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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 New Jersey is 1,158,820 - at 12.5% of the total population of New Jersey.
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 New Jersey? Which cities and towns in New Jersey have seen the greatest increase in its Black population?
We broke down the most recent census data to determine the cities in New Jersey with the largest African American population in 2023:
What's the blackest city in New Jersey? East Orange took the number one over all spot for the largest Black population in New Jersey 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 New Jersey 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 New Jersey or the most diverse places in New Jersey.
The 10 Blackest Cities In New Jersey For 2023
1. East Orange
/10
Population: 68,918
% African American: 80.73%
# Of African American Residents: 55,636
Percent Change Since 2010: -1.26%
More on East Orange: Real Estate | Data | Photos
2. Salem
/10
Population: 5,237
% African American: 63.05%
# Of African American Residents: 3,302
Percent Change Since 2010: 8.33%
More on Salem: Real Estate | Data | Photos
3. Trenton
/10
Population: 90,097
% African American: 47.17%
# Of African American Residents: 42,500
Percent Change Since 2010: 1.7%
More on Trenton: Real Estate | Data | Photos
4. Newark
/10
Population: 306,247
% African American: 46.47%
# Of African American Residents: 142,312
Percent Change Since 2010: 2.67%
More on Newark: Real Estate | Data | Photos
5. Roselle
/10
Population: 22,511
% African American: 42.95%
# Of African American Residents: 9,669
Percent Change Since 2010: -10.75%
More on Roselle: Real Estate | Data | Photos
6. Camden
/10
Population: 72,381
% African American: 39.34%
# Of African American Residents: 28,478
Percent Change Since 2010: -19.73%
More on Camden: Real Estate | Data | Photos
7. Pleasantville
/10
Population: 20,505
% African American: 37.65%
# Of African American Residents: 7,721
Percent Change Since 2010: -10.62%
More on Pleasantville: Real Estate | Data | Photos
8. Plainfield
/10
Population: 54,183
% African American: 35.88%
# Of African American Residents: 19,442
Percent Change Since 2010: -21.86%
More on Plainfield: Real Estate | Data | Photos
9. Asbury Park
/10
Population: 15,305
% African American: 35.62%
# Of African American Residents: 5,451
Percent Change Since 2010: -37.45%
More on Asbury Park: Real Estate | Data | Photos
10. Bridgeton
/10
Population: 26,643
% African American: 33.35%
# Of African American Residents: 8,885
Percent Change Since 2010: -0.86%
More on Bridgeton: Real Estate | Data | Photos
Methodology: How We Determined The Cities In New Jersey 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 New Jersey.
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 188 cities.
We then calculated the percent of residents that are Black or African American. The percentages ranked from 80.7% 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. East Orange took the distinction of being the most Black, while Little Silver was the least African American city. You can download the data here.
Read on for more information on how the cities in New Jersey 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 New Jersey
If you're looking for a breakdown of African American populations across New Jersey according to the most recent data, this is an accurate list.
