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 Kansas is 163,713 – at 5.6% of the total population of Kansas.
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 Kansas? Which cities and towns in Kansas have seen the greatest increase in its Black population?
- Kansas City (Photos | Homes For Sale)
- Junction City (Photos | Homes For Sale)
- Leavenworth (Photos | Homes For Sale)
- Wichita (Photos | Homes For Sale)
- Lansing (Photos | Homes For Sale)
- Mission (Homes For Sale)
- Topeka (Photos | Homes For Sale)
- Bonner Springs (Photos | Homes For Sale)
- Coffeyville (Photos | Homes For Sale)
- Parsons (Photos | Homes For Sale)
What’s the blackest city in Kansas? Kansas City took the number one over all spot for the largest Black population in Kansas for 2020. 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 Kansas 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 Kansas or the most diverse places in Kansas.
The 10 Blackest Cities In Kansas For 2020
/10
Population: 152,069
% African American: 23.05%
# Of African American Residents: 35,059
Percent Change Since 2010: -12.25%
More on Kansas City: Real Estate | Data | Photos
Kansas City is the third-largest city in the state of Kansas, the county seat of Wyandotte County, and the third-largest city of the Kansas City metropolitan area. Kansas City, Kansas is abbreviated as “KCK” to differentiate it from Kansas City, Missouri. It is part of a consolidated city-county government known as the “Unified Government”. Wyandotte County also includes the independent cities of Bonner Springs and Edwardsville. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 145,786 residents. It is situated at Kaw Point, which is the junction of the Missouri and Kansas rivers.
/10
Population: 23,703
% African American: 19.21%
# Of African American Residents: 4,553
Percent Change Since 2010: -7.18%
More on Junction City: Real Estate | Data | Photos
Junction City is a city and county seat of Geary County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 23,353. Fort Riley, a major U.S. Army post, is nearby.
/10
Population: 36,008
% African American: 13.56%
# Of African American Residents: 4,881
Percent Change Since 2010: -7.15%
More on Leavenworth: Real Estate | Data | Photos
Leavenworth is the largest city in and the county seat of Leavenworth County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 35,251. Located on the west bank of the Missouri River 25mi northwest of Kansas City, Missouri, it is part of the Kansas City metropolitan area.
/10
Population: 389,563
% African American: 10.75%
# Of African American Residents: 41,863
Percent Change Since 2010: 2.88%
More on Wichita: Real Estate | Data | Photos
Wichita is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas. Located in south-central Kansas on the Arkansas River, Wichita is the county seat of Sedgwick County and the principal city of the Wichita metropolitan area whose estimated population in 2015 was 644,610. As of 2016, the city of Wichita had an estimated population of 389,902.
/10
Population: 11,835
% African American: 10.54%
# Of African American Residents: 1,248
Percent Change Since 2010: 13.35%
More on Lansing: Real Estate | Data | Photos
Lansing is a city situated along the Missouri River in the eastern part of Leavenworth County, located in northeast Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 11,265. It is the second most populous city of Leavenworth County and is a part of the Kansas City metropolitan area.
/10
Population: 9,437
% African American: 10.44%
# Of African American Residents: 985
Percent Change Since 2010: 138.5%
More on Mission: Real Estate | Data
Mission is a city in Johnson County, Kansas, United States, and part of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. The population was 9,323 at the 2010 census.
/10
Population: 126,877
% African American: 10.19%
# Of African American Residents: 12,931
Percent Change Since 2010: -8.69%
More on Topeka: Real Estate | Data | Photos
Topeka is the capital city of the U.S. state of Kansas and the seat of Shawnee County. It is situated along the Kansas River in the central part of Shawnee County, in northeast Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 127,473. The Topeka Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes Shawnee, Jackson, Jefferson, Osage, and Wabaunsee counties, had a population of 233,870 in the 2010 census.
/10
Population: 7,796
% African American: 9.62%
# Of African American Residents: 750
Percent Change Since 2010: 178.81%
More on Bonner Springs: Real Estate | Data | Photos
Bonner Springs is a city in Johnson, Leavenworth, and Wyandotte counties in the State of Kansas, and part of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 7,314.
