The 10 Kentucky Cities With The Largest Black Population For 2024


The most African American cities in Kentucky are Shively and Hopkinsville for 2024 based on Saturday Night Science.

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

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

  • Shively is 52.07% Black.

  • The least African American city in Kentucky is Union.

  • Union is 0.0% Black.

  • Kentucky is 7.9% Black.

  • Kentucky is the 24th blackest state in the United States.

Cities With Highest Black Population In Kentucky 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 Kentucky is 355,368 – at 7.9% of the total population of Kentucky.

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 Kentucky? Which cities and towns in Kentucky have seen the greatest increase in its Black population?

We broke down the most recent census data to determine the cities in Kentucky with the largest African American population in 2024:

What’s the blackest city in Kentucky? The city with the largest Black population in Kentucky for 2024 is Shively. See if Shively 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 Kentucky or the most diverse places in Kentucky.

The 10 Blackest Cities In Kentucky For 2024

1. Shively

Shively, KY

Source: Wikipedia User | CC-BY-2.5
Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 15,595
% African American: 52.07%
# Of African American Residents: 8,121
Percent Change Since 2010: 15.42%
More on Shively: Data | Cost Of Living

2. Hopkinsville

Hopkinsville, KY

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 31,042
% African American: 28.64%
# Of African American Residents: 8,889
Percent Change Since 2010: -13.51%
More on Hopkinsville: Data | Cost Of Living

3. Radcliff

Radcliff, KY

Source: Flickr User Brave New Films | CC BY 2.0
Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 22,981
% African American: 26.52%
# Of African American Residents: 6,095
Percent Change Since 2010: 13.06%
More on Radcliff: Data | Cost Of Living

4. Oak Grove

Oak Grove, KY

Source: Flickr User isydiavibes | CC BY-SA 2.0
Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 7,895
% African American: 23.7%
# Of African American Residents: 1,871
Percent Change Since 2010: 21.49%
More on Oak Grove: Data | Cost Of Living

5. Louisville

Louisville, KY

Source: Flickr User Alissa Barber Torres | CC BY-ND 2.0
Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 629,176
% African American: 23.65%
# Of African American Residents: 148,787
Percent Change Since 2010: 13.57%
More on Louisville: Data | Cost Of Living

6. Paducah

Paducah, KY

Source: Flickr User pasa47 | CC BY 2.0
Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 26,869
% African American: 21.85%
# Of African American Residents: 5,871
Percent Change Since 2010: 0.46%
More on Paducah: Data | Cost Of Living

7. Lyndon

Lyndon, KY

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

7.5
/10

Population: 10,997
% African American: 19.0%
# Of African American Residents: 2,089
Percent Change Since 2010: 51.05%
More on Lyndon: Data | Cost Of Living

8. Lebanon

Lebanon, KY

Source: Wikipedia User W.marsh | GFDL
Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 6,274
% African American: 14.82%
# Of African American Residents: 930
Percent Change Since 2010: -4.91%
More on Lebanon: Data | Cost Of Living

9. Lexington

Lexington, KY

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 321,276
% African American: 14.61%
# Of African American Residents: 46,923
Percent Change Since 2010: 14.52%
More on Lexington: Data

10. Russellville

Russellville, KY

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 7,186
% African American: 13.97%
# Of African American Residents: 1,004
Percent Change Since 2010: -9.06%
More on Russellville: Data | Cost Of Living

Methodology: How We Determined The Cities In Kentucky 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 Kentucky.

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*
* 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 Kentucky. That left us with 75 cities.

We then calculated the percentage of residents that are Black or African American. The percentages ranked from 52.1% 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. Shively took the distinction of being the most Black, while Union was the least African American city.

We updated this article for 2024. This is our tenth time ranking the cities in Kentucky with the largest African American population.

Read on for more information on how the cities in Kentucky 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 Kentucky

If you’re looking for a breakdown of African American populations across Kentucky according to the most recent data, this is an accurate list.

