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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 Kentucky is 356,610 - 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. 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 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 2023:
What's the blackest city in Kentucky? Shively took the number one over all spot for the largest Black population in Kentucky 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 Kentucky 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 Kentucky or the most diverse places in Kentucky.
The 10 Blackest Cities In Kentucky For 2023
1. Shively
/10
Population: 15,638
% African American: 51.5%
# Of African American Residents: 8,053
Percent Change Since 2010: 14.45%
More on Shively: Real Estate | Data | Photos
2. Hopkinsville
/10
Population: 30,771
% African American: 27.32%
# Of African American Residents: 8,406
Percent Change Since 2010: -18.21%
More on Hopkinsville: Real Estate | Data | Photos
3. Radcliff
/10
Population: 22,839
% African American: 27.25%
# Of African American Residents: 6,223
Percent Change Since 2010: 15.43%
More on Radcliff: Real Estate | Data | Photos
4. Oak Grove
/10
Population: 7,699
% African American: 25.65%
# Of African American Residents: 1,975
Percent Change Since 2010: 28.25%
More on Oak Grove: Real Estate | Data | Photos
5. Louisville
/10
Population: 630,260
% African American: 23.49%
# Of African American Residents: 148,035
Percent Change Since 2010: 13.0%
More on Louisville: Real Estate | Data | Photos
6. Paducah
/10
Population: 26,248
% African American: 22.35%
# Of African American Residents: 5,866
Percent Change Since 2010: 0.38%
More on Paducah: Real Estate | Data | Photos
7. Lyndon
/10
Population: 11,033
% African American: 15.98%
# Of African American Residents: 1,763
Percent Change Since 2010: 27.48%
More on Lyndon: Real Estate | Data | Photos
8. Russellville
/10
Population: 7,068
% African American: 15.76%
# Of African American Residents: 1,114
Percent Change Since 2010: 0.91%
More on Russellville: Real Estate | Data | Photos
9. Franklin
/10
Population: 9,885
% African American: 15.5%
# Of African American Residents: 1,532
Percent Change Since 2010: -1.48%
More on Franklin: Real Estate | Data | Photos
10. Lexington
/10
Population: 321,354
% African American: 14.47%
# Of African American Residents: 46,488
Percent Change Since 2010: 13.46%
More on Lexington: Real Estate | Data | Photos
Methodology: How We Determined The Cities In Kentucky 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 Kentucky.
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 75 cities.
We then calculated the percent of residents that are Black or African American. The percentages ranked from 51.5% 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. Shively took the distinction of being the most Black, while Union was the least African American city. You can download the data here.
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.
If you're curious enough, here are the least African American places in Kentucky:
- Union
- Taylor Mill
- Bellevue
For more Kentucky reading, check out:
African American Population By City In Kentucky
| Rank | City | % African American |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shively | 51.5% |
| 2 | Hopkinsville | 27.32% |
| 3 | Radcliff | 27.25% |
| 4 | Oak Grove | 25.65% |
| 5 | Louisville | 23.49% |
| 6 | Paducah | 22.35% |
| 7 | Lyndon | 15.98% |
| 8 | Russellville | 15.76% |
| 9 | Franklin | 15.5% |
| 10 | Lexington | 14.47% |
| 11 | Lebanon | 14.44% |
| 12 | Jeffersontown | 13.93% |
| 13 | Frankfort | 13.67% |
| 14 | Bowling Green | 12.36% |
| 15 | Mayfield | 12.25% |
| 16 | Bardstown | 12.15% |
| 17 | Elizabethtown | 11.98% |
| 18 | Douglass Hills | 11.9% |
| 19 | Danville | 11.87% |
| 20 | Princeton | 11.44% |
| 21 | Shelbyville | 11.19% |
| 22 | Madisonville | 10.56% |
| 23 | Covington | 10.4% |
| 24 | Henderson | 10.06% |
| 25 | Campbellsville | 9.31% |
| 26 | Middletown | 8.83% |
| 27 | Paris | 8.59% |
| 28 | Harrodsburg | 8.03% |
| 29 | Newport | 7.6% |
| 30 | Winchester | 7.22% |
| 31 | Owensboro | 6.83% |
| 32 | Glasgow | 6.75% |
| 33 | Maysville | 6.69% |
| 34 | Murray | 6.48% |
| 35 | Florence | 6.46% |
| 36 | Highland Heights | 6.0% |
| 37 | Richmond | 5.96% |
| 38 | Versailles | 5.91% |
| 39 | La Grange | 5.59% |
| 40 | Georgetown | 5.54% |
| 41 | St. Matthews | 5.4% |
| 42 | Elsmere | 4.89% |
| 43 | Williamsburg | 4.82% |
| 44 | Erlanger | 4.56% |
| 45 | Lawrenceburg | 4.51% |
| 46 | Nicholasville | 4.48% |
| 47 | Mount Sterling | 4.47% |
| 48 | Dayton | 4.33% |
| 49 | Hillview | 4.26% |
| 50 | Middlesborough | 3.95% |
| 51 | Somerset | 3.33% |
| 52 | Berea | 3.2% |
| 53 | Monticello | 3.18% |
| 54 | London | 2.92% |
| 55 | Central City | 2.89% |
| 56 | Independence | 2.7% |
| 57 | Fort Wright | 2.62% |
| 58 | Morehead | 2.44% |
| 59 | Cynthiana | 2.18% |
| 60 | Pikeville | 2.17% |
| 61 | Shepherdsville | 2.13% |
| 62 | Edgewood | 1.64% |
| 63 | Ashland | 1.59% |
| 64 | Cold Spring | 1.5% |
| 65 | Leitchfield | 1.03% |
| 66 | Fort Mitchell | 0.94% |
| 67 | Corbin | 0.83% |
| 68 | Fort Thomas | 0.74% |
| 69 | Alexandria | 0.59% |
| 70 | Flatwoods | 0.59% |
| 71 | Mount Washington | 0.32% |
| 72 | Villa Hills | 0.2% |
| 73 | Bellevue | 0.07% |
| 74 | Taylor Mill | 0.0% |
| 75 | Union | 0.0% |
