The 10 Missouri Cities With The Largest Black Population For 2023


We used science and data to determine which cities in Missouri have the largest African American population.

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 Missouri is 689,839 - at 11.2% of the total population of Missouri.

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

We broke down the most recent census data to determine the cities in Missouri with the largest African American population in 2023:

  1. Jennings
  2. Berkeley
  3. Black Jack
  4. Bellefontaine Neighbors
  5. Ferguson
  6. Charleston
  7. St. Louis
  8. Caruthersville
  9. Hazelwood
  10. Florissant

What's the blackest city in Missouri? Jennings took the number one over all spot for the largest Black population in Missouri 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 Missouri 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 Missouri or the most diverse places in Missouri.

The 10 Blackest Cities In Missouri For 2023

1. Jennings

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 13,129
% African American: 89.3%
# Of African American Residents: 11,724
Percent Change Since 2010: -9.09%
More on Jennings: Real Estate | Data | Photos

Jennings, MO

2. Berkeley

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 8,310
% African American: 84.98%
# Of African American Residents: 7,062
Percent Change Since 2010: -3.21%
More on Berkeley: Real Estate | Data | Photos

Berkeley, MO

3. Black Jack

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 6,663
% African American: 80.28%
# Of African American Residents: 5,349
Percent Change Since 2010: 0.91%
More on Black Jack: Real Estate | Data

4. Bellefontaine Neighbors

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 10,702
% African American: 77.82%
# Of African American Residents: 8,328
Percent Change Since 2010: 38.13%
More on Bellefontaine Neighbors: Real Estate | Data | Photos

Bellefontaine Neighbors, MO

Source: Public domain

5. Ferguson

Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 18,826
% African American: 70.56%
# Of African American Residents: 13,283
Percent Change Since 2010: -0.47%
More on Ferguson: Real Estate | Data | Photos

Ferguson, MO

Source: Public domain

6. Charleston

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 5,184
% African American: 55.77%
# Of African American Residents: 2,891
Percent Change Since 2010: 20.31%
More on Charleston: Real Estate | Data | Photos

Charleston, MO

Source: Public domain

7. St. Louis

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 302,787
% African American: 44.6%
# Of African American Residents: 135,053
Percent Change Since 2010: -14.8%
More on St. Louis: Real Estate | Data | Photos

St. Louis, MO

8. Caruthersville

Overall SnackAbility

2
/10

Population: 5,606
% African American: 40.62%
# Of African American Residents: 2,277
Percent Change Since 2010: -7.51%
More on Caruthersville: Real Estate | Data | Photos

Caruthersville, MO

Source: Public domain

9. Hazelwood

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 25,466
% African American: 40.35%
# Of African American Residents: 10,276
Percent Change Since 2010: 39.87%
More on Hazelwood: Real Estate | Data | Photos

Hazelwood, MO

Source: Public domain

10. Florissant

Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 52,382
% African American: 38.56%
# Of African American Residents: 20,200
Percent Change Since 2010: 51.38%
More on Florissant: Real Estate | Data | Photos

Florissant, MO

Source: Public domain

Methodology: How We Determined The Cities In Missouri 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 Missouri.

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*
* Not Hispanic or latino

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 122 cities.

We then calculated the percent of residents that are Black or African American. The percentages ranked from 89.3% 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. Jennings took the distinction of being the most Black, while Sullivan was the least African American city. You can download the data here.

Read on for more information on how the cities in Missouri 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 Missouri

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

If you're curious enough, here are the least African American places in Missouri:

  1. Sullivan
  2. Park Hills
  3. Aurora

For more Missouri reading, check out:

