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 Minnesota is 305,403 – at 5.6% of the total population of Minnesota.
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 Minnesota? Which cities and towns in Minnesota have seen the greatest increase in its Black population?
We broke down the most recent census data to determine the cities in Minnesota with the largest African American population in 2018:
- Brooklyn Center (Photos)
- Brooklyn Park (Photos)
- New Hope (Photos)
- Hopkins (Photos)
- Minneapolis (Photos)
- Columbia Heights (Photos)
- Fridley (Photos)
- St. Paul (Photos)
- Robbinsdale (Photos)
- Waite Park (Photos)
Brooklyn Center took the number one over all spot for the largest Black population in Minnesota 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 Minnesota 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 Minnesota or the most diverse places in Minnesota.
How We Determined The Cities In Minnesota 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 Minnesota.
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 139 cities.
We then calculated the percent of residents that are Black or African American. The percentages ranked from 28.2% 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. Brooklyn Center took the distinction of being the most Black, while Wyoming was the least African American city.
Read on for more information on how the cities in Minnesota 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. Brooklyn Center
Population: 30,785% African American: 28.21%
# Of African American Residents: 8,683
Percent Change Since 2010: 8.76%
More on Brooklyn Center: Data | Jobs
Brooklyn Center is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States. The city is located on the west bank of the Mississippi River on the northwest border of Minneapolis. The population was 30,104 at the 2010 census.
2. Brooklyn Park
Population: 78,823% African American: 26.3%
# Of African American Residents: 20,729
Percent Change Since 2010: 17.01%
More on Brooklyn Park: Data | Jobs
Brooklyn Park is the sixth largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city is located on the west bank of the Mississippi River, upstream from downtown Minneapolis in northern Hennepin County. Brooklyn Park is a northwest suburb of the Twin Cities metropolitan area of Minneapolis-Saint Paul.
3. New Hope
Population: 20,819% African American: 20.26%
# Of African American Residents: 4,218
Percent Change Since 2010: 120.95%
More on New Hope: Data | Jobs
New Hope is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States and a suburb of Minneapolis. The population was 20,339 at the 2010 census and 21,032 at the 2015 estimate.
4. Hopkins
Population: 18,077% African American: 20.05%
# Of African American Residents: 3,624
Percent Change Since 2010: 50.62%
More on Hopkins: Data | Jobs
Hopkins is a suburban city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, located west of Minneapolis. The city is four square miles in size and is surrounded by the larger, west suburban communities of Minnetonka, Saint Louis Park, and Edina. Hopkins is about 98% developed with little remaining vacant land. The population was 17,591 at the 2010 census.
5. Minneapolis
Population: 404,670% African American: 18.45%
# Of African American Residents: 74,648
Percent Change Since 2010: 8.88%
More on Minneapolis: Data | Jobs
Minneapolis ) is the county seat of Hennepin County, and the larger of the Twin Cities, the 16th-largest metropolitan area in the United States. As of 2016, Minneapolis is the largest city in the state of Minnesota and 46th-largest in the United States, with an estimated population of 413,651. The Twin Cities metropolitan area consists of Minneapolis, its neighbor Saint Paul, and suburbs which together contain about 3.5 million people, the second-largest economic center in the Midwest, after Chicago.
6. Columbia Heights
Population: 19,689% African American: 18.08%
# Of African American Residents: 3,559
Percent Change Since 2010: 25.54%
More on Columbia Heights: Data | Jobs
Columbia Heights is a city in Anoka County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 19,496 at the 2010 census.
7. Fridley
Population: 27,447% African American: 15.72%
# Of African American Residents: 4,316
Percent Change Since 2010: 58.27%
More on Fridley: Data | Jobs
Fridley is a city in Anoka County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 27,208 at the 2010 census. Fridley was incorporated in 1949 as a village and became a city in 1957. It is part of the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area. Fridley is a “first ring” or “inner ring” suburb in the northern part of the Twin Cities. Fridley connects with the city of Minneapolis at its southern border. Neighboring first ring suburbs are Columbia Heights to the South and Brooklyn Center to the West across the Mississippi river.
8. St. Paul
Population: 297,160% African American: 15.28%
# Of African American Residents: 45,398
Percent Change Since 2010: 9.49%
More on St. Paul: Data | Jobs
Saint Paul is the capital and second-most populous city of the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of 2016, the city’s estimated population was 304,442. Saint Paul is the county seat of Ramsey County, the smallest and most densely populated county in Minnesota. The city lies mostly on the east bank of the Mississippi River in the area surrounding its point of confluence with the Minnesota River, and adjoins Minneapolis, the state’s largest city. Known as the “Twin Cities”, the two form the core of Minneapolis-Saint Paul, the 16th-largest metropolitan area in the United States, with about 3.52 million residents.
9. Robbinsdale
Population: 14,382% African American: 14.09%
# Of African American Residents: 2,026
Percent Change Since 2010: 20.52%
More on Robbinsdale: Data | Jobs
Robbinsdale is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 13,953 at the 2010 census.
10. Waite Park
Population: 7,371% African American: 11.95%
# Of African American Residents: 881
Percent Change Since 2010: 163.77%
More on Waite Park: Data | Jobs
Waite Park is a city in Stearns County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 6,715 at the 2010 census and according to 2016 estimates is now 7,839. It is part of the St. Cloud Metropolitan Statistical Area.
There You Have It – Black Populations Across Minnesota
If you’re looking for a breakdown of African American populations across Minnesota according to the most recent data, this is an accurate list.
If you’re curious enough, here are the least African American places in Minnesota:
- Wyoming
- New Prague
- Rogers
For more Minnesota reading, check out:
- Best College Towns In Minnesota
- 10 Worst Places To Live In Minnesota
- These Are The 10 Best Places To Retire In Minnesota For 2018
