Edited by Azizi Powell
This pancocojams post presents information about the population of Black people in the United States in 2026.
This post also provides information about which state (including the District of Columbia/Washington D.C.) has the highest number of Black people in 2026 and which state has the lowest number of Black people in 2026.
In addition, this post presents information about the percentage of Black people in the state of Iowa (for the reason that is given in Source #2 below.)
The content of this post is presented for informational purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post.
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INFORMATION ABOUT THE PERCENTAGE OF BLACK PEOPLE IN THE UNITED STATES IN 2026
From https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/black-population-by-state
[…]
US Black Population
The United States Black population is approximately 12.61% of the total population in 2026.
Since 1980, the Black immigrant population has increased fivefold, contributing to demographic shifts across states.
US Black Population Trends
2010 10.6%
2011 10.77%
2012 10.94%
2013 11.1%
2014 11.26%
2015 11.41%
2016 11.54%
2017 11.68%
2018 11.81%
2019 11.95%
2020 12.12%
2021 12.28%
2022 12.39%
2023 12.49%
2024 12.61%
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.
[…]
State Comparison [This result is given in a bar graph. These statistics cited
from another part of that page.]
District of Columbia-44.88%
United States US Avg.- 12.61%
Montana-1.09%
Black population percentages vary significantly by state,
ranging from over 40% in some Southern states to less than 2% in several
Western and Mountain states.
[...]
How Black Population Is Measured The U.S. Census Bureau defines Black or African American population to include individuals who identify as Black or African American alone or in combination with one or more other races. This measurement captures both single-race and multiracial identification.
Last Updated: October 28, 2026"
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SOURCE #2
[This AI Overview result is from my November 2, 2026 Google Search about the percentage of Black people in Iowa, compared to the percentage of Black people in the USA.
I did a Google search for that information (which resulted in an AI Overview write-up) because I had just read that in his last midterm election rally in Iowa on November 1, 2026 President Trump brought up the subject of racial terminology that "his Black friends" preferred.
I wondered why he brought that subject up at a rally in the state of Iowa of all places. That led me to wonder which state in 2026 has the highest percentage of Black people and which state has the lowest percentage of Black people.
President Trump's comment about the racial terms that are preferred by his "Black friends" not only motivated me to search for the current statistics about states with the highest number and the lowest number of Black people. That comment also motivated me to update my 2020 pancocojams post entitIed "How "African American" Won The "What Should We Be Called?" Contest" (and other comments about the "African American" referent):>
The link and title for that updated post is https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2026/11/black-americans-past-uses-and-current.html "Black Americans' Past Uses And Current (2026) Uses Of Self-Identifiers And Group Referents For Ourselves"]
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AI Overview:
" Iowa Demographics
• Black population percentage: ~5.45% (with total Black or
African American population estimates around 176,000).
• Context: Iowa's overall population remains predominantly
white, though diversity has grown steadily over recent decades.
Highest Percentage State in the U.S.
• State with the highest share: Mississippi (~38.5%).
• Runner-up states: Louisiana (~33.2%) and Georgia (~32.3%)
follow closely behind.
• Note: The federal district, District of Columbia (D.C.),
has an even higher percentage at roughly 44.9%, but it is a federal district
rather than a U.S. state."
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