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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 Texas is 3,367,449 - 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. 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 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 2022:
What's the blackest city in Texas? Prairie View took the number one over all spot for the largest Black population in Texas for 2022. 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 Texas 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 Texas or the most diverse places in Texas.
The 10 Blackest Cities In Texas For 2022
1. Prairie View
/10
Population: 6,813
% African American: 90.94%
# Of African American Residents: 6,196
Percent Change Since 2010: 30.83%
More on Prairie View: Real Estate | Data | Photos
2. Lancaster
/10
Population: 39,264
% African American: 72.03%
# Of African American Residents: 28,280
Percent Change Since 2010: 22.89%
More on Lancaster: Real Estate | Data | Photos
3. Desoto
/10
Population: 53,170
% African American: 67.78%
# Of African American Residents: 36,039
Percent Change Since 2010: 20.05%
More on Desoto: Real Estate | Data | Photos
4. Cedar Hill
/10
Population: 48,337
% African American: 53.58%
# Of African American Residents: 25,898
Percent Change Since 2010: 22.45%
More on Cedar Hill: Real Estate | Data | Photos
5. Jasper
/10
Population: 7,556
% African American: 52.91%
# Of African American Residents: 3,998
Percent Change Since 2010: 28.31%
More on Jasper: Real Estate | Data | Photos
6. Marlin
/10
Population: 5,602
% African American: 48.36%
# Of African American Residents: 2,709
Percent Change Since 2010: -2.55%
More on Marlin: Real Estate | Data | Photos
7. Forest Hill
/10
Population: 12,964
% African American: 47.96%
# Of African American Residents: 6,217
Percent Change Since 2010: 0.63%
More on Forest Hill: Real Estate | Data | Photos
8. Beaumont
/10
Population: 117,321
% African American: 44.78%
# Of African American Residents: 52,538
Percent Change Since 2010: -3.52%
More on Beaumont: Real Estate | Data | Photos
9. Glenn Heights
/10
Population: 13,228
% African American: 43.27%
# Of African American Residents: 5,724
Percent Change Since 2010: 0.37%
More on Glenn Heights: Real Estate | Data
10. Crockett
/10
Population: 6,424
% African American: 42.98%
# Of African American Residents: 2,761
Percent Change Since 2010: -21.58%
More on Crockett: Real Estate | Data | Photos
Methodology: How We Determined The Cities In Texas With The Largest Black Population For 2022
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 Texas.
That lead us to the Census's most recently available data, the 2016-2020 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 328 cities.
We then calculated the percent of residents that are Black or African American. The percentages ranked from 90.9% 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. Prairie View took the distinction of being the most Black, while Progreso was the least African American city. You can download the data here.
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.
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.
If you're curious enough, here are the least African American places in Texas:
- Progreso
- Bridge City
- Port Isabel
For more Texas reading, check out:
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Texas
- Worst Places To Live In Texas
- Cheapest Places To Live In Texas
African American Population By City In Texas
| Rank | City | % African American |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Prairie View | 90.94% |
| 2 | Lancaster | 72.03% |
| 3 | Desoto | 67.78% |
| 4 | Cedar Hill | 53.58% |
| 5 | Jasper | 52.91% |
| 6 | Marlin | 48.36% |
| 7 | Forest Hill | 47.96% |
| 8 | Beaumont | 44.78% |
| 9 | Glenn Heights | 43.27% |
| 10 | Crockett | 42.98% |
| 11 | Hempstead | 42.63% |
| 12 | Port Arthur | 42.05% |
| 13 | Missouri City | 39.58% |
| 14 | Texarkana | 39.53% |
| 15 | Marshall | 38.85% |
| 16 | Atlanta | 35.18% |
| 17 | Killeen | 34.8% |
| 18 | Orange | 33.35% |
| 19 | La Marque | 31.33% |
| 20 | Humble | 31.31% |
| 21 | Red Oak | 30.83% |
| 22 | Duncanville | 30.83% |
| 23 | Stafford | 30.37% |
| 24 | Mexia | 29.74% |
| 25 | Lacy-Lakeview | 28.65% |
| 26 | Texas City | 28.51% |
| 27 | Silsbee | 28.43% |
| 28 | Navasota | 28.15% |
| 29 | Elgin | 27.29% |
| 30 | Palestine | 26.88% |
| 31 | Balch Springs | 26.76% |
| 32 | Rusk | 26.76% |
| 33 | Nacogdoches | 26.37% |
| 34 | Center | 26.36% |
| 35 | Everman | 26.27% |
| 36 | Huntsville | 26.25% |
| 37 | Wharton | 25.87% |
| 38 | Terrell | 25.35% |
| 39 | Lufkin | 25.19% |
| 40 | Mesquite | 25.08% |
| 41 | Dallas | 23.98% |
| 42 | Tyler | 23.33% |
| 43 | Wake Village | 23.24% |
| 44 | Harker Heights | 23.0% |
| 45 | Commerce | 22.66% |
| 46 | Richmond | 22.63% |
| 47 | Arlington | 22.41% |
| 48 | Brenham | 22.41% |
| 49 | Longview | 22.36% |
| 50 | Hitchcock | 22.36% |
| 51 | Houston | 22.3% |
| 52 | Paris | 22.19% |
| 53 | Mansfield | 21.81% |
| 54 | Cleveland | 21.46% |
| 55 | Henderson | 21.11% |
| 56 | Crowley | 20.83% |
| 57 | Grand Prairie | 20.6% |
| 58 | Converse | 20.44% |
| 59 | Jacksonville | 20.31% |
| 60 | Waco | 20.26% |
| 61 | Rowlett | 19.94% |
| 62 | Little Elm | 19.74% |
| 63 | Carthage | 18.78% |
| 64 | Pearland | 18.6% |
| 65 | Fort Worth | 18.22% |
| 66 | Live Oak | 17.96% |
| 67 | Bellmead | 17.81% |
| 68 | Webster | 17.75% |
| 69 | Livingston | 17.38% |
| 70 | Athens | 17.31% |
| 71 | Corsicana | 16.96% |
| 72 | Cuero | 16.88% |
| 73 | Hillsboro | 16.69% |
| 74 | Bryan | 16.67% |
| 75 | Gatesville | 16.56% |
| 76 | Euless | 16.54% |
| 77 | Edna | 15.94% |
| 78 | Galveston | 15.88% |
| 79 | Princeton | 15.74% |
| 80 | Cibolo | 15.69% |
| 81 | Baytown | 15.48% |
| 82 | Freeport | 15.34% |
| 83 | Seagoville | 15.11% |
| 84 | Liberty | 15.01% |
| 85 | Ennis | 14.96% |
| 86 | Rosenberg | 14.83% |
| 87 | Temple | 14.51% |
| 88 | Pflugerville | 14.26% |
| 89 | Bay City | 14.25% |
| 90 | Cameron | 14.24% |
| 91 | Garland | 14.17% |
| 92 | Kennedale | 14.08% |
| 93 | Gladewater | 13.93% |
| 94 | Copperas Cove | 13.9% |
| 95 | Mount Pleasant | 13.82% |
| 96 | Murphy | 13.73% |
| 97 | Hutto | 13.68% |
| 98 | Sulphur Springs | 13.67% |
| 99 | Irving | 13.55% |
| 100 | Forney | 13.32% |
