 | 4.02% |
| 27 | Fort Madison | 10,293 | 410 | 3.98% |
| 28 | Perry | 7,875 | 302 | 3.83% |
| 29 | Le Mars | 10,549 | 388 | 3.68% |
| 30 | Hiawatha | 7,179 | 253 | 3.52% |
| 31 | Waukee | 25,045 | 852 | 3.4% |
| 32 | Altoona | 20,017 | 674 | 3.37% |
| 33 | Ames | 66,265 | 2,108 | 3.18% |
| 34 | Clarinda | 5,371 | 167 | 3.11% |
| 35 | Marion | 41,401 | 1,076 | 2.6% |
| 36 | Waverly | 10,399 | 265 | 2.55% |
| 37 | Oskaloosa | 11,492 | 284 | 2.47% |
| 38 | Sheldon | 5,417 | 131 | 2.42% |
| 39 | Marshalltown | 27,511 | 638 | 2.32% |
| 40 | Newton | 15,692 | 347 | 2.21% |
| 41 | Independence | 6,106 | 134 | 2.19% |
| 42 | Mason City | 27,271 | 593 | 2.17% |
| 43 | Webster City | 7,787 | 162 | 2.08% |
| 44 | Maquoketa | 6,123 | 125 | 2.04% |
| 45 | Council Bluffs | 62,670 | 1,264 | 2.02% |
| 46 | Charles City | 7,364 | 147 | 2.0% |
| 47 | Grinnell | 9,511 | 187 | 1.97% |
| 48 | Carroll | 10,270 | 179 | 1.74% |
| 49 | Bettendorf | 38,997 | 655 | 1.68% |
| 50 | Atlantic | 6,770 | 98 | 1.45% |
| 51 | Winterset | 5,366 | 76 | 1.42% |
| 52 | Boone | 12,482 | 166 | 1.33% |
| 53 | Washington | 7,329 | 86 | 1.17% |
| 54 | Cedar Falls | 40,686 | 477 | 1.17% |
| 55 | Algona | 5,443 | 61 | 1.12% |
| 56 | Decorah | 7,611 | 85 | 1.12% |
| 57 | Grimes | 15,402 | 157 | 1.02% |
| 58 | Ankeny | 68,392 | 684 | 1.0% |
| 59 | Norwalk | 13,057 | 127 | 0.97% |
| 60 | Orange City | 6,278 | 49 | 0.78% |
| 61 | Red Oak | 5,563 | 42 | 0.75% |
| 62 | Oelwein | 5,934 | 42 | 0.71% |
| 63 | Indianola | 15,845 | 112 | 0.71% |
| 64 | Iowa Falls | 5,095 | 36 | 0.71% |
| 65 | Eldridge | 6,693 | 44 | 0.66% |
| 66 | Pella | 10,556 | 69 | 0.65% |
| 67 | Sioux Center | 8,227 | 53 | 0.64% |
| 68 | Spencer | 11,351 | 67 | 0.59% |
| 69 | Clear Lake | 7,642 | 36 | 0.47% |
| 70 | Knoxville | 7,523 | 32 | 0.43% |
| 71 | Cherokee | 5,154 | 18 | 0.35% |
| 72 | Nevada | 6,933 | 24 | 0.35% |
| 73 | Creston | 7,519 | 25 | 0.33% |
| 74 | Glenwood | 5,128 | 9 | 0.18% |
| 75 | Centerville | 5,393 | 5 | 0.09% |
| 76 | Manchester | 5,112 | 0 | 0.0% |