Article Table Of Contents
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 Wisconsin is 360,526 - at 6.2% of the total population of Wisconsin.
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 Wisconsin? Which cities and towns in Wisconsin have seen the greatest increase in its Black population?
We broke down the most recent census data to determine the cities in Wisconsin with the largest African American population in 2022:
What's the blackest city in Wisconsin? Milwaukee took the number one over all spot for the largest Black population in Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin or the most diverse places in Wisconsin.
The 10 Blackest Cities In Wisconsin For 2022
1. Milwaukee
/10
Population: 592,649
% African American: 38.27%
# Of African American Residents: 226,809
Percent Change Since 2010: -1.3%
More on Milwaukee: Real Estate | Data | Photos
2. Brown Deer
/10
Population: 11,987
% African American: 27.05%
# Of African American Residents: 3,243
Percent Change Since 2010: -1.64%
More on Brown Deer: Real Estate | Data | Photos
3. Racine
/10
Population: 76,893
% African American: 22.2%
# Of African American Residents: 17,073
Percent Change Since 2010: -0.52%
More on Racine: Real Estate | Data | Photos
4. Glendale
/10
Population: 12,890
% African American: 14.03%
# Of African American Residents: 1,809
Percent Change Since 2010: 1.92%
More on Glendale: Real Estate | Data | Photos
5. Beloit
/10
Population: 36,804
% African American: 12.97%
# Of African American Residents: 4,774
Percent Change Since 2010: -10.53%
More on Beloit: Real Estate | Data | Photos
6. Fox Point
/10
Population: 6,623
% African American: 12.82%
# Of African American Residents: 849
Percent Change Since 2010: 177.45%
More on Fox Point: Real Estate | Data | Photos
7. Sturtevant
/10
Population: 6,606
% African American: 12.29%
# Of African American Residents: 812
Percent Change Since 2010: -23.18%
More on Sturtevant: Real Estate | Data | Photos
8. Kenosha
/10
Population: 99,767
% African American: 10.24%
# Of African American Residents: 10,212
Percent Change Since 2010: 9.72%
More on Kenosha: Real Estate | Data | Photos
9. Fitchburg
/10
Population: 30,032
% African American: 8.13%
# Of African American Residents: 2,441
Percent Change Since 2010: 26.87%
More on Fitchburg: Real Estate | Data | Photos
10. Mount Pleasant
/10
Population: 27,008
% African American: 7.9%
# Of African American Residents: 2,133
Percent Change Since 2010: 54.12%
More on Mount Pleasant: Real Estate | Data | Photos
Methodology: How We Determined The Cities In Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin.
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 135 cities.
We then calculated the percent of residents that are Black or African American. The percentages ranked from 38.3% 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. Milwaukee took the distinction of being the most Black, while Delafield was the least African American city. You can download the data here.
Read on for more information on how the cities in Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin
If you're looking for a breakdown of African American populations across Wisconsin according to the most recent data, this is an accurate list.
If you're curious enough, here are the least African American places in Wisconsin:
- Delafield
- Lake Hallie
- Edgerton
For more Wisconsin reading, check out:
African American Population By City In Wisconsin
| Rank | City | % African American |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Milwaukee | 38.27% |
| 2 | Brown Deer | 27.05% |
| 3 | Racine | 22.2% |
| 4 | Glendale | 14.03% |
| 5 | Beloit | 12.97% |
| 6 | Fox Point | 12.82% |
| 7 | Sturtevant | 12.29% |
| 8 | Kenosha | 10.24% |
| 9 | Fitchburg | 8.13% |
| 10 | Mount Pleasant | 7.9% |
| 11 | Sun Prairie | 7.65% |
| 12 | Allouez | 6.86% |
| 13 | Madison | 6.45% |
| 14 | Wauwatosa | 5.65% |
| 15 | West Allis | 5.59% |
| 16 | Prairie Du Chien | 4.89% |
| 17 | Waupun | 4.81% |
| 18 | Whitefish Bay | 4.81% |
| 19 | Middleton | 4.8% |
| 20 | Franklin | 4.75% |
| 21 | Portage | 4.73% |
| 22 | Green Bay | 4.25% |
| 23 | Caledonia | 4.15% |
| 24 | Tomah | 3.9% |
| 25 | Greenfield | 3.87% |
| 26 | Menomonee Falls | 3.85% |
| 27 | Verona | 3.66% |
| 28 | Oshkosh | 3.66% |
| 29 | Oregon | 3.63% |
| 30 | Neenah | 3.31% |
| 31 | Waukesha | 3.21% |
| 32 | Oak Creek | 3.19% |
| 33 | Sheboygan | 3.19% |
| 34 | Platteville | 3.14% |
| 35 | Whitewater | 3.08% |
| 36 | Appleton | 3.04% |
| 37 | Chippewa Falls | 2.98% |
| 38 | Mcfarland | 2.97% |
| 39 | Sparta | 2.92% |
| 40 | Fond Du Lac | 2.9% |
| 41 | South Milwaukee | 2.82% |
| 42 | Janesville | 2.63% |
| 43 | Germa | 2.57% |
| 44 | Mequon | 2.52% |
| 45 | St. Francis | 2.51% |
| 46 | Shorewood | 2.49% |
| 47 | La Crosse | 2.41% |
| 48 | Beaver Dam | 2.2% |
| 49 | Oconomowoc | 2.04% |
| 50 | Manitowoc | 2.03% |
| 51 | Mount Horeb | 1.99% |
| 52 | Weston | 1.97% |
| 53 | Cudahy | 1.93% |
| 54 | Hudson | 1.93% |
| 55 | Onalaska | 1.9% |
| 56 | West Bend | 1.75% |
| 57 | Elm Grove | 1.74% |
| 58 | Menasha | 1.71% |
| 59 | Plymouth | 1.7% |
| 60 | Superior | 1.69% |
| 61 | Watertown | 1.64% |
| 62 | Monona | 1.62% |
| 63 | Milton | 1.61% |
| 64 | Ashwaubenon | 1.54% |
| 65 | Port Washington | 1.47% |
| 66 | Hartford | 1.47% |
| 67 | Marinette | 1.42% |
| 68 | Greendale | 1.41% |
| 69 | Suamico | 1.35% |
| 70 | Jefferson | 1.34% |
| 71 | Waunakee | 1.32% |
| 72 | Holmen | 1.32% |
| 73 | Eau Claire | 1.32% |
| 74 | Sturgeon Bay | 1.31% |
| 75 | Two Rivers | 1.28% |
| 76 | New Richmond | 1.27% |
| 77 | Menomonie | 1.24% |
| 78 | Rhinelander | 1.23% |
| 79 | Shawano | 1.23% |
| 80 | Little Chute | 1.21% |
| 81 | Stevens Point | 1.2% |
| 82 | Ashland | 1.2% |
| 83 | Baraboo | 1.16% |
| 84 | Marshfield | 1.11% |
| 85 | Fort Atkinson | 1.09% |
| 86 | Hales Corners | 1.08% |
| 87 | Waupaca | 1.05% |
| 88 | Delavan | 1.04% |
| 89 | New Berlin | 1.03% |
| 90 | River Falls | 1.0% |
| 91 | Wisconsin Rapids | 0.98% |
| 92 | Cedarburg | 0.97% |
| 93 | Kronenwetter | 0.91% |
| 94 | Jackson | 0.91% |
| 95 | Pewaukee | 0.91% |
| 96 | Howard | 0.9% |
| 97 | Stoughton | 0.85% |
| 98 | Brookfield | 0.81% |
| 99 | Grafton | 0.79% |
| 100 | Pleasant Prairie | 0.76% |
