Black Population by State 2026
United States
District of Columbia
MontanaBlack %
44.88%
37.92%
33.04%
32.34%
32.08%
26.69%
States Ranked by Black Population
State | Black % 2024↓ | Black 2024 | Population 2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | District of Columbia | 44.88% | 312,370 | 691,310 |
 | Mississippi | 37.92% | 1,121,620 | 2,950,172 |
 | Louisiana | 33.04% | 1,527,020 | 4,614,878 |
 | Georgia | 32.34% | 3,687,330 | 11,204,208 |
 | Maryland | 32.08% | 2,016,090 | 6,245,314 |
 | Alabama | 26.69% | 1,394,110 | 5,163,055 |
 | South Carolina | 25.24% | 1,425,940 | 5,490,316 |
 | Delaware | 24.16% | 258,469 | 1,050,123 |
 | North Carolina | 21.59% | 2,449,210 | 11,052,061 |
 | Virginia | 20.74% | 1,854,620 | 8,819,642 |
 | New York | 17.52% | 3,504,250 | 20,001,419 |
 | Florida | 16.84% | 3,984,330 | 23,265,838 |
 | Tennessee | 16.76% | 1,236,500 | 7,251,291 |
 | Arkansas | 15.98% | 500,629 | 3,096,080 |
 | Illinois | 15.31% | 1,950,310 | 12,703,033 |
 | Michigan | 15.29% | 1,553,240 | 10,099,962 |
 | New Jersey | 14.97% | 1,436,010 | 9,506,354 |
 | Ohio | 14.61% | 1,744,370 | 11,860,621 |
 | Connecticut | 13.52% | 500,561 | 3,674,449 |
 | Texas | 13.27% | 4,259,840 | 31,318,578 |
 | Pennsylvania | 13.06% | 1,706,770 | 13,045,848 |
 | Missouri | 12.63% | 795,475 | 6,243,544 |
 | Nevada | 11.7% | 387,309 | 3,253,543 |
 | Indiana | 11.14% | 781,166 | 6,934,754 |
 | Massachusetts | 10.12% | 725,371 | 7,138,560 |
 | Rhode Island | 9.67% | 108,189 | 1,110,415 |
 | Oklahoma | 9.46% | 392,450 | 4,097,758 |
 | Kentucky | 9.44% | 437,271 | 4,584,046 |
 | Minnesota | 8.78% | 514,603 | 5,797,405 |
 | Wisconsin | 7.62% | 456,375 | 5,957,168 |
 | Kansas | 7.57% | 226,182 | 2,965,252 |
 | California | 7.24% | 2,847,960 | 39,364,774 |
 | Nebraska | 6.56% | 133,200 | 2,005,591 |
 | Arizona | 6.3% | 484,864 | 7,556,424 |
 | Washington | 5.96% | 481,048 | 7,927,958 |
 | Colorado | 5.65% | 340,825 | 5,988,502 |
 | Iowa | 5.45% | 176,791 | 3,230,454 |
 | Alaska | 5.22% | 38,531 | 736,537 |
 | West Virginia | 4.79% | 84,456 | 1,767,402 |
 | North Dakota | 4.36% | 35,136 | 793,387 |
 | Hawaii | 3.76% | 53,836 | 1,434,952 |
 | New Mexico | 3.46% | 73,540 | 2,126,774 |
 | Oregon | 3.35% | 143,615 | 4,265,324 |
 | South Dakota | 3.31% | 31,223 | 927,110 |
 | Maine | 2.64% | 37,568 | 1,408,438 |
 | New Hampshire | 2.63% | 37,389 | 1,408,518 |
 | Vermont | 2.31% | 14,844 | 646,521 |
 | Utah | 2.07% | 74,036 | 3,502,983 |
 | Wyoming | 1.66% | 9,783 | 586,722 |
 | Idaho | 1.4% | 28,760 | 2,000,872 |
 | Montana | 1.09% | 12,503 | 1,137,557 |
 | United States | 48,387,888 |
- Black or African American alone or in combination with one or more other races
Key Findings
States with the Highest Black Population Percentage
In the table’s 2024 percentage column, Mississippi (37.92%), Louisiana (33.04%), and Georgia (32.34%) have the highest shares among the 50 states. The District of Columbia is higher at 44.88%, but is not a state.
These states are primarily located in the South and Southeast regions, where over half of the nation's Black population resides.
States with the Lowest Black Population Percentage
Montana (1.09%), Idaho (1.40%), and Wyoming (1.66%) have the lowest Black population shares in the table’s 2024 column.
Thirteen of the 50 states have Black population shares below 5% in the table’s 2024 percentage column.
US Black Population
The table lists 48,387,888 Black residents nationwide for 2024, using the “Black alone or in combination” category. Its national percentage for that year is missing, so a national share should not be inferred from the displayed state average.
Pew Research Center estimated that the Black immigrant population grew from roughly 800,000 in 1980 to 4.6 million in 2019. That historical immigration trend provides context, but is separate from the total Black population series in this table.
United States Trend Line
US Black Population Trends
The Black population in the United States has grown steadily since the first Census in 1790, rising from 757,208 to over 47 million today, with significant regional concentration in the South and Southeast.
Black Population by State
State Comparison
Black population shares vary widely across states. In the 2024 column, Mississippi has the highest state share at about 37.92%, while Montana has the lowest at about 1.09%. The District of Columbia, shown separately, is about 44.88%.
