Data / Rankings / Black or African American population share / US states

US states by black or African American population share

District of Columbia had the highest black or African American population share of 51 states in 2021, at 43.9%. Montana had the lowest, at 0.5%. The median was 7.1% and the figure for the United States was 12.2%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest43.9District of Columbia
Lowest0.5Montana
Median7.151 states
United States12.2History

All states, 2021

CSVChart (SVG)

District of ColumbiaDistrict of Columbia: 43.9 %43.9MississippiMississippi: 37.4 %37.4LouisianaLouisiana: 31.7 %31.7GeorgiaGeorgia: 31.2 %31.2MarylandMaryland: 29.4 %29.4AlabamaAlabama: 26.3 %26.3South CarolinaSouth Carolina: 26 %26DelawareDelaware: 21.5 %21.5North CarolinaNorth Carolina: 20.8 %20.8VirginiaVirginia: 18.7 %18.7TennesseeTennessee: 16.3 %16.3ArkansasArkansas: 15.2 %15.2FloridaFlorida: 15.1 %15.1New YorkNew York: 13.9 %13.9IllinoisIllinois: 13.8 %13.8MichiganMichigan: 13.4 %13.4New JerseyNew Jersey: 12.6 %12.6OhioOhio: 12.2 %12.2TexasTexas: 11.8 %11.8MissouriMissouri: 11.2 %11.2PennsylvaniaPennsylvania: 10.5 %10.5ConnecticutConnecticut: 10 %10IndianaIndiana: 9.3 %9.3NevadaNevada: 8.9 %8.9KentuckyKentucky: 7.9 %7.9OklahomaOklahoma: 7.1 %7.1MassachusettsMassachusetts: 6.7 %6.7MinnesotaMinnesota: 6.6 %6.6WisconsinWisconsin: 6.2 %6.2KansasKansas: 5.4 %5.4Rhode IslandRhode Island: 5.4 %5.4CaliforniaCalifornia: 5.4 %5.4NebraskaNebraska: 4.7 %4.7ArizonaArizona: 4.2 %4.2ColoradoColorado: 3.9 %3.9WashingtonWashington: 3.7 %3.7IowaIowa: 3.7 %3.7West VirginiaWest Virginia: 3.4 %3.4AlaskaAlaska: 3.1 %3.1North DakotaNorth Dakota: 3.1 %3.1South DakotaSouth Dakota: 2.1 %2.1HawaiiHawaii: 1.8 %1.8New MexicoNew Mexico: 1.8 %1.8OregonOregon: 1.8 %1.8MaineMaine: 1.4 %1.4New HampshireNew Hampshire: 1.4 %1.4VermontVermont: 1.2 %1.2UtahUtah: 1.1 %1.1WyomingWyoming: 0.8 %0.8IdahoIdaho: 0.6 %0.6MontanaMontana: 0.5 %0.5
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-09.

Full ranking

RankStates2021 (%)
1District of Columbia43.9
2Mississippi37.4
3Louisiana31.7
4Georgia31.2
5Maryland29.4
6Alabama26.3
7South Carolina26
8Delaware21.5
9North Carolina20.8
10Virginia18.7
11Tennessee16.3
12Arkansas15.2
13Florida15.1
14New York13.9
15Illinois13.8
16Michigan13.4
17New Jersey12.6
18Ohio12.2
19Texas11.8
20Missouri11.2
21Pennsylvania10.5
22Connecticut10
23Indiana9.3
24Nevada8.9
25Kentucky7.9
26Oklahoma7.1
27Massachusetts6.7
28Minnesota6.6
29Wisconsin6.2
30Kansas5.4
31Rhode Island5.4
32California5.4
33Nebraska4.7
34Arizona4.2
35Colorado3.9
36Washington3.7
37Iowa3.7
38West Virginia3.4
39Alaska3.1
40North Dakota3.1
41South Dakota2.1
42Hawaii1.8
43New Mexico1.8
44Oregon1.8
45Maine1.4
46New Hampshire1.4
47Vermont1.2
48Utah1.1
49Wyoming0.8
50Idaho0.6
51Montana0.5

Other periods

About this ranking

People who are not Hispanic or Latino and report Black or African American as their only race, as a percentage of the total population. United States: American Community Survey five-year estimate, where the period shown is the last year of the five-year span.

US federal statistics ask about Hispanic origin and race separately, and Hispanic or Latino people can be of any race. The shares for White, Black and Asian count people who are not Hispanic and report that race alone, so the published shares do not add up to 100 (people of two or more races and other races are not shown). Calculated from counts in ACS table B03002, which are stored as inputs. EU and Spanish statistics do not collect race.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the states are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B03002: Black or African American alone, not Hispanic or Latino, as a percentage of the total population, calculated with stored inputs. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b03002.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-09.

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Questions

Which state has the highest black or African American population share?

District of Columbia, with 43.9% in 2021, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which state has the lowest black or African American population share?

Montana, with 0.5% in 2021.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B03002: Black or African American alone, not Hispanic or Latino, as a percentage of the total population, calculated with stored inputs. Retrieved 2026-10-09.

Black or African American population share: other rankings

US states: more rankings