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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 Oklahoma is 278,454 - at 7.1% of the total population of Oklahoma.
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 Oklahoma? Which cities and towns in Oklahoma have seen the greatest increase in its Black population?
We broke down the most recent census data to determine the cities in Oklahoma with the largest African American population in 2023:
What's the blackest city in Oklahoma? Midwest City took the number one over all spot for the largest Black population in Oklahoma 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 Oklahoma 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 Oklahoma or the most diverse places in Oklahoma.
The 10 Blackest Cities In Oklahoma For 2023
1. Midwest City
/10
Population: 58,146
% African American: 23.36%
# Of African American Residents: 13,584
Percent Change Since 2010: 26.6%
More on Midwest City: Real Estate | Data
2. Del City
/10
Population: 21,778
% African American: 22.7%
# Of African American Residents: 4,944
Percent Change Since 2010: 13.66%
More on Del City: Real Estate | Data | Photos
3. Hugo
/10
Population: 5,146
% African American: 20.11%
# Of African American Residents: 1,035
Percent Change Since 2010: 6.59%
More on Hugo: Real Estate | Data | Photos
4. Lawton
/10
Population: 91,247
% African American: 17.83%
# Of African American Residents: 16,267
Percent Change Since 2010: -17.34%
More on Lawton: Real Estate | Data | Photos
5. Okmulgee
/10
Population: 11,330
% African American: 17.34%
# Of African American Residents: 1,965
Percent Change Since 2010: -14.34%
More on Okmulgee: Real Estate | Data | Photos
6. Idabel
/10
Population: 6,945
% African American: 17.31%
# Of African American Residents: 1,202
Percent Change Since 2010: -26.39%
More on Idabel: Real Estate | Data | Photos
7. Muskogee
/10
Population: 37,214
% African American: 15.01%
# Of African American Residents: 5,585
Percent Change Since 2010: -6.87%
More on Muskogee: Real Estate | Data | Photos
8. Tulsa
/10
Population: 410,652
% African American: 14.58%
# Of African American Residents: 59,890
Percent Change Since 2010: 0.45%
More on Tulsa: Real Estate | Data | Photos
9. Guthrie
/10
Population: 10,767
% African American: 14.49%
# Of African American Residents: 1,560
Percent Change Since 2010: -10.6%
More on Guthrie: Real Estate | Data | Photos
10. Oklahoma City
/10
Population: 673,183
% African American: 13.61%
# Of African American Residents: 91,634
Percent Change Since 2010: 14.24%
More on Oklahoma City: Real Estate | Data | Photos
Methodology: How We Determined The Cities In Oklahoma 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 Oklahoma.
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 71 cities.
We then calculated the percent of residents that are Black or African American. The percentages ranked from 23.4% 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. Midwest City took the distinction of being the most Black, while Noble was the least African American city. You can download the data here.
Read on for more information on how the cities in Oklahoma 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 Oklahoma
If you're looking for a breakdown of African American populations across Oklahoma according to the most recent data, this is an accurate list.
If you're curious enough, here are the least African American places in Oklahoma:
- Noble
- Tuttle
- Grove
For more Oklahoma reading, check out:
- Safest Places In Oklahoma
- Worst Places To Live In Oklahoma
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Oklahoma
African American Population By City In Oklahoma
Rank | City | % African American |
---|---|---|
1 | Midwest City | 23.36% |
2 | Del City | 22.7% |
3 | Hugo | 20.11% |
4 | Lawton | 17.83% |
5 | Okmulgee | 17.34% |
6 | Idabel | 17.31% |
7 | Muskogee | 15.01% |
8 | Tulsa | 14.58% |
9 | Guthrie | 14.49% |
10 | Oklahoma City | 13.61% |
11 | Warr Acres | 11.11% |
12 | Ardmore | 9.47% |
13 | Bethany | 8.62% |
14 | Altus | 7.96% |
15 | The Village | 7.96% |
16 | Holdenville | 7.27% |
17 | Guymon | 7.21% |
18 | Clinton | 7.06% |
19 | Chickasha | 6.8% |
20 | Wagoner | 6.63% |
21 | El Reno | 6.57% |
22 | Anadarko | 6.31% |
23 | Edmond | 5.17% |
24 | Broken Arrow | 5.16% |
25 | Moore | 5.14% |
26 | Pauls Valley | 5.12% |
27 | Vinita | 5.03% |
28 | Cushing | 4.95% |
29 | Ada | 4.92% |
30 | Norman | 4.62% |
31 | Mcalester | 4.43% |
32 | Stillwater | 4.28% |
33 | Shawnee | 4.25% |
34 | Seminole | 4.15% |
35 | Coweta | 4.1% |
36 | Bartlesville | 3.53% |
37 | Piedmont | 3.33% |
38 | Glenpool | 3.17% |
39 | Owasso | 3.09% |
40 | Sapulpa | 2.82% |
41 | Collinsville | 2.82% |
42 | Ponca City | 2.8% |
43 | Durant | 2.79% |
44 | Mustang | 2.72% |
45 | Enid | 2.57% |
46 | Duncan | 2.5% |
47 | Tahlequah | 2.19% |
48 | Miami | 2.1% |
49 | Elk City | 2.09% |
50 | Weatherford | 2.09% |
51 | Blanchard | 2.07% |
52 | Jenks | 2.05% |
53 | Bixby | 2.0% |
54 | Yukon | 1.81% |
55 | Sand Springs | 1.71% |
56 | Choctaw | 1.69% |
57 | Purcell | 1.66% |
58 | Sallisaw | 1.6% |
59 | Claremore | 1.58% |
60 | Tecumseh | 1.45% |
61 | Catoosa | 1.37% |
62 | Henryetta | 1.31% |
63 | Newcastle | 1.18% |
64 | Poteau | 1.04% |
65 | Blackwell | 0.99% |
66 | Woodward | 0.71% |
67 | Pryor Creek | 0.53% |
68 | Harrah | 0.34% |
69 | Grove | 0.33% |
70 | Tuttle | 0.08% |
71 | Noble | 0.01% |