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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 Washington is 279,720 - at 3.7% of the total population of Washington.
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 Washington? Which cities and towns in Washington have seen the greatest increase in its Black population?
We broke down the most recent census data to determine the cities in Washington with the largest African American population in 2022:
What's the blackest city in Washington? SeaTac took the number one over all spot for the largest Black population in Washington 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 Washington 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 Washington or the most diverse places in Washington.
The 10 Blackest Cities In Washington For 2022
1. Seatac
/10
Population: 29,102
% African American: 23.36%
# Of African American Residents: 6,797
Percent Change Since 2010: 64.9%
More on Seatac: Real Estate | Data | Photos
2. Tukwila
/10
Population: 20,265
% African American: 20.11%
# Of African American Residents: 4,075
Percent Change Since 2010: 48.56%
More on Tukwila: Real Estate | Data | Photos
3. Federal Way
/10
Population: 96,812
% African American: 15.21%
# Of African American Residents: 14,729
Percent Change Since 2010: 95.47%
More on Federal Way: Real Estate | Data | Photos
4. Lakewood
/10
Population: 60,564
% African American: 12.53%
# Of African American Residents: 7,591
Percent Change Since 2010: 2.59%
More on Lakewood: Real Estate | Data | Photos
5. Kent
/10
Population: 130,038
% African American: 11.74%
# Of African American Residents: 15,270
Percent Change Since 2010: 64.03%
More on Kent: Real Estate | Data | Photos
6. Tacoma
/10
Population: 215,766
% African American: 10.32%
# Of African American Residents: 22,271
Percent Change Since 2010: 1.13%
More on Tacoma: Real Estate | Data | Photos
7. Burien
/10
Population: 51,588
% African American: 10.01%
# Of African American Residents: 5,164
Percent Change Since 2010: 203.76%
More on Burien: Real Estate | Data | Photos
8. Fife
/10
Population: 10,345
% African American: 9.42%
# Of African American Residents: 975
Percent Change Since 2010: 9.18%
More on Fife: Real Estate | Data | Photos
9. Des Moines
/10
Population: 31,983
% African American: 9.23%
# Of African American Residents: 2,951
Percent Change Since 2010: -9.56%
More on Des Moines: Real Estate | Data | Photos
10. Renton
/10
Population: 101,871
% African American: 8.7%
# Of African American Residents: 8,862
Percent Change Since 2010: 0.27%
More on Renton: Real Estate | Data | Photos
Methodology: How We Determined The Cities In Washington 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 Washington.
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 6,000 people. That left us with 115 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. SeaTac took the distinction of being the most Black, while Quincy was the least African American city. You can download the data here.
Read on for more information on how the cities in Washington 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 Washington
If you're looking for a breakdown of African American populations across Washington according to the most recent data, this is an accurate list.
If you're curious enough, here are the least African American places in Washington:
- Quincy
- Union Gap
- Clarkston
For more Washington reading, check out:
- Most Dangerous Cities In Washington
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Washington
- Cheapest Places To Live In Washington
African American Population By City In Washington
| Rank | City | % African American |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seatac | 23.36% |
| 2 | Tukwila | 20.11% |
| 3 | Federal Way | 15.21% |
| 4 | Lakewood | 12.53% |
| 5 | Kent | 11.74% |
| 6 | Tacoma | 10.32% |
| 7 | Burien | 10.01% |
| 8 | Fife | 9.42% |
| 9 | Des Moines | 9.23% |
| 10 | Renton | 8.7% |
| 11 | Pacific | 8.52% |
| 12 | Dupont | 8.24% |
| 13 | Lynnwood | 7.62% |
| 14 | Auburn | 7.07% |
| 15 | Seattle | 6.91% |
| 16 | Brier | 6.84% |
| 17 | Mountlake Terrace | 6.1% |
| 18 | Shoreline | 5.98% |
| 19 | University Place | 5.97% |
| 20 | Oak Harbor | 5.78% |
| 21 | Bremerton | 5.65% |
| 22 | Everett | 5.5% |
| 23 | Steilacoom | 4.74% |
| 24 | Lacey | 4.52% |
| 25 | Airway Heights | 4.36% |
| 26 | Cheney | 4.3% |
| 27 | Covington | 4.23% |
| 28 | Mill Creek | 4.17% |
| 29 | Monroe | 4.12% |
| 30 | Puyallup | 3.39% |
| 31 | Tumwater | 3.26% |
| 32 | Port Orchard | 3.21% |
| 33 | Lake Forest Park | 3.01% |
| 34 | Moses Lake | 3.01% |
| 35 | Olympia | 2.77% |
| 36 | Pullman | 2.71% |
| 37 | Newcastle | 2.71% |
| 38 | Bellevue | 2.57% |
| 39 | Spokane | 2.37% |
| 40 | Walla Walla | 2.1% |
| 41 | Vancouver | 2.06% |
| 42 | Ellensburg | 2.05% |
| 43 | Burlington | 1.96% |
| 44 | Fircrest | 1.9% |
| 45 | Richland | 1.9% |
| 46 | Kirkland | 1.9% |
| 47 | Sequim | 1.87% |
| 48 | Arlington | 1.81% |
| 49 | Kennewick | 1.78% |
| 50 | Lake Stevens | 1.77% |
| 51 | Pasco | 1.74% |
| 52 | Longview | 1.7% |
| 53 | Mukilteo | 1.62% |
| 54 | Maple Valley | 1.62% |
| 55 | Edmonds | 1.59% |
| 56 | Redmond | 1.57% |
| 57 | Bellingham | 1.56% |
| 58 | Yakima | 1.53% |
| 59 | Camas | 1.51% |
| 60 | Kenmore | 1.5% |
| 61 | Marysville | 1.42% |
| 62 | Sammamish | 1.41% |
| 63 | Milton | 1.38% |
| 64 | Woodland | 1.37% |
| 65 | Issaquah | 1.32% |
| 66 | Bothell | 1.31% |
| 67 | Bonney Lake | 1.31% |
| 68 | Port Angeles | 1.27% |
| 69 | Chehalis | 1.26% |
| 70 | Spokane Valley | 1.25% |
| 71 | Orting | 1.17% |
| 72 | Poulsbo | 1.12% |
| 73 | West Richland | 1.12% |
| 74 | Washougal | 1.07% |
| 75 | Sumner | 1.05% |
| 76 | Sedro-Woolley | 1.01% |
| 77 | Selah | 1.01% |
| 78 | Port Townsend | 0.94% |
| 79 | Mercer Island | 0.91% |
| 80 | Woodinville | 0.85% |
| 81 | Duvall | 0.81% |
| 82 | Ephrata | 0.8% |
| 83 | Lynden | 0.8% |
| 84 | Enumclaw | 0.79% |
| 85 | Normandy Park | 0.75% |
| 86 | Gig Harbor | 0.75% |
| 87 | Kelso | 0.73% |
| 88 | Yelm | 0.7% |
| 89 | Anacortes | 0.64% |
| 90 | Wenatchee | 0.63% |
| 91 | Centralia | 0.6% |
| 92 | Mount Vernon | 0.58% |
| 93 | Prosser | 0.54% |
| 94 | Aberdeen | 0.53% |
| 95 | North Bend | 0.5% |
| 96 | Hoquiam | 0.5% |
| 97 | Shelton | 0.44% |
| 98 | Snohomish | 0.42% |
| 99 | Bainbridge Island | 0.38% |
| 100 | Snoqualmie | 0.35% |
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