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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 Mississippi is 1,109,577 - at 37.4% of the total population of Mississippi.
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 Mississippi? Which cities and towns in Mississippi have seen the greatest increase in its Black population?
We broke down the most recent census data to determine the cities in Mississippi with the largest African American population in 2023:
What's the blackest city in Mississippi? Indianola took the number one over all spot for the largest Black population in Mississippi 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 Mississippi 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 Mississippi or the most diverse places in Mississippi.
The 10 Blackest Cities In Mississippi For 2023
1. Indianola
/10
Population: 9,679
% African American: 82.65%
# Of African American Residents: 8,000
Percent Change Since 2010: -8.53%
More on Indianola: Real Estate | Data | Photos
2. Jackson
/10
Population: 156,803
% African American: 82.59%
# Of African American Residents: 129,510
Percent Change Since 2010: -5.41%
More on Jackson: Real Estate | Data | Photos
3. Greenville
/10
Population: 30,175
% African American: 82.37%
# Of African American Residents: 24,854
Percent Change Since 2010: -5.24%
More on Greenville: Real Estate | Data | Photos
4. Clarksdale
/10
Population: 15,124
% African American: 81.22%
# Of African American Residents: 12,283
Percent Change Since 2010: -12.5%
More on Clarksdale: Real Estate | Data | Photos
5. Holly Springs
/10
Population: 6,743
% African American: 78.45%
# Of African American Residents: 5,290
Percent Change Since 2010: -13.12%
More on Holly Springs: Real Estate | Data | Photos
6. Moss Point
/10
Population: 12,282
% African American: 75.39%
# Of African American Residents: 9,259
Percent Change Since 2010: -5.7%
More on Moss Point: Real Estate | Data | Photos
7. Mccomb
/10
Population: 12,400
% African American: 75.05%
# Of African American Residents: 9,306
Percent Change Since 2010: 9.29%
More on Mccomb: Real Estate | Data | Photos
8. Byram
/10
Population: 12,591
% African American: 74.88%
# Of African American Residents: 9,428
Percent Change Since 2010: 80.06%
More on Byram: Real Estate | Data
9. Canton
/10
Population: 10,955
% African American: 73.12%
# Of African American Residents: 8,010
Percent Change Since 2010: -22.1%
More on Canton: Real Estate | Data | Photos
10. Greenwood
/10
Population: 14,521
% African American: 71.97%
# Of African American Residents: 10,451
Percent Change Since 2010: -1.1%
More on Greenwood: Real Estate | Data | Photos
Methodology: How We Determined The Cities In Mississippi 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 Mississippi.
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 60 cities.
We then calculated the percent of residents that are Black or African American. The percentages ranked from 82.7% to 4.7%.
Finally, we ranked each city based on the percent of Black population with a higher score being more Black than a lower score. Indianola took the distinction of being the most Black, while Ocean Springs was the least African American city. You can download the data here.
Read on for more information on how the cities in Mississippi 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 Mississippi
If you're looking for a breakdown of African American populations across Mississippi according to the most recent data, this is an accurate list.
If you're curious enough, here are the least African American places in Mississippi:
- Ocean Springs
- Long Beach
- Waveland
For more Mississippi reading, check out:
- Worst Places To Live In Mississippi
- Most Dangerous Cities In Mississippi
- Cheapest Places To Live In Mississippi
African American Population By City In Mississippi
| Rank | City | % African American |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Indianola | 82.65% |
| 2 | Jackson | 82.59% |
| 3 | Greenville | 82.37% |
| 4 | Clarksdale | 81.22% |
| 5 | Holly Springs | 78.45% |
| 6 | Moss Point | 75.39% |
| 7 | Mccomb | 75.05% |
| 8 | Byram | 74.88% |
| 9 | Canton | 73.12% |
| 10 | Greenwood | 71.97% |
| 11 | Yazoo City | 71.96% |
| 12 | Vicksburg | 68.82% |
| 13 | Laurel | 65.76% |
| 14 | Meridian | 65.49% |
| 15 | West Point | 65.46% |
| 16 | Louisville | 63.59% |
| 17 | Columbus | 61.02% |
| 18 | Natchez | 60.98% |
| 19 | Brookhaven | 59.47% |
| 20 | Grenada | 56.69% |
| 21 | Kosciusko | 55.29% |
| 22 | Hattiesburg | 54.44% |
| 23 | Philadelphia | 54.35% |
| 24 | Cleveland | 52.17% |
| 25 | Carthage | 48.19% |
| 26 | Batesville | 47.78% |
| 27 | Columbia | 44.91% |
| 28 | Horn Lake | 44.38% |
| 29 | Senatobia | 40.21% |
| 30 | Clinton | 39.8% |
| 31 | Gulfport | 39.1% |
| 32 | Ridgeland | 38.94% |
| 33 | Picayune | 37.74% |
| 34 | Forest | 37.46% |
| 35 | Pascagoula | 36.76% |
| 36 | Tupelo | 36.65% |
| 37 | Pearl | 33.28% |
| 38 | Southaven | 32.36% |
| 39 | Starkville | 32.31% |
| 40 | Olive Branch | 32.25% |
| 41 | Gautier | 31.92% |
| 42 | Amory | 30.68% |
| 43 | New Albany | 30.65% |
| 44 | Pontotoc | 29.11% |
| 45 | Flowood | 28.86% |
| 46 | Oxford | 25.62% |
| 47 | Ripley | 24.61% |
| 48 | Biloxi | 20.74% |
| 49 | Richland | 20.08% |
| 50 | Corinth | 19.71% |
| 51 | Brandon | 19.61% |
| 52 | D'iberville | 19.61% |
| 53 | Bay St. Louis | 18.37% |
| 54 | Booneville | 17.72% |
| 55 | Hernando | 16.62% |
| 56 | Petal | 16.1% |
| 57 | Madison | 14.08% |
| 58 | Waveland | 12.3% |
| 59 | Long Beach | 6.17% |
| 60 | Ocean Springs | 4.72% |