African American Population By City In Missouri

Rank City % African American Population
1 Jennings 89.3% 13,129
2 Berkeley 84.98% 8,310
3 Black Jack 80.28% 6,663
4 Bellefontaine Neighbors 77.82% 10,702
5 Ferguson 70.56% 18,826
6 Charleston 55.77% 5,184
7 St. Louis 44.6% 302,787
8 Caruthersville 40.62% 5,606
9 Hazelwood 40.35% 25,466
10 Florissant 38.56% 52,382
11 Raytown 37.24% 29,893
12 St. John 34.94% 6,617
13 Grandview 33.97% 25,931
14 St. Ann 33.4% 13,007
15 University City 33.19% 34,953
16 Kansas City 26.3% 502,597
17 Sikeston 24.22% 16,054
18 Olivette 21.05% 8,408
19 Overland 20.97% 15,908
20 Bridgeton 20.7% 11,417
21 Jefferson City 18.83% 43,076
22 Kennett 16.74% 10,507
23 Maryland Heights 14.18% 28,141
24 Maplewood 13.99% 8,220
25 Cape Girardeau 13.73% 39,415
26 Bonne Terre 13.1% 6,772
27 Columbia 11.42% 124,342
28 Poplar Bluff 10.8% 16,318
29 Cameron 10.54% 8,987
30 Raymore 10.33% 22,722
31 Moberly 10.32% 13,933
32 Creve Coeur 9.69% 18,648
33 Independence 9.55% 122,230
34 Boonville 9.32% 8,036
35 Pacific 8.65% 6,898
36 Lee's Summit 8.49% 100,772
37 Valley Park 8.41% 6,864
38 Richmond Heights 8.2% 9,188
39 Blue Springs 7.95% 58,265
40 Fulton 7.89% 12,691
41 Clayton 7.71% 16,905
42 Marshall 6.95% 13,431
43 Farmington 6.85% 17,959
44 St. Charles 6.55% 70,218
45 Wentzville 6.19% 43,213
46 Shrewsbury 6.19% 6,362
47 Hannibal 6.12% 17,165
48 St. Joseph 5.94% 73,138
49 Gladstone 5.82% 26,825
50 St. Peters 5.77% 57,289
51 Kirksville 5.6% 17,600
52 Branson 5.51% 12,579
53 Excelsior Springs 5.47% 10,595
54 Mexico 5.3% 11,592
55 Kirkwood 5.26% 29,233
56 Pleasant Hill 4.82% 8,673
57 Liberty 4.63% 30,129
58 Warrensburg 4.61% 19,509
59 Brentwood 4.53% 8,198
60 Chillicothe 4.31% 9,253
61 Belton 4.28% 23,832
62 Sedalia 4.2% 21,696
63 Lake St. Louis 4.16% 16,665
64 Maryville 4.12% 11,070
65 Dardenne Prairie 3.94% 12,689
66 Springfield 3.92% 168,603
67 O'fallon 3.84% 90,802
68 Macon 3.57% 5,459
69 Manchester 3.53% 18,308
70 Chesterfield 3.49% 49,675
71 Joplin 3.19% 51,539
72 Grain Valley 3.12% 15,435
73 Bolivar 3.04% 10,718
74 Rolla 3.01% 19,949
75 Webb City 2.96% 12,843
76 Richmond 2.84% 5,961
77 Webster Groves 2.73% 23,817
78 Oak Grove 2.6% 8,228
79 Weldon Spring 2.54% 5,348
80 Union 2.42% 12,108
81 Festus 2.39% 12,609
82 Parkville 2.25% 7,153
83 Ballwin 2.21% 30,998
84 Clinton 2.05% 8,844
85 Glendale 1.92% 6,143
86 Crestwood 1.79% 12,347
87 Neosho 1.78% 12,439
88 Ladue 1.7% 8,949
89 Ellisville 1.55% 9,908
90 Wildwood 1.54% 35,384
91 Jackson 1.5% 15,272
92 Troy 1.44% 12,463
93 Ozark 1.43% 20,874
94 Odessa 1.39% 5,538
95 Warrenton 1.34% 8,450
96 Dexter 1.33% 7,947
97 Carthage 1.33% 15,395
98 Marshfield 1.15% 7,391
99 Lebanon 1.15% 14,880
100 Republic 1.11% 18,313

How Is The Area In ?

Editor's Note: We updated this article for 2023. This is our tenth time ranking the cities in Missouri with the largest African American population.
About Chris Kolmar

Chris Kolmar has been in the real estate business for almost ten years now. He originally worked for Movoto Real Estate as the director of marketing before founding HomeSnacks.

He believes the key to finding the right place to live comes down to looking at the data, reading about things to do, and, most importantly, checking it out yourself before you move.

If you've been looking for a place to live in the past several years, you've probably stumbled upon his writing already.

You can find out more about him on LinkedIn or his website.