Most African American cities in Nebraska research summary. We used Saturday Night Science to analyze Nebraska’s most recent Census data to determine the blackest cities in Nebraska based on the percentage of Black residents. Here are the results of our analysis:
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The city with the largest African American population in Nebraska is Lexington based on the most recent Census data.
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Lexington is 13.78% Black.
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The least African American city in Nebraska is Plattsmouth.
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Plattsmouth is 0.18% Black.
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Nebraska is 4.6% Black.
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Nebraska is the 32nd blackest state in the United States.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The Black community is one of the fastest-growing communities in America this decade.
Roughly 42 million people identifying as Black or African American live in the United States, making up 12% of the total population. According to the most recent American Community Survey, the Black population in Nebraska is 90,861 – at 4.6% 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. Most scholars and historians agree that increasing 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?
We broke down the most recent census data to determine the cities in Nebraska with the largest African American population in 2026:
Most African American Places In Nebraska
What’s the blackest city in Nebraska? The city with the largest Black population in Nebraska for 2026 is Lexington. See if Lexington ranked as one of the most african american places 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 2026
1. Lexington
/10
Population: 10,862
% African American: 13.78%
# Of African American Residents: 1,497
Percent Change Since 2010: 141.84%
More on Lexington: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
2. South Sioux City
/10
Population: 13,907
% African American: 13.26%
# Of African American Residents: 1,844
Percent Change Since 2010: 333.88%
More on South Sioux City: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
3. Omaha
/10
Population: 488,837
% African American: 11.41%
# Of African American Residents: 55,778
Percent Change Since 2010: 5.5%
More on Omaha: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
4. Bellevue
/10
Population: 64,510
% African American: 5.62%
# Of African American Residents: 3,626
Percent Change Since 2010: 0.3%
More on Bellevue: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
5. Schuyler
/10
Population: 6,578
% African American: 5.15%
# Of African American Residents: 339
Percent Change Since 2010: 175.61%
More on Schuyler: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
6. La Vista
/10
Population: 16,563
% African American: 4.33%
# Of African American Residents: 717
Percent Change Since 2010: 42.83%
More on La Vista: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
7. Lincoln
/10
Population: 294,856
% African American: 4.09%
# Of African American Residents: 12,059
Percent Change Since 2010: 33.22%
More on Lincoln: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
8. Papillion
/10
Population: 25,244
% African American: 3.87%
# Of African American Residents: 977
Percent Change Since 2010: 153.11%
More on Papillion: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
9. Grand Island
/10
Population: 52,884
% African American: 3.84%
# Of African American Residents: 2,032
Percent Change Since 2010: 118.97%
More on Grand Island: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
10. Nebraska City
/10
Population: 7,369
% African American: 1.83%
# Of African American Residents: 135
Percent Change Since 2010: inf%
More on Nebraska City: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
Methodology: How We Determined The Cities In Nebraska With The Largest Black Population For 2026
We still believe in the accuracy of data — especially from the Census. So that’s where we went to get the race breakdown across Nebraska.
That leads us to the Census’s most recently available data, the 2020-2024 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 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 in Nebraska. That left us with 31 cities.
We then calculated the percentage of residents that are Black or African American. The percentages ranked from 13.8% to 0.2%.
Finally, we ranked each city based on the percentage of the Black population, with a higher score being more Black than a lower score. Lexington took the distinction of being the most Black, while Plattsmouth was the least African American city.
We updated this article for 2026. This is our eleventh time ranking the cities in Nebraska with the largest African American population.
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.
The blackest cities in Nebraska are Lexington, South Sioux City, Omaha, Bellevue, Schuyler, La Vista, Lincoln, Papillion, Grand Island, and Nebraska City.
If you’re curious enough, here are the least African American places in Nebraska:
- Plattsmouth
- Alliance
- Scottsbluff
For more Nebraska reading, check out:
African American Population By City In Nebraska
| Rank | City | Population | African American Population | % African American |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lexington | 10,862 | 1,497 | 13.78% |
| 2 | South Sioux City | 13,907 | 1,844 | 13.26% |
| 3 | Omaha | 488,837 | 55,778 | 11.41% |
| 4 | Bellevue | 64,510 | 3,626 | 5.62% |
| 5 | Schuyler | 6,578 | 339 | 5.15% |
| 6 | La Vista | 16,563 | 717 | 4.33% |
| 7 | Lincoln | 294,856 | 12,059 | 4.09% |
| 8 | Papillion | 25,244 | 977 | 3.87% |
| 9 | Grand Island | 52,884 | 2,032 | 3.84% |
| 10 | Nebraska City | 7,369 | 135 | 1.83% |
| 11 | Wayne | 6,121 | 99 | 1.62% |
| 12 | Hastings | 25,008 | 388 | 1.55% |
| 13 | Gering | 8,550 | 130 | 1.52% |
| 14 | Holdrege | 5,546 | 75 | 1.35% |
| 15 | Sidney | 6,419 | 71 | 1.11% |
| 16 | Kearney | 34,246 | 367 | 1.07% |
| 17 | North Platte | 22,831 | 238 | 1.04% |
| 18 | Norfolk | 26,054 | 257 | 0.99% |
| 19 | Mccook | 7,314 | 70 | 0.96% |
| 20 | Ralston | 6,472 | 56 | 0.87% |
| 21 | Beatrice | 12,225 | 100 | 0.82% |
| 22 | Columbus | 24,488 | 199 | 0.81% |
| 23 | Crete | 7,527 | 56 | 0.74% |
| 24 | Chadron | 5,160 | 38 | 0.74% |
| 25 | Blair | 7,914 | 56 | 0.71% |
| 26 | York | 8,141 | 55 | 0.68% |
| 27 | Fremont | 27,567 | 162 | 0.59% |
| 28 | Seward | 7,678 | 43 | 0.56% |
| 29 | Scottsbluff | 14,376 | 43 | 0.3% |
| 30 | Alliance | 8,075 | 15 | 0.19% |
| 31 | Plattsmouth | 6,731 | 12 | 0.18% |