These Are The 10 Michigan Cities With The Largest Black Population For 2018

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 Michigan is 1,361,993 – at 13.7% of the total population of Michigan.

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

We broke down the most recent census data to determine the cities in Michigan with the largest African American population in 2018:

1. Highland Park (Photos)
2. Benton Harbor (Photos)
3. Detroit (Photos)
4. Muskegon Heights (Photos)
5. Inkster (Photos)
6. Southfield (Photos)
7. Oak Park (Photos)
8. Harper Woods (Photos)
9. Flint (Photos)
10. River Rouge (Photos)

Highland Park took the number one over all spot for the largest Black population in Michigan for 2018. 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 Michigan 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 Michigan or the most diverse places in Michigan.

How We Determined The Cities In Michigan With The Largest Black Population For 2018

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 Michigan.

That lead us to the Census’s most recently available data, the 2012-2016 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 146 cities.

We then calculated the percent of residents that are Black or African American. The percentages ranked from 91.8% 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. Highland Park took the distinction of being the most Black, while Grand Haven was the least African American city.

Read on for more information on how the cities in Michigan 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.

1. Highland Park

Population: 10,978
% African American: 91.85%
# Of African American Residents: 10,083
Percent Change Since 2010: -14.87%
More on Highland Park: Data | Jobs

Highland Park is a city in Wayne County in the State of Michigan, within Metro Detroit. The population was 11,776 at the 2010 census. The city is completely surrounded by Detroit except for a small portion that touches the city of Hamtramck, which is also surrounded by Detroit.

2. Benton Harbor

Population: 9,988
% African American: 84.87%
# Of African American Residents: 8,477
Percent Change Since 2010: -6.06%
More on Benton Harbor: Data | Jobs

Benton Harbor is a city in Berrien County in the U.S. state of Michigan which is located west of Kalamazoo, and northwest of South Bend, Indiana. In 2010, the population was 10,038 according to the census. It is the smaller, by population, of the two principal cities in the Niles-Benton Harbor Metropolitan Statistical Area, an area with 156,813 people.

3. Detroit

Population: 683,443
% African American: 79.4%
# Of African American Residents: 542,649
Percent Change Since 2010: -13.28%
More on Detroit: Data | Jobs

Detroit is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan, the largest city on the United States-Canada border, and the seat of Wayne County. The municipality of Detroit had a 2016 estimated population of 672,795, making it the 23rd-most populous city in the United States. The metropolitan area, known as Metro Detroit, is home to 4.3 million people, making it the second-largest in the Midwest after Chicago.

4. Muskegon Heights

Population: 10,792
% African American: 76.99%
# Of African American Residents: 8,309
Percent Change Since 2010: -4.15%
More on Muskegon Heights: Data | Jobs

5. Inkster

Population: 24,738
% African American: 71.21%
# Of African American Residents: 17,615
Percent Change Since 2010: -7.6%
More on Inkster: Data | Jobs

Inkster is a city in Wayne County, Michigan, United States. At the 2010 census, the city population was 25,369. It is one of the few Metro Detroit suburbs whose population is majority African American.

6. Southfield

Population: 73,055
% African American: 69.09%
# Of African American Residents: 50,476
Percent Change Since 2010: 4.37%
More on Southfield: Data | Jobs

Southfield is a city in Oakland County of the US state of Michigan. It is a northern suburb of Detroit, MI. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 71,739. A part of Metro Detroit’s upscale office market, the city’s marque is a cluster of five golden skyscrapers – known as the “Golden Triangle” – that form the contemporary 2,200,000 square feet Southfield Town Center office complex with a Westin Hotel and a conference center. In addition, a 33-story luxury residential high-rise is separate from the complex. To the west, near the confluence of I-696Lodge Freeway, is the American Center.

7. Oak Park

Population: 29,751
% African American: 58.33%
# Of African American Residents: 17,354
Percent Change Since 2010: 8.08%
More on Oak Park: Data | Jobs

Oak Park is a city in south Oakland County of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is a northern suburb of the city of Detroit, which is located in neighboring Wayne County, and part of its metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, the population of Oak Park is 29,319.

8. Harper Woods

Population: 13,895
% African American: 55.85%
# Of African American Residents: 7,760
Percent Change Since 2010: 43.07%
More on Harper Woods: Data | Jobs

Harper Woods is a suburban U.S. city located on the eastern border of Detroit, Michigan. The city is located in Wayne County. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 14,236.

9. Flint

Population: 98,918
% African American: 54.02%
# Of African American Residents: 53,434
Percent Change Since 2010: -9.22%
More on Flint: Data | Jobs

Flint is the largest city and county seat of Genesee County, Michigan, United States. Located along the Flint River, 66 miles northwest of Detroit, it is a principal city within the region known as Mid Michigan. According to the 2010 census, Flint has a population of 102,434, making it the seventh largest city in Michigan. The Flint metropolitan area is located entirely within Genesee County. It is the fourth largest metropolitan area in Michigan with a population of 425,790 in 2010. The city was incorporated in 1855.

