Most African American cities in Texas research summary. We used Saturday Night Science to analyze Texas’s most recent Census data to determine the blackest cities in Texas based on the percentage of Black residents. Here are the results of our analysis:
The city with the largest African American population in Texas is Prairie View based on the most recent Census data.
Prairie View is 89.46% Black.
The least African American city in Texas is Mercedes.
Mercedes is 0.0% Black.
Texas is 11.8% Black.
Texas is the 18th 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 Texas is 3,449,557 – at 11.8% of the total population of Texas.
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 Texas? Which cities and towns in Texas have seen the greatest increase in its Black population?
We broke down the most recent census data to determine the cities in Texas with the largest African American population in 2024:
Most African American Places In Texas
What’s the blackest city in Texas? The city with the largest Black population in Texas for 2024 is Prairie View. See if Prairie View 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 Texas or the most diverse places in Texas. Population: 8,039 Population: 40,958 Population: 55,882 Population: 16,445 Population: 5,686 Population: 48,733 Population: 114,573 Population: 6,365 Population: 13,810 Population: 7,131The 10 Blackest Cities In Texas For 2024
1. Prairie View
/10
% African American: 89.46%
# Of African American Residents: 7,192
Percent Change Since 2010: 51.86%
More on Prairie View: Data | Cost Of Living2. Lancaster
/10
% African American: 66.83%
# Of African American Residents: 27,373
Percent Change Since 2010: 18.95%
More on Lancaster: Data | Cost Of Living3. Desoto
/10
% African American: 66.53%
# Of African American Residents: 37,181
Percent Change Since 2010: 23.85%
More on Desoto: Data | Cost Of Living4. Glenn Heights
/10
% African American: 50.34%
# Of African American Residents: 8,278
Percent Change Since 2010: 45.15%
More on Glenn Heights: Data | Cost Of Living5. Hempstead
/10
% African American: 50.04%
# Of African American Residents: 2,845
Percent Change Since 2010: 3.53%
More on Hempstead: Data | Cost Of Living6. Cedar Hill
/10
% African American: 49.46%
# Of African American Residents: 24,103
Percent Change Since 2010: 13.96%
More on Cedar Hill: Data | Cost Of Living7. Beaumont
/10
% African American: 45.29%
# Of African American Residents: 51,892
Percent Change Since 2010: -4.7%
More on Beaumont: Data | Cost Of Living8. Crockett
/10
% African American: 43.83%
# Of African American Residents: 2,790
Percent Change Since 2010: -20.76%
More on Crockett: Data | Cost Of Living9. Forest Hill
/10
% African American: 42.3%
# Of African American Residents: 5,842
Percent Change Since 2010: -5.44%
More on Forest Hill: Data | Cost Of Living10. Jasper
/10
% African American: 42.17%
# Of African American Residents: 3,007
Percent Change Since 2010: -3.5%
More on Jasper: Data | Cost Of Living
We still believe in the accuracy of data — especially from the Census. So that’s where we went to get the race breakdown across Texas. That leads us to the Census’s most recently available data, the 2018-2022 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: 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 5,000 people in Texas. That left us with 324 cities. We then calculated the percentage of residents that are Black or African American. The percentages ranked from 89.5% to 0.0%. Finally, we ranked each city based on the percentage of the Black population, with a higher score being more Black than a lower score. Prairie View took the distinction of being the most Black, while Mercedes was the least African American city. We updated this article for 2024. This is our tenth time ranking the cities in Texas with the largest African American population. Read on for more information on how the cities in Texas 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.Methodology: How We Determined The Cities In Texas With The Largest Black Population For 2024
Summary: Black Populations Across Texas
If you’re looking for a breakdown of African American populations across Texas according to the most recent data, this is an accurate list.
The blackest cities in Texas are Prairie View, Lancaster, DeSoto, Glenn Heights, Hempstead, Cedar Hill, Beaumont, Crockett, Forest Hill, and Jasper.