The blackest cities in Kentucky are Shively, Hopkinsville, Radcliff, Oak Grove, Louisville, Paducah, Lyndon, Lebanon, Lexington, and Russellville.

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

  1. Union
  2. Taylor Mill
  3. Villa Hills

For more Kentucky reading, check out:

African American Population By City In Kentucky

Rank City Population African American Population % African American
1 Shively 15,595 8,121 52.07%
2 Hopkinsville 31,042 8,889 28.64%
3 Radcliff 22,981 6,095 26.52%
4 Oak Grove 7,895 1,871 23.7%
5 Louisville 629,176 148,787 23.65%
6 Paducah 26,869 5,871 21.85%
7 Lyndon 10,997 2,089 19.0%
8 Lebanon 6,274 930 14.82%
9 Lexington 321,276 46,923 14.61%
10 Russellville 7,186 1,004 13.97%
11 Bardstown 13,564 1,745 12.86%
12 Franklin 10,141 1,296 12.78%
13 Bowling Green 72,385 9,138 12.62%
14 Jeffersontown 28,796 3,535 12.28%
15 Mayfield 10,011 1,220 12.19%
16 Frankfort 28,460 3,466 12.18%
17 Madisonville 19,433 2,330 11.99%
18 Danville 17,191 2,051 11.93%
19 Princeton 6,248 722 11.56%
20 Elizabethtown 31,425 3,479 11.07%
21 Henderson 28,166 3,060 10.86%
22 Covington 40,923 3,929 9.6%
23 Campbellsville 11,434 1,062 9.29%
24 Shelbyville 17,239 1,507 8.74%
25 Paris 10,143 831 8.19%
26 Middletown 9,594 779 8.12%
27 Elsmere 9,126 707 7.75%
28 Glasgow 15,043 1,149 7.64%
29 Newport 14,190 1,057 7.45%
30 Owensboro 60,019 4,190 6.98%
31 Maysville 8,831 607 6.87%
32 Douglass Hills 5,466 364 6.66%
33 Versailles 10,297 672 6.53%
34 Winchester 19,080 1,243 6.51%
35 Murray 17,414 1,109 6.37%
36 Harrodsburg 9,057 563 6.22%
37 Richmond 34,883 2,126 6.09%
38 Florence 32,056 1,922 6.0%
39 Lawrenceburg 11,749 682 5.8%
40 Georgetown 37,510 2,174 5.8%
41 Hillview 8,681 474 5.46%
42 La Grange 10,073 539 5.35%
43 St. Matthews 17,511 875 5.0%
44 Nicholasville 31,352 1,492 4.76%
45 Erlanger 19,577 870 4.44%
46 Highland Heights 6,566 291 4.43%
47 Mount Sterling 7,532 298 3.96%
48 Williamsburg 5,229 203 3.88%
49 Morehead 7,001 266 3.8%
50 Somerset 11,998 437 3.64%
51 Cynthiana 6,355 210 3.3%
52 Middlesborough 9,383 310 3.3%
53 Pikeville 7,563 244 3.23%
54 Edgewood 8,447 265 3.14%
55 Central City 5,740 171 2.98%
56 Berea 15,404 435 2.82%
57 Dayton 5,674 149 2.63%
58 London 7,612 159 2.09%
59 Alexandria 10,322 197 1.91%
60 Fort Mitchell 8,667 155 1.79%
61 Leitchfield 6,432 111 1.73%
62 Fort Wright 5,841 95 1.63%
63 Fort Thomas 17,310 261 1.51%
64 Shepherdsville 14,136 211 1.49%
65 Cold Spring 6,258 91 1.45%
66 Ashland 21,542 309 1.43%
67 Independence 28,722 342 1.19%
68 Monticello 5,770 63 1.09%
69 Bellevue 5,596 58 1.04%
70 Corbin 8,611 84 0.98%
71 Flatwoods 7,312 60 0.82%
72 Mount Washington 17,987 50 0.28%
73 Villa Hills 7,331 9 0.12%
74 Taylor Mill 6,851 0 0.0%
75 Union 7,369 0 0.0%
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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