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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 Minnesota is 371,249 - at 6.5% 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 2023:
What's the blackest city in Minnesota? Brooklyn Center took the number one over all spot for the largest Black population in Minnesota 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 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.
The 10 Blackest Cities In Minnesota For 2023
1. Brooklyn Center
/10
Population: 33,298
% African American: 31.93%
# Of African American Residents: 10,632
Percent Change Since 2010: 33.17%
More on Brooklyn Center: Real Estate | Data | Photos
2. Brooklyn Park
/10
Population: 85,247
% African American: 30.04%
# Of African American Residents: 25,610
Percent Change Since 2010: 44.56%
More on Brooklyn Park: Real Estate | Data | Photos
3. Waite Park
/10
Population: 8,245
% African American: 29.13%
# Of African American Residents: 2,402
Percent Change Since 2010: 619.16%
More on Waite Park: Real Estate | Data | Photos
4. New Hope
/10
Population: 21,683
% African American: 24.31%
# Of African American Residents: 5,271
Percent Change Since 2010: 176.11%
More on New Hope: Real Estate | Data | Photos
5. Columbia Heights
/10
Population: 21,612
% African American: 21.65%
# Of African American Residents: 4,678
Percent Change Since 2010: 65.01%
More on Columbia Heights: Real Estate | Data | Photos
6. Hopkins
/10
Population: 18,861
% African American: 21.55%
# Of African American Residents: 4,064
Percent Change Since 2010: 68.91%
More on Hopkins: Real Estate | Data | Photos
7. Minneapolis
/10
Population: 425,091
% African American: 18.21%
# Of African American Residents: 77,422
Percent Change Since 2010: 12.92%
More on Minneapolis: Real Estate | Data | Photos
8. Fridley
/10
Population: 29,422
% African American: 17.69%
# Of African American Residents: 5,206
Percent Change Since 2010: 90.91%
More on Fridley: Real Estate | Data | Photos
9. Robbinsdale
/10
Population: 14,522
% African American: 16.46%
# Of African American Residents: 2,390
Percent Change Since 2010: 42.18%
More on Robbinsdale: Real Estate | Data | Photos
10. St. Cloud
/10
Population: 68,430
% African American: 16.4%
# Of African American Residents: 11,220
Percent Change Since 2010: 146.11%
More on St. Cloud: Real Estate | Data | Photos
Methodology: How We Determined The Cities In Minnesota 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 Minnesota.
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 139 cities.
We then calculated the percent of residents that are Black or African American. The percentages ranked from 31.9% 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. You can download the data here.
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.
Summary: 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
- Kasson
For more Minnesota reading, check out:
African American Population By City In Minnesota
| Rank | City | % African American |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brooklyn Center | 31.93% |
| 2 | Brooklyn Park | 30.04% |
| 3 | Waite Park | 29.13% |
| 4 | New Hope | 24.31% |
| 5 | Columbia Heights | 21.65% |
| 6 | Hopkins | 21.55% |
| 7 | Minneapolis | 18.21% |
| 8 | Fridley | 17.69% |
| 9 | Robbinsdale | 16.46% |
| 10 | St. Cloud | 16.4% |
| 11 | Crystal | 15.9% |
| 12 | St. Paul | 15.77% |
| 13 | Faribault | 14.24% |
| 14 | New Brighton | 13.53% |
| 15 | Burnsville | 13.48% |
| 16 | Oakdale | 12.73% |
| 17 | Richfield | 11.28% |
| 18 | Little Canada | 11.22% |
| 19 | Willmar | 11.09% |
| 20 | Bloomington | 10.15% |
| 21 | Eagan | 10.04% |
| 22 | North St. Paul | 9.89% |
| 23 | Apple Valley | 9.71% |
| 24 | St. Anthony | 9.7% |
| 25 | Champlin | 9.18% |
| 26 | Mounds View | 9.04% |
| 27 | Maplewood | 8.99% |
| 28 | Coon Rapids | 8.85% |
| 29 | Rochester | 8.8% |
| 30 | Shakopee | 8.53% |
| 31 | Savage | 8.51% |
| 32 | Anoka | 8.01% |
| 33 | Worthington | 7.84% |
| 34 | Spring Lake Park | 7.69% |
| 35 | Blaine | 7.64% |
| 36 | Falcon Heights | 7.07% |
| 37 | Roseville | 6.94% |
| 38 | Mankato | 6.81% |
| 39 | Vadnais Heights | 6.64% |
| 40 | Eden Prairie | 6.54% |
| 41 | Maple Grove | 6.45% |
| 42 | St. Louis Park | 6.04% |
| 43 | Moorhead | 5.97% |
| 44 | Albertville | 5.88% |
| 45 | St. Joseph | 5.75% |
| 46 | Marshall | 5.38% |
| 47 | Austin | 5.37% |
| 48 | Ramsey | 5.33% |
| 49 | Golden Valley | 5.07% |
| 50 | Cottage Grove | 4.92% |
| 51 | Minnetonka | 4.91% |
| 52 | Woodbury | 4.8% |
| 53 | Plymouth | 4.79% |
| 54 | Owatonna | 4.52% |
| 55 | Inver Grove Heights | 4.48% |
| 56 | Lake Elmo | 4.33% |
| 57 | St. Peter | 4.21% |
| 58 | Rosemount | 4.2% |
| 59 | Lakeville | 4.15% |
| 60 | Elk River | 3.91% |
| 61 | Otsego | 3.9% |
| 62 | West St. Paul | 3.9% |
| 63 | South St. Paul | 3.89% |
| 64 | East Grand Forks | 3.74% |
| 65 | St. Michael | 3.63% |
| 66 | Shoreview | 3.61% |
| 67 | Crookston | 3.33% |
| 68 | Big Lake | 3.28% |
| 69 | Belle Plaine | 3.11% |
| 70 | Forest Lake | 2.99% |
| 71 | Hermantown | 2.98% |
| 72 | Andover | 2.96% |
| 73 | Mahtomedi | 2.72% |
| 74 | Morris | 2.64% |
| 75 | Lino Lakes | 2.63% |
| 76 | Duluth | 2.57% |
| 77 | St. Paul Park | 2.55% |
| 78 | Victoria | 2.55% |
| 79 | White Bear Lake | 2.43% |
| 80 | Northfield | 2.39% |
| 81 | Stillwater | 2.32% |
| 82 | Montevideo | 2.29% |
| 83 | Edina | 2.24% |
| 84 | Farmington | 2.23% |
| 85 | Red Wing | 2.23% |
| 86 | North Mankato | 2.2% |
| 87 | Hugo | 2.14% |
| 88 | Fergus Falls | 2.0% |
| 89 | Thief River Falls | 1.98% |
| 90 | Hibbing | 1.98% |
| 91 | Waconia | 1.86% |
| 92 | Brainerd | 1.84% |
| 93 | Winona | 1.77% |
| 94 | Cambridge | 1.66% |
| 95 | Albert Lea | 1.59% |
| 96 | St. Francis | 1.59% |
| 97 | Chaska | 1.57% |
| 98 | Sartell | 1.54% |
| 99 | Lake City | 1.52% |
| 100 | Mound | 1.43% |