If you’re curious enough, here are the least African American places in Texas:
- Mercedes
- Bridge City
- Elsa
For more Texas reading, check out:
African American Population By City In Texas
| Rank | City | Population | African American Population | % African American |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Prairie View | 8,039 | 7,192 | 89.46% |
| 2 | Lancaster | 40,958 | 27,373 | 66.83% |
| 3 | Desoto | 55,882 | 37,181 | 66.53% |
| 4 | Glenn Heights | 16,445 | 8,278 | 50.34% |
| 5 | Hempstead | 5,686 | 2,845 | 50.04% |
| 6 | Cedar Hill | 48,733 | 24,103 | 49.46% |
| 7 | Beaumont | 114,573 | 51,892 | 45.29% |
| 8 | Crockett | 6,365 | 2,790 | 43.83% |
| 9 | Forest Hill | 13,810 | 5,842 | 42.3% |
| 10 | Jasper | 7,131 | 3,007 | 42.17% |
| 11 | Marlin | 5,478 | 2,307 | 42.11% |
| 12 | Port Arthur | 55,897 | 23,527 | 42.09% |
| 13 | Marshall | 23,509 | 9,470 | 40.28% |
| 14 | Missouri City | 74,517 | 29,788 | 39.97% |
| 15 | Texarkana | 36,156 | 13,779 | 38.11% |
| 16 | Killeen | 153,708 | 53,795 | 35.0% |
| 17 | Red Oak | 14,853 | 5,125 | 34.5% |
| 18 | Duncanville | 40,288 | 12,973 | 32.2% |
| 19 | Orange | 19,221 | 5,927 | 30.84% |
| 20 | Rusk | 5,344 | 1,632 | 30.54% |
| 21 | Mexia | 6,907 | 2,102 | 30.43% |
| 22 | La Marque | 18,464 | 5,441 | 29.47% |
| 23 | Wake Village | 5,909 | 1,712 | 28.97% |
| 24 | Balch Springs | 27,322 | 7,774 | 28.45% |
| 25 | Atlanta | 5,453 | 1,537 | 28.19% |
| 26 | Stafford | 17,240 | 4,847 | 28.11% |
| 27 | Everman | 6,102 | 1,690 | 27.7% |
| 28 | Palestine | 18,741 | 5,050 | 26.95% |
| 29 | Wharton | 8,669 | 2,334 | 26.92% |
| 30 | Harker Heights | 33,036 | 8,786 | 26.6% |
| 31 | Nacogdoches | 32,148 | 8,494 | 26.42% |
| 32 | Brenham | 17,655 | 4,631 | 26.23% |
| 33 | Center | 5,221 | 1,361 | 26.07% |
| 34 | Lacy-Lakeview | 7,190 | 1,873 | 26.05% |
| 35 | Richmond | 11,931 | 3,107 | 26.04% |
| 36 | Texas City | 53,084 | 13,679 | 25.77% |
| 37 | Cleveland | 7,756 | 1,978 | 25.5% |
| 38 | Silsbee | 6,904 | 1,734 | 25.12% |
| 39 | Terrell | 18,001 | 4,424 | 24.58% |
| 40 | Humble | 16,563 | 4,060 | 24.51% |
| 41 | Mesquite | 149,439 | 36,622 | 24.51% |
| 42 | Huntsville | 46,202 | 11,231 | 24.31% |
| 43 | Tyler | 106,440 | 25,528 | 23.98% |
| 44 | Dallas | 1,300,642 | 302,925 | 23.29% |
| 45 | Mansfield | 73,680 | 16,925 | 22.97% |
| 46 | Commerce | 9,078 | 2,058 | 22.67% |
| 47 | Grand Prairie | 197,279 | 44,581 | 22.6% |
| 48 | Paris | 24,574 | 5,526 | 22.49% |
| 49 | Arlington | 393,469 | 87,935 | 22.35% |
