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 2023, at 42.5%. Montana had the lowest, at 0.5%. The median was 6.9% and the figure for the United States was 12%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest42.5District of Columbia
Lowest0.5Montana
Median6.951 states
United States12History

All states, 2023

CSVChart (SVG)

District of ColumbiaDistrict of Columbia: 42.5 %42.5MississippiMississippi: 36.9 %36.9GeorgiaGeorgia: 31 %31LouisianaLouisiana: 30.8 %30.8MarylandMaryland: 29.2 %29.2AlabamaAlabama: 25.9 %25.9South CarolinaSouth Carolina: 25.1 %25.1DelawareDelaware: 21.4 %21.4North CarolinaNorth Carolina: 20.3 %20.3VirginiaVirginia: 18.4 %18.4TennesseeTennessee: 15.7 %15.7ArkansasArkansas: 14.8 %14.8FloridaFlorida: 14.8 %14.8New YorkNew York: 13.6 %13.6IllinoisIllinois: 13.6 %13.6MichiganMichigan: 13.2 %13.2New JerseyNew Jersey: 12.3 %12.3OhioOhio: 12.1 %12.1TexasTexas: 11.9 %11.9MissouriMissouri: 11 %11PennsylvaniaPennsylvania: 10.3 %10.3ConnecticutConnecticut: 9.9 %9.9IndianaIndiana: 9.1 %9.1NevadaNevada: 9.1 %9.1KentuckyKentucky: 7.8 %7.8OklahomaOklahoma: 6.9 %6.9MinnesotaMinnesota: 6.7 %6.7MassachusettsMassachusetts: 6.5 %6.5WisconsinWisconsin: 6 %6CaliforniaCalifornia: 5.3 %5.3KansasKansas: 5.3 %5.3Rhode IslandRhode Island: 5 %5NebraskaNebraska: 4.6 %4.6ArizonaArizona: 4.4 %4.4WashingtonWashington: 3.8 %3.8ColoradoColorado: 3.8 %3.8IowaIowa: 3.8 %3.8West VirginiaWest Virginia: 3.2 %3.2North DakotaNorth Dakota: 3.2 %3.2AlaskaAlaska: 3 %3South DakotaSouth Dakota: 2.2 %2.2OregonOregon: 1.8 %1.8New MexicoNew Mexico: 1.8 %1.8HawaiiHawaii: 1.8 %1.8MaineMaine: 1.6 %1.6New HampshireNew Hampshire: 1.4 %1.4VermontVermont: 1.2 %1.2UtahUtah: 1 %1WyomingWyoming: 0.8 %0.8IdahoIdaho: 0.7 %0.7MontanaMontana: 0.5 %0.5
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-09.

Full ranking

RankStates2023 (%)Change on 2022
1District of Columbia42.5-1 pts
2Mississippi36.9-0.3 pts
3Georgia31-0.1 pts
4Louisiana30.8-0.6 pts
5Maryland29.2-0.3 pts
6Alabama25.9-0.3 pts
7South Carolina25.1-0.5 pts
8Delaware21.4-0.1 pts
9North Carolina20.3-0.4 pts
10Virginia18.4-0.1 pts
11Tennessee15.7-0.4 pts
12Arkansas14.8-0.2 pts
13Florida14.8-0.1 pts
14New York13.6-0.2 pts
15Illinois13.6-0.1 pts
16Michigan13.2-0.2 pts
17New Jersey12.3-0.1 pts
18Ohio12.1-0 pts
19Texas11.9+0.1 pts
20Missouri11-0.2 pts
21Pennsylvania10.3-0.1 pts
22Connecticut9.90 pts
23Indiana9.1-0.2 pts
24Nevada9.1+0.1 pts
25Kentucky7.8-0.1 pts
26Oklahoma6.9-0.1 pts
27Minnesota6.7+0.1 pts
28Massachusetts6.5-0.1 pts
29Wisconsin6-0 pts
30California5.3-0 pts
31Kansas5.3-0.1 pts
32Rhode Island5-0.3 pts
33Nebraska4.6-0 pts
34Arizona4.4+0.1 pts
35Washington3.80 pts
36Colorado3.8-0 pts
37Iowa3.8+0.1 pts
38West Virginia3.2-0.1 pts
39North Dakota3.2-0 pts
40Alaska3-0.1 pts
41South Dakota2.20 pts
42Oregon1.8+0.1 pts
43New Mexico1.80 pts
44Hawaii1.8-0 pts
45Maine1.6+0.1 pts
46New Hampshire1.40 pts
47Vermont1.2-0 pts
48Utah1-0 pts
49Wyoming0.80 pts
50Idaho0.70 pts
51Montana0.5-0 pts

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/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-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 42.5% in 2023, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

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

Montana, with 0.5% in 2023.

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