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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 Michigan is 1,351,051 - at 13.4% 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 2023:
What's the blackest city in Michigan? Benton Harbor took the number one over all spot for the largest Black population in Michigan 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 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.
The 10 Blackest Cities In Michigan For 2023
1. Benton Harbor
/10
Population: 9,171
% African American: 86.5%
# Of African American Residents: 7,933
Percent Change Since 2010: -12.09%
More on Benton Harbor: Real Estate | Data | Photos
2. Highland Park
/10
Population: 9,304
% African American: 85.16%
# Of African American Residents: 7,923
Percent Change Since 2010: -33.11%
More on Highland Park: Real Estate | Data | Photos
3. Detroit
/10
Population: 645,658
% African American: 77.53%
# Of African American Residents: 500,609
Percent Change Since 2010: -20.0%
More on Detroit: Real Estate | Data | Photos
4. Inkster
/10
Population: 25,849
% African American: 76.87%
# Of African American Residents: 19,869
Percent Change Since 2010: 4.22%
More on Inkster: Real Estate | Data | Photos
5. Muskegon Heights
/10
Population: 10,058
% African American: 74.51%
# Of African American Residents: 7,494
Percent Change Since 2010: -13.55%
More on Muskegon Heights: Real Estate | Data | Photos
6. Southfield
/10
Population: 76,196
% African American: 66.34%
# Of African American Residents: 50,552
Percent Change Since 2010: 4.53%
More on Southfield: Real Estate | Data | Photos
7. Harper Woods
/10
Population: 15,287
% African American: 62.88%
# Of African American Residents: 9,612
Percent Change Since 2010: 77.21%
More on Harper Woods: Real Estate | Data | Photos
8. Flint
/10
Population: 83,312
% African American: 55.53%
# Of African American Residents: 46,261
Percent Change Since 2010: -21.4%
More on Flint: Real Estate | Data | Photos
9. Oak Park
/10
Population: 29,677
% African American: 55.4%
# Of African American Residents: 16,442
Percent Change Since 2010: 2.4%
More on Oak Park: Real Estate | Data | Photos
10. Eastpointe
/10
Population: 34,148
% African American: 51.05%
# Of African American Residents: 17,432
Percent Change Since 2010: 87.56%
More on Eastpointe: Real Estate | Data
Methodology: How We Determined The Cities In Michigan 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 Michigan.
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 148 cities.
We then calculated the percent of residents that are Black or African American. The percentages ranked from 86.5% 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. Benton Harbor took the distinction of being the most Black, while Northville was the least African American city. You can download the data here.
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.
Summary: 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:
- Northville
- Davison
- Hastings
For more Michigan reading, check out:
- Most Dangerous Places in Michigan
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Michigan
- Best Places To Live In Michigan
African American Population By City In Michigan
| Rank | City | % African American |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Benton Harbor | 86.5% |
| 2 | Highland Park | 85.16% |
| 3 | Detroit | 77.53% |
| 4 | Inkster | 76.87% |
| 5 | Muskegon Heights | 74.51% |
| 6 | Southfield | 66.34% |
| 7 | Harper Woods | 62.88% |
| 8 | Flint | 55.53% |
| 9 | Oak Park | 55.4% |
| 10 | Eastpointe | 51.05% |
| 11 | River Rouge | 49.43% |
| 12 | Pontiac | 46.98% |
| 13 | Saginaw | 44.17% |
| 14 | Ecorse | 42.84% |
| 15 | Romulus | 41.96% |
| 16 | Muskegon | 31.57% |
| 17 | Albion | 28.47% |
| 18 | Center Line | 27.82% |
| 19 | Mount Clemens | 26.18% |
| 20 | St. Louis | 26.05% |
| 21 | Ypsilanti | 24.96% |
| 22 | Lansing | 23.19% |
| 23 | Westland | 22.07% |
| 24 | Kalamazoo | 21.29% |
| 25 | Roseville | 21.28% |
| 26 | Wayne | 20.95% |
| 27 | Warren | 20.75% |
| 28 | Taylor | 19.67% |
| 29 | Ionia | 19.51% |
| 30 | Jackson | 18.74% |
| 31 | Kentwood | 18.06% |
| 32 | Farmington Hills | 17.9% |
| 33 | Grand Rapids | 17.77% |
| 34 | Battle Creek | 15.76% |
| 35 | Auburn Hills | 14.49% |
| 36 | Melvindale | 13.95% |
| 37 | Dowagiac | 13.21% |
| 38 | Grand Blanc | 13.13% |
| 39 | Niles | 12.93% |
| 40 | Springfield | 11.98% |
| 41 | Wixom | 11.72% |
| 42 | Three Rivers | 10.71% |
| 43 | Lapeer | 10.38% |
| 44 | Flat Rock | 10.08% |
| 45 | Hazel Park | 9.97% |
| 46 | Hamtramck | 9.92% |
| 47 | Lincoln Park | 9.55% |
| 48 | Farmington | 9.24% |
| 49 | Dearborn Heights | 8.77% |
| 50 | Burton | 8.76% |
| 51 | Big Rapids | 8.35% |
| 52 | Novi | 8.31% |
| 53 | Madison Heights | 7.73% |
| 54 | Wyoming | 7.71% |
| 55 | Riverview | 7.66% |
| 56 | Beverly Hills | 7.61% |
| 57 | Port Huron | 7.48% |
| 58 | Grosse Pointe Park | 6.92% |
| 59 | East Lansing | 6.8% |
| 60 | Walled Lake | 6.71% |
| 61 | Woodhaven | 6.63% |
| 62 | Ann Arbor | 6.53% |
| 63 | Southgate | 6.18% |
| 64 | Holland | 6.04% |
| 65 | Monroe | 5.93% |
| 66 | Sterling Heights | 5.83% |
| 67 | Coldwater | 5.5% |
| 68 | Royal Oak | 5.48% |
| 69 | St. Clair Shores | 5.39% |
| 70 | Portage | 5.34% |
| 71 | Ferndale | 5.31% |
| 72 | Fraser | 5.27% |
| 73 | Grosse Pointe Woods | 5.11% |
| 74 | Garden City | 4.99% |
| 75 | St. Joseph | 4.58% |
| 76 | Allen Park | 4.37% |
| 77 | Livonia | 4.35% |
| 78 | Mount Pleasant | 4.28% |
| 79 | Mason | 4.09% |
| 80 | Milan | 3.78% |
| 81 | Troy | 3.62% |
| 82 | Marquette | 3.49% |
| 83 | Adrian | 3.27% |
| 84 | Richmond | 3.25% |
| 85 | Rochester Hills | 3.22% |
| 86 | Dearborn | 3.2% |
| 87 | Berkley | 3.07% |
| 88 | Grosse Pointe | 3.04% |
| 89 | Walker | 3.01% |
| 90 | Houghton | 2.84% |
| 91 | Norton Shores | 2.74% |
| 92 | Alma | 2.67% |
| 93 | Ironwood | 2.53% |
| 94 | Grandville | 2.5% |
| 95 | Midland | 2.38% |
| 96 | Trenton | 2.37% |
| 97 | Rockford | 2.37% |
| 98 | Plymouth | 2.35% |
| 99 | Bay City | 2.35% |
| 100 | Ludington | 2.34% |