| 50 | Houston | 2,296,253 | 505,308 | 22.01% |
| 51 | Longview | 82,176 | 17,696 | 21.53% |
| 52 | Navasota | 7,843 | 1,685 | 21.48% |
| 53 | Crowley | 18,392 | 3,906 | 21.24% |
| 54 | Rowlett | 63,291 | 13,374 | 21.13% |
| 55 | Henderson | 13,338 | 2,814 | 21.1% |
| 56 | Hitchcock | 7,398 | 1,493 | 20.18% |
| 57 | Cameron | 5,356 | 1,066 | 19.9% |
| 58 | Waco | 140,545 | 27,882 | 19.84% |
| 59 | Princeton | 18,441 | 3,570 | 19.36% |
| 60 | Freeport | 10,738 | 2,056 | 19.15% |
| 61 | Fort Worth | 924,663 | 174,538 | 18.88% |
| 62 | Lufkin | 34,165 | 6,306 | 18.46% |
| 63 | Pearland | 124,478 | 22,600 | 18.16% |
| 64 | Livingston | 5,672 | 1,024 | 18.05% |
| 65 | Little Elm | 48,241 | 8,642 | 17.91% |
| 66 | Converse | 28,052 | 4,957 | 17.67% |
| 67 | Jacksonville | 14,104 | 2,488 | 17.64% |
| 68 | Gladewater | 6,166 | 1,082 | 17.55% |
| 69 | Bellmead | 10,480 | 1,832 | 17.48% |
| 70 | Addison | 17,026 | 2,927 | 17.19% |
| 71 | Seagoville | 18,658 | 3,193 | 17.11% |
| 72 | Athens | 12,878 | 2,189 | 17.0% |
| 73 | Waxahachie | 41,801 | 7,073 | 16.92% |
| 74 | Bryan | 84,820 | 14,153 | 16.69% |
| 75 | Euless | 60,360 | 10,042 | 16.64% |
| 76 | Corsicana | 25,107 | 4,166 | 16.59% |
| 77 | Pflugerville | 64,528 | 10,696 | 16.58% |
| 78 | Anna | 18,585 | 3,075 | 16.55% |
| 79 | Forney | 25,269 | 3,985 | 15.77% |
| 80 | Garland | 244,026 | 38,009 | 15.58% |
| 81 | Galveston | 53,265 | 8,284 | 15.55% |
| 82 | Kilgore | 13,400 | 2,049 | 15.29% |
| 83 | Cibolo | 32,640 | 4,951 | 15.17% |
| 84 | Gatesville | 15,848 | 2,393 | 15.1% |
| 85 | Baytown | 84,449 | 12,649 | 14.98% |
| 86 | Hillsboro | 8,281 | 1,239 | 14.96% |
| 87 | Mount Pleasant | 16,065 | 2,330 | 14.5% |
| 88 | Live Oak | 15,726 | 2,277 | 14.48% |
| 89 | Elgin | 10,043 | 1,438 | 14.32% |
| 90 | Cuero | 8,138 | 1,149 | 14.12% |
| 91 | Copperas Cove | 36,436 | 5,137 | 14.1% |
| 92 | Sulphur Springs | 16,033 | 2,247 | 14.01% |
| 93 | Kirby | 8,134 | 1,112 | 13.67% |
| 94 | Webster | 12,297 | 1,676 | 13.63% |
| 95 | Bay City | 17,869 | 2,408 | 13.48% |
| 96 | Rosenberg | 38,722 | 5,171 | 13.35% |
| 97 | Kennedale | 8,590 | 1,143 | 13.31% |
| 98 | Wylie | 57,063 | 7,510 | 13.16% |
| 99 | Irving | 254,962 | 32,905 | 12.91% |
| 100 | Bonham | 10,485 | 1,346 | 12.84% |
Someone REALLY needs to change the title of this page to largest *percentage* of black residents, because with nearly half a million black residents, Houston has *by far* the largest black population.
Great we need this type of information.