10. River Rouge

Population: 7,609
% African American: 49.48%
# Of African American Residents: 3,765
Percent Change Since 2010: -3.73%
More on River Rouge: Data | Jobs

River Rouge is a city in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan and an industrial Downriver suburb of Detroit. The population was 7,903 at the 2010 census. It is named after the River Rouge, which flows along the city’s northern border and into the Detroit River. The city includes the heavily industrialized Zug Island at the mouth of the River Rouge.

There You Have It – Black Populations Across Michigan

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

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

1. Grand Haven
2. Tecumseh
3. Belding

For more Michigan reading, check out:

• 10 Safest Places In Michigan
• 10 Worst Places To Live In Michigan
• Best College Towns In Michigan

Detailed List Of The Most African American Cities In Michigan

Rank	City	Population	% African American
1	Highland Park	10,978	91.85%
2	Benton Harbor	9,988	84.87%
3	Detroit	683,443	79.4%
4	Muskegon Heights	10,792	76.99%
5	Inkster	24,738	71.21%
6	Southfield	73,055	69.09%
7	Oak Park	29,751	58.33%
8	Harper Woods	13,895	55.85%
9	Flint	98,918	54.02%
10	River Rouge	7,609	49.48%
11	Pontiac	59,920	49.25%
12	Ecorse	9,270	47.76%
13	Romulus	23,457	43.78%
14	Saginaw	49,892	42.71%
15	Eastpointe	32,648	42.5%
16	Muskegon	38,086	31.09%
17	Albion	8,293	28.18%
18	St. Louis	7,302	27.25%
19	Ypsilanti	20,577	27.11%
20	Mount Clemens	16,390	26.44%
21	Jackson	33,165	23.04%
22	Kalamazoo	75,885	21.06%
23	Lansing	114,773	20.97%
24	Farmington Hills	81,154	20.18%
25	Grand Rapids	193,887	18.95%
26	Auburn Hills	22,342	18.66%
27	Westland	82,218	18.62%
28	Kentwood	50,761	18.15%
29	Battle Creek	51,763	18.0%
30	Warren	135,069	17.37%
31	Center Line	8,313	17.01%
32	Taylor	61,716	16.96%
33	Roseville	47,606	15.54%
34	Wayne	17,143	15.45%
35	Ionia	11,396	15.13%
36	Hamtramck	21,985	14.74%
37	Dowagiac	5,863	14.63%
38	Wixom	13,733	13.42%
39	Melvindale	10,437	12.87%
40	Hazel Park	16,587	12.45%
41	Farmington	10,526	12.36%
42	Grand Blanc	8,039	11.61%
43	Three Rivers	7,743	10.94%
44	Grosse Pointe Park	11,276	10.49%
45	Niles	11,379	9.84%
46	Springfield	5,218	9.75%
47	Fraser	14,620	9.13%
48	Lapeer	8,795	9.1%
49	Dearborn Heights	56,329	8.43%
50	Burton	28,995	8.2%
51	Novi	58,233	7.82%
52	East Lansing	48,395	7.74%
53	Port Huron	29,388	7.47%
54	Lincoln Park	37,155	7.25%
55	Ann Arbor	118,087	7.22%
56	Madison Heights	30,168	7.2%
57	Wyoming	74,692	6.54%
58	Southgate	29,355	6.4%
59	Ferndale	20,167	6.34%
60	Big Rapids	10,495	6.18%
61	Flat Rock	9,836	6.16%
62	Beverly Hills	10,450	6.0%
63	Monroe	20,243	5.95%
64	Walled Lake	7,102	5.73%
65	Riverview	12,208	5.68%
66	Woodhaven	12,590	5.62%
67	St. Joseph	8,307	5.53%
68	Grosse Pointe Woods	15,785	5.47%
69	Sterling Heights	131,674	5.19%
70	Adrian	20,800	5.11%
71	Portage	47,854	4.94%
72	Rochester Hills	72,987	4.79%
73	St. Clair Shores	59,916	4.7%
74	Marquette	21,282	4.07%
75	Mason	8,334	4.07%
76	Livonia	94,849	4.06%
77	Swartz Creek	5,617	3.95%
78	Dearborn	95,520	3.87%
79	Mount Pleasant	25,896	3.77%
80	Troy	82,982	3.7%
81	Holland	33,581	3.5%
82	Royal Oak	58,823	3.38%
83	Birmingham	20,653	3.18%
84	Norton Shores	24,091	3.02%
85	Garden City	27,009	2.94%
86	Bay City	34,110	2.9%
87	Rochester	12,969	2.87%
88	Grosse Pointe Farms	9,265	2.74%
89	Sault Ste. Marie	13,941	2.7%
90	Midland	42,063	2.41%
91	Ironwood	5,089	2.26%
92	Berkley	15,239	2.25%
93	Walker	24,458	2.23%
94	Houghton	7,924	2.16%
95	Allen Park	27,519	2.1%
96	Grosse Pointe	5,256	2.09%
97	Grandville	15,842	2.04%
98	Rockford	6,044	1.97%
99	Flushing	8,129	1.8%
100	Huntington Woods	6,330	1.75%