Most African American cities in Nevada research summary. We used Saturday Night Science to analyze Nevada’s most recent Census data to determine the blackest cities in Nevada 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 Nevada is North Las Vegas based on the most recent Census data.
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North Las Vegas is 20.56% Black.
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The least African American city in Nevada is Mesquite.
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Mesquite is 0.55% Black.
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Nevada is 9.0% Black.
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Nevada is the 23rd 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 Nevada is 285,857 – at 9.0% of the total population of Nevada.
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 Nevada? Which cities and towns in Nevada have seen the greatest increase in its Black population?
We broke down the most recent census data to determine the cities in Nevada with the largest African American population in 2026:
Most African American Places In Nevada
What’s the blackest city in Nevada? The city with the largest Black population in Nevada for 2026 is North Las Vegas. See if North Las Vegas 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 Nevada or the most diverse places in Nevada.
The 10 Blackest Cities In Nevada For 2026
1. North Las Vegas
/10
Population: 278,595
% African American: 20.56%
# Of African American Residents: 57,268
Percent Change Since 2010: 42.31%
More on North Las Vegas: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
2. Las Vegas
/10
Population: 660,400
% African American: 11.22%
# Of African American Residents: 74,082
Percent Change Since 2010: 20.5%
More on Las Vegas: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
3. Henderson
/10
Population: 332,141
% African American: 6.49%
# Of African American Residents: 21,568
Percent Change Since 2010: 75.91%
More on Henderson: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
4. Reno
/10
Population: 273,212
% African American: 3.01%
# Of African American Residents: 8,218
Percent Change Since 2010: 24.35%
More on Reno: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
5. Fallon
/10
Population: 9,463
% African American: 2.72%
# Of African American Residents: 257
Percent Change Since 2010: 3.63%
More on Fallon: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
6. Sparks
/10
Population: 110,024
% African American: 2.25%
# Of African American Residents: 2,479
Percent Change Since 2010: 36.43%
More on Sparks: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
7. Elko
/10
Population: 20,696
% African American: 1.07%
# Of African American Residents: 222
Percent Change Since 2010: 48.99%
More on Elko: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
8. Boulder City
/10
Population: 14,919
% African American: 0.83%
# Of African American Residents: 124
Percent Change Since 2010: 72.22%
More on Boulder City: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
9. Fernley
/10
Population: 24,225
% African American: 0.77%
# Of African American Residents: 187
Percent Change Since 2010: -32.0%
More on Fernley: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
10. Winnemucca
/10
Population: 8,361
% African American: 0.63%
# Of African American Residents: 53
Percent Change Since 2010: inf%
More on Winnemucca: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
Methodology: How We Determined The Cities In Nevada 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 Nevada.
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 8,000 people in Nevada. That left us with 11 cities.
We then calculated the percentage of residents that are Black or African American. The percentages ranked from 20.6% to 0.5%.
Finally, we ranked each city based on the percentage of the Black population, with a higher score being more Black than a lower score. North Las Vegas took the distinction of being the most Black, while Mesquite was the least African American city.
We updated this article for 2026. This is our eleventh time ranking the cities in Nevada with the largest African American population.
Read on for more information on how the cities in Nevada 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 Nevada
If you’re looking for a breakdown of African American populations across Nevada according to the most recent data, this is an accurate list.
The blackest cities in Nevada are North Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Henderson, Reno, Fallon, Sparks, Elko, Boulder City, Fernley, and Winnemucca.
If you’re curious enough, here are the least African American places in Nevada:
- Mesquite
- Winnemucca
- Fernley
For more Nevada reading, check out:
African American Population By City In Nevada
| Rank | City | Population | African American Population | % African American |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Las Vegas | 278,595 | 57,268 | 20.56% |
| 2 | Las Vegas | 660,400 | 74,082 | 11.22% |
| 3 | Henderson | 332,141 | 21,568 | 6.49% |
| 4 | Reno | 273,212 | 8,218 | 3.01% |
| 5 | Fallon | 9,463 | 257 | 2.72% |
| 6 | Sparks | 110,024 | 2,479 | 2.25% |
| 7 | Elko | 20,696 | 222 | 1.07% |
| 8 | Boulder City | 14,919 | 124 | 0.83% |
| 9 | Fernley | 24,225 | 187 | 0.77% |
| 10 | Winnemucca | 8,361 | 53 | 0.63% |
| 11 | Mesquite | 22,059 | 121 | 0.55% |