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 virginia is 1,588,726 - at 18.8% of the total population of virginia.
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 virginia? Which cities and towns in virginia have seen the greatest increase in its Black population?
What's the blackest city in Virginia? Petersburg took the number one over all spot for the largest Black population in virginia for 2021. 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 virginia 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 virginia or the most diverse places in virginia.
The 10 Blackest Cities In Virginia For 2021
1. Petersburg
/10
Population: 31,362
% African American: 76.29%
# Of African American Residents: 23,926
Percent Change Since 2010: -6.41%
More on Petersburg: Real Estate | Data | Photos
2. Emporia
/10
Population: 5,442
% African American: 62.84%
# Of African American Residents: 3,420
Percent Change Since 2010: -6.07%
More on Emporia: Real Estate | Data | Photos
3. Franklin
/10
Population: 8,147
% African American: 56.68%
# Of African American Residents: 4,618
Percent Change Since 2010: -4.33%
More on Franklin: Real Estate | Data | Photos
4. South Boston
/10
Population: 7,762
% African American: 56.54%
# Of African American Residents: 4,389
Percent Change Since 2010: 12.08%
More on South Boston: Real Estate | Data | Photos
5. Portsmouth
/10
Population: 95,097
% African American: 52.24%
# Of African American Residents: 49,678
Percent Change Since 2010: -1.07%
More on Portsmouth: Real Estate | Data | Photos
6. Hampton
/10
Population: 135,041
% African American: 49.19%
# Of African American Residents: 66,430
Percent Change Since 2010: -1.64%
More on Hampton: Real Estate | Data | Photos
7. Danville
/10
Population: 41,070
% African American: 48.76%
# Of African American Residents: 20,026
Percent Change Since 2010: -4.79%
More on Danville: Real Estate | Data | Photos
8. Richmond
/10
Population: 226,622
% African American: 46.58%
# Of African American Residents: 105,557
Percent Change Since 2010: 2.8%
More on Richmond: Real Estate | Data | Photos
9. Martinsville
/10
Population: 12,852
% African American: 44.46%
# Of African American Residents: 5,714
Percent Change Since 2010: -8.75%
More on Martinsville: Real Estate | Data | Photos
10. Hopewell
/10
Population: 22,456
% African American: 42.21%
# Of African American Residents: 9,478
Percent Change Since 2010: 11.02%
More on Hopewell: Real Estate | Data | Photos
How We Determined The Cities In virginia With The Largest Black Population For 2021
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 virginia.
That lead us to the Census's most recently available data, the 2015-2019 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 59 cities.
We then calculated the percent of residents that are Black or African American. The percentages ranked from 76.3% to 1.1%.
Finally, we ranked each city based on the percent of Black population with a higher score being more Black than a lower score. Petersburg took the distinction of being the most Black, while Poquoson was the least African American city. You can download the data here.
Read on for more information on how the cities in virginia 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.
There You Have It - Black Populations Across Virginia
If you're looking for a breakdown of African American populations across Virginia according to the most recent data, this is an accurate list.
If you're curious enough, here are the least African American places in Virginia:
- Poquoson
- Richlands
- Abingdon
For more Virginia reading, check out:
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Virginia
- Cheapest Places To Live In Virginia
- Most Dangerous Cities In Virginia
Detailed List Of The Most African American Cities In Virginia
| Rank | City | % African American |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Petersburg | 76.29% |
| 2 | Emporia | 62.84% |
| 3 | Franklin | 56.68% |
| 4 | South Boston | 56.54% |
| 5 | Portsmouth | 52.24% |
| 6 | Hampton | 49.19% |
| 7 | Danville | 48.76% |
| 8 | Richmond | 46.58% |
| 9 | Martinsville | 44.46% |
| 10 | Hopewell | 42.21% |
| 11 | Suffolk | 41.05% |
| 12 | Norfolk | 40.51% |
| 13 | Newport News | 39.96% |
| 14 | Chesapeake | 29.31% |
| 15 | Smithfield | 28.77% |
| 16 | Lynchburg | 28.36% |
| 17 | Roanoke | 28.06% |
| 18 | Farmville | 26.92% |
| 19 | Alexandria | 21.15% |
| 20 | Fredericksburg | 20.65% |
| 21 | Culpeper | 20.06% |
| 22 | Big Stone Gap | 19.65% |
| 23 | Charlottesville | 18.67% |
| 24 | Ashland | 18.57% |
| 25 | Virginia Beach | 18.42% |
| 26 | Williamsburg | 15.05% |
| 27 | Colonial Heights | 14.64% |
| 28 | Waynesboro | 13.41% |
| 29 | Manassas | 13.21% |
| 30 | Manassas Park | 12.78% |
| 31 | Covington | 12.49% |
| 32 | Staunton | 10.96% |
| 33 | Winchester | 10.01% |
| 34 | Radford | 9.8% |
| 35 | Front Royal | 8.97% |
| 36 | Lexington | 8.67% |
| 37 | Marion | 8.27% |
| 38 | Leesburg | 8.01% |
| 39 | Warrenton | 7.98% |
| 40 | Wytheville | 7.89% |
| 41 | Buena Vista | 7.28% |
| 42 | Herndon | 6.88% |
| 43 | Pulaski | 6.57% |
| 44 | Salem | 6.56% |
| 45 | Harrisonburg | 6.48% |
| 46 | Bristol | 5.7% |
| 47 | Purcellville | 5.62% |
| 48 | Christiansburg | 5.55% |
| 49 | Galax | 4.97% |
| 50 | Fairfax | 4.92% |
| 51 | Vinton | 4.85% |
| 52 | Falls Church | 4.64% |
| 53 | Blacksburg | 4.61% |
| 54 | Bridgewater | 4.54% |
| 55 | Strasburg | 3.66% |
| 56 | Vienna | 2.41% |
| 57 | Abingdon | 2.25% |
| 58 | Richlands | 1.79% |
| 59 | Poquoson | 1.12% |
How Is The Area In ?
The post The 10 Virginia Cities With The Largest Black Population For 2021 appeared first on RoadSnacks.