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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 Nebraska is 91,326 - at 4.7% of the total population of Nebraska.
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 Nebraska? Which cities and towns in Nebraska have seen the greatest increase in its Black population?
What's the blackest city in Nebraska? Lexington took the number one over all spot for the largest Black population in Nebraska 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 Nebraska 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 Nebraska or the most diverse places in Nebraska.
The 10 Blackest Cities In Nebraska For 2023
1. Lexington
/10
Population: 10,325
% African American: 13.65%
# Of African American Residents: 1,409
Percent Change Since 2010: 127.63%
More on Lexington: Real Estate | Data | Photos
2. Omaha
/10
Population: 488,059
% African American: 11.83%
# Of African American Residents: 57,717
Percent Change Since 2010: 9.17%
More on Omaha: Real Estate | Data | Photos
3. South Sioux City
/10
Population: 13,796
% African American: 10.71%
# Of African American Residents: 1,477
Percent Change Since 2010: 247.53%
More on South Sioux City: Real Estate | Data | Photos
4. Chadron
/10
Population: 5,376
% African American: 7.18%
# Of African American Residents: 386
Percent Change Since 2010: 144.3%
More on Chadron: Real Estate | Data | Photos
5. Bellevue
/10
Population: 62,888
% African American: 5.77%
# Of African American Residents: 3,631
Percent Change Since 2010: 0.44%
More on Bellevue: Real Estate | Data | Photos
6. La Vista
/10
Population: 16,786
% African American: 4.62%
# Of African American Residents: 775
Percent Change Since 2010: 54.38%
More on La Vista: Real Estate | Data | Photos
7. Alliance
/10
Population: 8,141
% African American: 4.27%
# Of African American Residents: 348
Percent Change Since 2010: 1142.86%
More on Alliance: Real Estate | Data | Photos
8. Schuyler
/10
Population: 6,526
% African American: 4.11%
# Of African American Residents: 268
Percent Change Since 2010: 117.89%
More on Schuyler: Real Estate | Data | Photos
9. Lincoln
/10
Population: 289,136
% African American: 4.04%
# Of African American Residents: 11,684
Percent Change Since 2010: 29.08%
More on Lincoln: Real Estate | Data | Photos
10. Ralston
/10
Population: 6,453
% African American: 3.72%
# Of African American Residents: 240
Percent Change Since 2010: 101.68%
More on Ralston: Real Estate | Data | Photos
Methodology: How We Determined The Cities In Nebraska 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 Nebraska.
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 31 cities.
We then calculated the percent of residents that are Black or African American. The percentages ranked from 13.6% to 0.2%.
Finally, we ranked each city based on the percent of Black population with a higher score being more Black than a lower score. Lexington took the distinction of being the most Black, while McCook was the least African American city. You can download the data here.
Read on for more information on how the cities in Nebraska 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 Nebraska
If you're looking for a breakdown of African American populations across Nebraska according to the most recent data, this is an accurate list.
If you're curious enough, here are the least African American places in Nebraska:
- McCook
- Holdrege
- Plattsmouth
For more Nebraska reading, check out:
African American Population By City In Nebraska
Rank | City | % African American |
---|---|---|
1 | Lexington | 13.65% |
2 | Omaha | 11.83% |
3 | South Sioux City | 10.71% |
4 | Chadron | 7.18% |
5 | Bellevue | 5.77% |
6 | La Vista | 4.62% |
7 | Alliance | 4.27% |
8 | Schuyler | 4.11% |
9 | Lincoln | 4.04% |
10 | Ralston | 3.72% |
11 | Grand Island | 3.39% |
12 | Papillion | 2.76% |
13 | Norfolk | 1.67% |
14 | Crete | 1.61% |
15 | Wayne | 1.59% |
16 | North Platte | 1.47% |
17 | Nebraska City | 1.4% |
18 | Sidney | 1.19% |
19 | Beatrice | 0.95% |
20 | Blair | 0.94% |
21 | Fremont | 0.94% |
22 | York | 0.94% |
23 | Kearney | 0.94% |
24 | Scottsbluff | 0.91% |
25 | Gering | 0.74% |
26 | Hastings | 0.62% |
27 | Seward | 0.58% |
28 | Columbus | 0.57% |
29 | Plattsmouth | 0.26% |
30 | Holdrege | 0.22% |
31 | Mccook | 0.22% |