If you're curious enough, here are the least African American places in New Jersey:
- Little Silver
- Union Beach
- Old Tappan
For more New Jersey reading, check out:
- Most Dangerous Cities In New Jersey
- Worst Places To Live In New Jersey
- Best Places To Live In New Jersey
African American Population By City In New Jersey
| Rank | City | % African American |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | East Orange | 80.73% |
| 2 | Salem | 63.05% |
| 3 | Trenton | 47.17% |
| 4 | Newark | 46.47% |
| 5 | Roselle | 42.95% |
| 6 | Camden | 39.34% |
| 7 | Pleasantville | 37.65% |
| 8 | Plainfield | 35.88% |
| 9 | Asbury Park | 35.62% |
| 10 | Bridgeton | 33.35% |
| 11 | Atlantic City | 32.31% |
| 12 | Lindenwold | 31.73% |
| 13 | Rahway | 30.72% |
| 14 | Burlington | 29.63% |
| 15 | Paulsboro | 28.73% |
| 16 | Linden | 28.49% |
| 17 | Pine Hill | 28.29% |
| 18 | Englewood | 25.43% |
| 19 | Clayton | 25.4% |
| 20 | Paterson | 23.69% |
| 21 | Somerdale | 23.58% |
| 22 | Hackensack | 23.11% |
| 23 | Clementon | 22.77% |
| 24 | North Plainfield | 21.1% |
| 25 | Jersey City | 20.87% |
| 26 | Woodbury | 20.44% |
| 27 | Prospect Park | 19.35% |
| 28 | Glassboro | 18.99% |
| 29 | Palmyra | 18.13% |
| 30 | Elizabeth | 16.88% |
| 31 | Millville | 15.37% |
| 32 | Somers Point | 15.23% |
| 33 | New Brunswick | 14.15% |
| 34 | Matawan | 13.44% |
| 35 | Collingswood | 13.18% |
| 36 | Carteret | 12.35% |
| 37 | South Plainfield | 12.1% |
| 38 | Vineland | 12.02% |
| 39 | Long Branch | 12.01% |
| 40 | Somerville | 11.85% |
| 41 | Manville | 11.68% |
| 42 | Sayreville | 11.45% |
| 43 | Highland Park | 11.07% |
| 44 | Newton | 10.58% |
| 45 | South Amboy | 10.34% |
| 46 | Phillipsburg | 9.83% |
| 47 | Haledon | 9.76% |
| 48 | Absecon | 9.46% |
| 49 | Dover | 9.18% |
| 50 | Roselle Park | 8.83% |
| 51 | Lodi | 8.73% |
| 52 | Freehold | 8.7% |
| 53 | Bayonne | 8.56% |
| 54 | Wildwood | 8.55% |
| 55 | Dunellen | 8.52% |
| 56 | Bogota | 8.44% |
| 57 | Red Bank | 8.3% |
| 58 | Tinton Falls | 8.22% |
| 59 | Boonton | 8.0% |
| 60 | Berlin | 8.0% |
| 61 | Stratford | 7.91% |
| 62 | Bergenfield | 7.89% |
| 63 | Keansburg | 7.81% |
| 64 | South River | 7.81% |
| 65 | Eato | 7.56% |
| 66 | Runnemede | 7.31% |
| 67 | Morristown | 7.18% |
| 68 | Gloucester City | 7.13% |
| 69 | Summit | 6.95% |
| 70 | Hasbrouck Heights | 6.85% |
| 71 | Woodland Park | 6.82% |
| 72 | Passaic | 6.43% |
| 73 | East Rutherford | 6.29% |
| 74 | Elmwood Park | 6.02% |
| 75 | Hawthorne | 6.01% |
| 76 | Perth Amboy | 5.9% |
| 77 | Kenilworth | 5.41% |
| 78 | Florham Park | 5.18% |
| 79 | Caldwell | 5.15% |
| 80 | Maywood | 5.13% |
| 81 | Metuchen | 5.12% |
| 82 | West Long Branch | 5.1% |
| 83 | Garfield | 4.93% |
| 84 | North Haledon | 4.89% |
| 85 | Totowa | 4.82% |
| 86 | Middlesex | 4.7% |
| 87 | Fanwood | 4.61% |
| 88 | Belmar | 4.55% |
| 89 | Edgewater | 4.28% |
| 90 | Bound Brook | 4.13% |
| 91 | Clifton | 4.07% |
| 92 | Secaucus | 4.05% |
| 93 | Beachwood | 4.04% |
| 94 | Bloomingdale | 3.81% |
| 95 | Wood-Ridge | 3.72% |
| 96 | Kearny | 3.7% |
| 97 | Ventnor City | 3.65% |
| 98 | Wallington | 3.53% |
| 99 | Ridgefield Park | 3.39% |
| 100 | Closter | 3.36% |
