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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 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:
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
/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
2. Berkeley
/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
3. Black Jack
/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
/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
5. Ferguson
/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
6. Charleston
/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
7. St. Louis
/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
8. Caruthersville
/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
9. Hazelwood
/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
10. Florissant
/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
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*
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:
- Sullivan
- Park Hills
- Aurora
For more Missouri reading, check out:
African American Population By City In Missouri
| Rank | City | % African American |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jennings | 89.3% |
| 2 | Berkeley | 84.98% |
| 3 | Black Jack | 80.28% |
| 4 | Bellefontaine Neighbors | 77.82% |
| 5 | Ferguson | 70.56% |
| 6 | Charleston | 55.77% |
| 7 | St. Louis | 44.6% |
| 8 | Caruthersville | 40.62% |
| 9 | Hazelwood | 40.35% |
| 10 | Florissant | 38.56% |
| 11 | Raytown | 37.24% |
| 12 | St. John | 34.94% |
| 13 | Grandview | 33.97% |
| 14 | St. Ann | 33.4% |
| 15 | University City | 33.19% |
| 16 | Kansas City | 26.3% |
| 17 | Sikeston | 24.22% |
| 18 | Olivette | 21.05% |
| 19 | Overland | 20.97% |
| 20 | Bridgeton | 20.7% |
| 21 | Jefferson City | 18.83% |
| 22 | Kennett | 16.74% |
| 23 | Maryland Heights | 14.18% |
| 24 | Maplewood | 13.99% |
| 25 | Cape Girardeau | 13.73% |
| 26 | Bonne Terre | 13.1% |
| 27 | Columbia | 11.42% |
| 28 | Poplar Bluff | 10.8% |
| 29 | Cameron | 10.54% |
| 30 | Raymore | 10.33% |
| 31 | Moberly | 10.32% |
| 32 | Creve Coeur | 9.69% |
| 33 | Independence | 9.55% |
| 34 | Boonville | 9.32% |
| 35 | Pacific | 8.65% |
| 36 | Lee's Summit | 8.49% |
| 37 | Valley Park | 8.41% |
| 38 | Richmond Heights | 8.2% |
| 39 | Blue Springs | 7.95% |
| 40 | Fulton | 7.89% |
| 41 | Clayton | 7.71% |
| 42 | Marshall | 6.95% |
| 43 | Farmington | 6.85% |
| 44 | St. Charles | 6.55% |
| 45 | Wentzville | 6.19% |
| 46 | Shrewsbury | 6.19% |
| 47 | Hannibal | 6.12% |
| 48 | St. Joseph | 5.94% |
| 49 | Gladstone | 5.82% |
| 50 | St. Peters | 5.77% |
| 51 | Kirksville | 5.6% |
| 52 | Branson | 5.51% |
| 53 | Excelsior Springs | 5.47% |
| 54 | Mexico | 5.3% |
| 55 | Kirkwood | 5.26% |
| 56 | Pleasant Hill | 4.82% |
| 57 | Liberty | 4.63% |
| 58 | Warrensburg | 4.61% |
| 59 | Brentwood | 4.53% |
| 60 | Chillicothe | 4.31% |
| 61 | Belton | 4.28% |
| 62 | Sedalia | 4.2% |
| 63 | Lake St. Louis | 4.16% |
| 64 | Maryville | 4.12% |
| 65 | Dardenne Prairie | 3.94% |
| 66 | Springfield | 3.92% |
| 67 | O'fallon | 3.84% |
| 68 | Macon | 3.57% |
| 69 | Manchester | 3.53% |
| 70 | Chesterfield | 3.49% |
| 71 | Joplin | 3.19% |
| 72 | Grain Valley | 3.12% |
| 73 | Bolivar | 3.04% |
| 74 | Rolla | 3.01% |
| 75 | Webb City | 2.96% |
| 76 | Richmond | 2.84% |
| 77 | Webster Groves | 2.73% |
| 78 | Oak Grove | 2.6% |
| 79 | Weldon Spring | 2.54% |
| 80 | Union | 2.42% |
| 81 | Festus | 2.39% |
| 82 | Parkville | 2.25% |
| 83 | Ballwin | 2.21% |
| 84 | Clinton | 2.05% |
| 85 | Glendale | 1.92% |
| 86 | Crestwood | 1.79% |
| 87 | Neosho | 1.78% |
| 88 | Ladue | 1.7% |
| 89 | Ellisville | 1.55% |
| 90 | Wildwood | 1.54% |
| 91 | Jackson | 1.5% |
| 92 | Troy | 1.44% |
| 93 | Ozark | 1.43% |
| 94 | Odessa | 1.39% |
| 95 | Warrenton | 1.34% |
| 96 | Dexter | 1.33% |
| 97 | Carthage | 1.33% |
| 98 | Marshfield | 1.15% |
| 99 | Lebanon | 1.15% |
| 100 | Republic | 1.11% |
