These Are The 10 New Mexico Cities With The Largest Black Population For 2018

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 Mexico is 37,318 – at 1.8% of the total population of New Mexico.

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 Mexico? Which cities and towns in New Mexico have seen the greatest increase in its Black population?

We broke down the most recent census data to determine the cities in New Mexico with the largest African American population in 2018:

1. Clovis (Photos)
2. Hobbs (Photos)
3. Alamogordo (Photos)
4. Tucumcari (Photos)
5. Portales (Photos)
6. Los Lunas (Photos)
7. Albuquerque (Photos)
8. Rio Rancho (Photos)
9. Las Vegas (Photos)
10. Carlsbad (Photos)

Clovis took the number one over all spot for the largest Black population in New Mexico for 2018. 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 Mexico 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 Mexico or the most diverse places in New Mexico.

How We Determined The Cities In New Mexico With The Largest Black Population For 2018

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 Mexico.

That lead us to the Census’s most recently available data, the 2012-2016 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 32 cities.

We then calculated the percent of residents that are Black or African American. The percentages ranked from 6.0% 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. Clovis took the distinction of being the most Black, while Bloomfield was the least African American city.

Read on for more information on how the cities in New Mexico 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.

1. Clovis

Population: 39,461
% African American: 6.04%
# Of African American Residents: 2,383
Percent Change Since 2010: -2.66%
More on Clovis: Data | Jobs

Clovis is the county seat of Curry County, New Mexico, United States, with a population of 37,775 as of the 2010 census, and a 2014 estimated population of 39,860. Clovis is located in the New Mexico portion of the Llano Estacado, in the eastern part of the state.

2. Hobbs

Population: 36,863
% African American: 5.47%
# Of African American Residents: 2,017
Percent Change Since 2010: -2.23%
More on Hobbs: Data | Jobs

Hobbs is a city in Lea County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 34,122 at the 2010 Census, increasing from 28,657 at the 2000 census.

3. Alamogordo

Population: 31,201
% African American: 4.64%
# Of African American Residents: 1,447
Percent Change Since 2010: -9.39%
More on Alamogordo: Data | Jobs

Alamogordo is the seat of Otero County, New Mexico, United States. A city in the Tularosa Basin of the Chihuahuan Desert, it is bordered on the east by the Sacramento Mountains and to the west by White Sands National Monument. It is the city nearest to Holloman Air Force Base. The population was 30,403 as of the 2010 census. Alamogordo is known for its connection with the Trinity test, the first explosion of an atomic bomb, and also for the Atari video game burial of 1983.

4. Tucumcari

Population: 5,091
% African American: 3.3%
# Of African American Residents: 168
Percent Change Since 2010: 242.86%
More on Tucumcari: Data | Jobs

Tucumcari is a city in and the county seat of Quay County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 5,363 at the 2010 census. Tucumcari was founded in 1901, two years before Quay County was founded.

5. Portales

Population: 12,275
% African American: 3.27%
# Of African American Residents: 401
Percent Change Since 2010: 93.72%
More on Portales: Data | Jobs

Portales is a city in and the county seat of Roosevelt County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 12,280 at the 2010 census. Portales is located near the larger city of Clovis as well as Cannon Air Force Base, a major contributor to the economy of the region.

6. Los Lunas

Population: 15,271
% African American: 3.05%
# Of African American Residents: 466
Percent Change Since 2010: 461.45%
More on Los Lunas: Data | Jobs

Los Lunas is a village in Valencia County, New Mexico, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the village population is 14,835 inside the village limits due to the new housing developments at El Cerro de Los Lunas. It is the county seat of Valencia County.

7. Albuquerque

Population: 556,859
% African American: 2.83%
# Of African American Residents: 15,756
Percent Change Since 2010: 3.55%
More on Albuquerque: Data | Jobs

Albuquerque AL-b-kur-kee; Navajo: Beeeldl Dahsinil ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico. The high-elevation city serves as the county seat of Bernalillo County, and it is situated in the north central part of the state, straddling the Rio Grande. The city population is 559,277 as of the July 1, 2016 population estimate from the United States Census Bureau, and ranks as the 32nd-largest city in the U.S. The Albuquerque metropolitan statistical area has a population of 909,906 according to the United States Census Bureau’s most recently available estimate for 2016. Albuquerque is the 60th-largest United States metropolitan area. The Albuquerque MSA population includes the city of Rio Rancho, Bernalillo, Placitas, Corrales, Los Lunas, Belen, Bosque Farms, and forms part of the larger Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas combined statistical area, with a total population of 1,171,991 as of the July 1, 2016, Census Bureau estimates.

