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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 Mexico is 37,848 - 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 2023:
What's the blackest city in New Mexico? Hobbs took the number one over all spot for the largest Black population in New Mexico 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 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.
The 10 Blackest Cities In New Mexico For 2023
1. Hobbs
/10
Population: 39,476
% African American: 5.21%
# Of African American Residents: 2,058
Percent Change Since 2010: -0.24%
More on Hobbs: Real Estate | Data | Photos
2. Clovis
/10
Population: 38,505
% African American: 5.21%
# Of African American Residents: 2,006
Percent Change Since 2010: -18.06%
More on Clovis: Real Estate | Data | Photos
3. Alamogordo
/10
Population: 31,201
% African American: 4.39%
# Of African American Residents: 1,370
Percent Change Since 2010: -14.21%
More on Alamogordo: Real Estate | Data | Photos
4. Lovington
/10
Population: 11,505
% African American: 3.58%
# Of African American Residents: 412
Percent Change Since 2010: -12.9%
More on Lovington: Real Estate | Data | Photos
5. Portales
/10
Population: 12,151
% African American: 3.24%
# Of African American Residents: 394
Percent Change Since 2010: 90.34%
More on Portales: Real Estate | Data | Photos
6. Albuquerque
/10
Population: 562,336
% African American: 2.64%
# Of African American Residents: 14,831
Percent Change Since 2010: -2.53%
More on Albuquerque: Real Estate | Data | Photos
7. Rio Rancho
/10
Population: 102,403
% African American: 2.63%
# Of African American Residents: 2,697
Percent Change Since 2010: 14.38%
More on Rio Rancho: Real Estate | Data | Photos
8. Tucumcari
/10
Population: 5,221
% African American: 2.47%
# Of African American Residents: 129
Percent Change Since 2010: 163.27%
More on Tucumcari: Real Estate | Data | Photos
9. Las Cruces
/10
Population: 109,934
% African American: 2.35%
# Of African American Residents: 2,586
Percent Change Since 2010: 61.62%
More on Las Cruces: Real Estate | Data | Photos
10. Deming
/10
Population: 14,730
% African American: 1.9%
# Of African American Residents: 280
Percent Change Since 2010: 48.15%
More on Deming: Real Estate | Data | Photos
Methodology: How We Determined The Cities In New Mexico 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 Mexico.
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 32 cities.
We then calculated the percent of residents that are Black or African American. The percentages ranked from 5.2% 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. Hobbs took the distinction of being the most Black, while Aztec was the least African American city. You can download the data here.
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.
Summary: 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:
- Aztec
- Belen
- Taos
For more New Mexico reading, check out:
- Most Dangerous Cities In New Mexico
- Worst Places To Live In New Mexico
- Cheapest Places To Live In New Mexico
African American Population By City In New Mexico
Rank | City | % African American |
---|---|---|
1 | Hobbs | 5.21% |
2 | Clovis | 5.21% |
3 | Alamogordo | 4.39% |
4 | Lovington | 3.58% |
5 | Portales | 3.24% |
6 | Albuquerque | 2.64% |
7 | Rio Rancho | 2.63% |
8 | Tucumcari | 2.47% |
9 | Las Cruces | 2.35% |
10 | Deming | 1.9% |
11 | Los Lunas | 1.77% |
12 | Roswell | 1.61% |
13 | Carlsbad | 1.53% |
14 | Socorro | 1.47% |
15 | Gallup | 1.44% |
16 | Corrales | 1.4% |
17 | Los Ranchos De Albuquerque | 1.25% |
18 | Artesia | 1.19% |
19 | Farmington | 1.03% |
20 | Grants | 1.03% |
21 | Las Vegas | 1.03% |
22 | Ruidoso | 1.02% |
23 | Santa Fe | 1.02% |
24 | Silver City | 0.96% |
25 | Sunland Park | 0.87% |
26 | Raton | 0.79% |
27 | Bernalillo | 0.51% |
28 | Truth Or Consequences | 0.49% |
29 | Bloomfield | 0.37% |
30 | Taos | 0.28% |
31 | Belen | 0.0% |
32 | Aztec | 0.0% |