/10
Population: 9,578
% African American: 9.33%
# Of African American Residents: 894
Percent Change Since 2010: -29.55%
More on Coffeyville: Real Estate | Data | Photos
Coffeyville is a city in southeastern Montgomery County, Kansas, United States, located along the Verdigris River in the state’s southeastern region. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 10,295. It is the most populous city of Montgomery County and with its southeast Kansas location is located in the Tulsa, Oklahoma media market. The town of South Coffeyville, Oklahoma is located approximately 1 mile south of the city, existing as a separate political entity immediately south of the state line.
/10
Population: 9,876
% African American: 7.91%
# Of African American Residents: 781
Percent Change Since 2010: -3.58%
More on Parsons: Real Estate | Data | Photos
Parsons is a city in Labette County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 10,500. It is the most populous city of Labette County, and is the second-most populous city in the southeastern region of Kansas.
How We Determined The Cities In Kansas With The Largest Black Population For 2020
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 Kansas.
That lead us to the Census’s most recently available data, the 2014-2018 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 58 cities.
We then calculated the percent of residents that are Black or African American. The percentages ranked from 23.1% 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. Kansas City took the distinction of being the most Black, while Ulysses was the least African American city. You can download the data here.
Read on for more information on how the cities in Kansas 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.
There You Have It – Black Populations Across Kansas
If you’re looking for a breakdown of African American populations across Kansas according to the most recent data, this is an accurate list.
If you’re curious enough, here are the least African American places in Kansas:
- Ulysses
- Mulvane
- Haysville
For more Kansas reading, check out:
- These Are The 10 Best Counties To Live In Kansas
- 10 Safest Places In Kansas
- These Are The 10 Richest Cities In Kansas
Detailed List Of The Most African American Cities In Kansas
| Rank | City | % African American |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kansas City | 23.05% |
| 2 | Junction City | 19.21% |
| 3 | Leavenworth | 13.56% |
| 4 | Wichita | 10.75% |
| 5 | Lansing | 10.54% |
| 6 | Mission | 10.44% |
| 7 | Topeka | 10.19% |
| 8 | Bonner Springs | 9.62% |
| 9 | Coffeyville | 9.33% |
| 10 | Parsons | 7.91% |
| 11 | Bel Aire | 7.9% |
| 12 | Park City | 6.49% |
| 13 | Eudora | 6.29% |
| 14 | Independence | 6.22% |
| 15 | Merriam | 6.03% |
| 16 | Olathe | 5.93% |
| 17 | Liberal | 5.59% |
| 18 | Lenexa | 5.52% |
| 19 | Manhattan | 5.22% |
| 20 | De Soto | 5.21% |
| 21 | Shawnee | 5.13% |
| 22 | Fort Scott | 4.88% |
| 23 | Overland Park | 4.6% |
| 24 | Lawrence | 4.5% |
| 25 | Pittsburg | 3.83% |
| 26 | Winfield | 3.78% |
| 27 | Hutchinson | 3.75% |
| 28 | Arkansas City | 3.54% |
| 29 | Pratt | 3.32% |
| 30 | Paola | 3.26% |
| 31 | Roeland Park | 3.25% |
| 32 | Garden City | 3.23% |
| 33 | Concordia | 3.13% |
| 34 | Salina | 3.05% |
| 35 | Gardner | 3.03% |
| 36 | Emporia | 2.99% |
| 37 | Atchison | 2.94% |
| 38 | Iola | 2.72% |
| 39 | Colby | 2.4% |
| 40 | Newton | 2.38% |
| 41 | Dodge City | 2.36% |
| 42 | Wellington | 2.03% |
| 43 | Chanute | 1.67% |
| 44 | El Dorado | 1.63% |
| 45 | Andover | 1.56% |
| 46 | Hays | 1.52% |
| 47 | Derby | 1.45% |
| 48 | Ottawa | 1.38% |
| 49 | Great Bend | 1.34% |
| 50 | Leawood | 1.17% |
| 51 | Mcpherson | 1.15% |
| 52 | Valley Center | 1.14% |
| 53 | Abilene | 1.12% |
| 54 | Augusta | 0.96% |
| 55 | Prairie Village | 0.57% |
| 56 | Haysville | 0.57% |
| 57 | Mulvane | 0.0% |
| 58 | Ulysses | 0.0% |