8. Rio Rancho

Population: 92,966
% African American: 2.72%
# Of African American Residents: 2,529
Percent Change Since 2010: 7.25%
More on Rio Rancho: Data | Jobs

Rio Rancho is the largest city and economic hub of Sandoval County in the U.S. state of New Mexico. A small portion of the city extends into northern Bernalillo County. It is the third-largest and also one of the fastest expanding cities in New Mexico. As of the 2010 census, Rio Rancho had a population of 93,820.

9. Las Vegas

Population: 13,570
% African American: 2.26%
# Of African American Residents: 307
Percent Change Since 2010: 32.9%
More on Las Vegas: Data | Jobs

Las Vegas is a city in and the county seat of San Miguel County, New Mexico, United States. Once two separate municipalities both named Las Vegas, west Las Vegas and east Las Vegas, separated by the Gallinas River, retain distinct characters and separate, rival school districts. The population was 14,565 at the 2000 census. Las Vegas, NM is located 110 miles south of Raton, New Mexico, 65 miles east of Santa Fe, New Mexico, 122 miles northeast of Albuquerque, New Mexico, 257 miles south of Colorado Springs, Colorado, and 326 miles south of Denver, Colorado.

10. Carlsbad

Population: 28,079
% African American: 2.24%
# Of African American Residents: 629
Percent Change Since 2010: 65.96%
More on Carlsbad: Data | Jobs

Carlsbad is a city in and the county seat of Eddy County, New Mexico, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 26,138. Carlsbad is centered at the intersection of U.S. Routes 62/180 and 285, and is the principal city of the Carlsbad-Artesia Micropolitan Statistical Area, which has a total population of 55,435. Located in the southeastern part of New Mexico, Carlsbad straddles the Pecos River and sits at the eastern edge of the Guadalupe Mountains.

There You Have It – Black Populations Across New Mexico

If you’re looking for a breakdown of African American populations across New Mexico 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 Mexico:

1. Bloomfield
2. Raton
3. Socorro

For more New Mexico reading, check out:

• 10 Cheapest Places To Live In New Mexico
• 10 Worst Places To Live In New Mexico
• 10 Most Dangerous Cities In New Mexico

Detailed List Of The Most African American Cities In New Mexico

Rank	City	Population	% African American
1	Clovis	39,461	6.04%
2	Hobbs	36,863	5.47%
3	Alamogordo	31,201	4.64%
4	Tucumcari	5,091	3.3%
5	Portales	12,275	3.27%
6	Los Lunas	15,271	3.05%
7	Albuquerque	556,859	2.83%
8	Rio Rancho	92,966	2.72%
9	Las Vegas	13,570	2.26%
10	Carlsbad	28,079	2.24%
11	Las Cruces	101,459	2.19%
12	Roswell	48,407	2.06%
13	Deming	14,582	1.64%
14	Gallup	22,523	1.02%
15	Grants	9,263	0.99%
16	Truth Or Consequences	6,157	0.99%
17	Artesia	11,817	0.96%
18	Santa Fe	82,927	0.77%
19	Bernalillo	8,676	0.67%
20	Ruidoso	7,833	0.63%
21	Los Ranchos De Albuquerque	6,069	0.61%
22	Silver City	10,103	0.58%
23	Lovington	11,559	0.58%
24	Belen	7,184	0.57%
25	Farmington	44,067	0.5%
26	Corrales	8,474	0.41%
27	Aztec	6,354	0.3%
28	Sunland Park	15,588	0.26%
29	Taos	5,735	0.24%
30	Socorro	8,760	0.23%
31	Raton	6,348	0.11%
32	Bloomfield	7,565	0.0%