U.S. Department of Commerce

Economics and Statistics Administration

U.S. CENSUS BUREAU

The Black Population: 2010

2010 Census Briefs

By

Sonya Rastogi, 

Tallese D. Johnson,

Elizabeth M. Hoeffel,

and 

Malcolm P. Drewery, Jr.

C2010BR-06

Issued September 2011

INTRODUCTION

This report provides a portrait of 

the Black population in the United 

States and discusses its distribution at the national level and at 

lower levels of geography.1, 2 It is 

part of a series that analyzes population and housing data collected 

from the 2010 Census. The data 

for this report are based on the 

2010 Census Redistricting Data 

(Public Law 94-171) Summary File, 

which was the first 2010 Census 

data product released with data on 

race and Hispanic origin and was 

provided to each state for use in 

drawing boundaries for legislative 

districts.3

UNDERSTANDING RACE 

DATA FROM THE 

2010 CENSUS

The 2010 Census used established 

federal standards to collect and 

present data on race.

For the 2010 Census, the question on 

race was asked of individuals living in the 

United States (see Figure 1). An individual’s response to the race question was 

based upon self-identification. The 

U.S. Census Bureau collects information 

on race following the guidance of the 

U.S. Office of Management and Budget’s 

1 The terms “Black” and “Black or African American” 

are used interchangeably in this report. 2 This report discusses data for the 50 states and 

the District of Columbia, but not Puerto Rico. 3 Information on the 2010 Census Redistricting 

Data (Public Law 94-171) Summary File is available 

online at <http://2010.census.gov/2010census/data

/redistricting-data.php>.

(OMB) 1997 Revisions to the Standards

for the Classification of Federal Data on 

Race and Ethnicity.

4 These federal standards mandate that race and Hispanic 

origin (ethnicity) are separate and distinct 

concepts and that when collecting these 

data via self-identification, two different 

questions must be used.5

4 The 1997 Revisions to the Standards for the 

Classification of Federal Data on Race and Ethnicity,

issued by OMB, is available at <www.whitehouse.gov

/omb/fedreg/1997standards.html>. 5 The OMB requires federal agencies to use a 

minimum of two ethnicities: Hispanic or Latino and 

Not Hispanic or Latino. Hispanic origin can be viewed 

as the heritage, nationality group, lineage, or country 

of birth of the person or the person’s parents or 

ancestors before their arrival in the United States. 

People who identify their origin as Hispanic, Latino, or 

Spanish may be of any race. “Hispanic or Latino” refers 

to a person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or 

Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin 

regardless of race. 

Figure 1.

Reproduction of the Question on 

Race From the 2010 Census

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 Census questionnaire.
2 U.S. Census Bureau

Starting in 1997, OMB required 

federal agencies to use a minimum 

of five race categories: White, Black 

or African American, American 

Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, and 

Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific 

Islander. For respondents unable 

to identify with any of these five 

race categories, OMB approved the 

Census Bureau’s inclusion of a sixth 

category—Some Other Race—on 

the Census 2000 and 2010 Census 

questionnaires. The 1997 OMB 

standards also allowed for respondents to identify with more than 

one race. The definition of the 

Black or African American racial 

category used in the 2010 Census 

is presented in the text box on 

this page. 

Data on race have been collected 

since the first U.S. decennial 

census in 1790.6 For the first time 

in Census 2000, individuals were 

presented with the option to selfidentify with more than one race 

and this continued with the 

2010 Census, as prescribed by 

OMB. There are 57 possible multiple race combinations involving 

the five OMB race categories and 

Some Other Race.7

The 2010 Census question on race 

included 15 separate response 

categories and three areas where 

respondents could write in detailed 

information about their race (see 

6 For information about comparability 

of 2010 Census data on race and Hispanic 

origin to data collected in previous censuses, 

see the 2010 Census Redistricting Data 

(Public Law 94-171) Summary File—Technical 

Documentation at <www.census.gov/prod

/cen2010/doc/pl94-171.pdf>. 7 The 2010 Census provides data on 

the total population reporting more than 

one race, as well as detailed race combinations (e.g., Black or African American and

White; Black or African American and Asian

and American Indian and Alaska Native). In 

this report, the multiple-race categories are 

denoted with the conjunction and in bold 

and italicized print to indicate the separate 

race groups that comprise the particular 

combination.

Figure 1).8 The response categories and write-in answers can be 

combined to create the five minimum OMB race categories plus 

Some Other Race. In addition to 

White, Black or African American, 

American Indian and Alaska Native, 

and Some Other Race, 7 of the 

15 response categories are Asian 

groups and 4 are Native Hawaiian 

and Other Pacific Islander groups.9

For a complete explanation of 

the race categories used in the 

2010 Census, see the 2010 

Census Brief, Overview of Race 

and Hispanic Origin: 2010.

10

8 There were two changes to the question 

on race for the 2010 Census. First, the wording of the race question was changed from 

“What is this person’s race? Mark ý one or 

more races to indicate what this person considers himself/herself to be” in 2000 to “What 

is this person’s race? Mark ý one or more 

boxes” for 2010. Second, in 2010, examples 

were added to the “Other Asian” response 

category (Hmong, Laotian, Thai, Pakistani, 

Cambodian, and so on) and the “Other Pacific 

Islander” response category (Fijian, Tongan, 

and so on). In 2000, no examples were given 

in the race question. 9 The race categories included in the 

census questionnaire generally reflect a social 

definition of race recognized in this country 

and are not an attempt to define race biologically, anthropologically, or genetically. In addition, it is recognized that the categories of 

the race question include race and national 

origin or sociocultural groups. 10 Humes, K., N. Jones, and R. Ramirez. 

2011. Overview of Race and Hispanic Origin: 

2010, U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 Census 

Briefs, C2010BR-02, available at 

<www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/briefs

/c2010br-02.pdf>.

RACE ALONE, RACE IN 

COMBINATION, AND RACE 

ALONE-OR-IN-COMBINATION 

CONCEPTS

This report presents data for the 

Black population and focuses on 

results for three major conceptual 

groups. 

People who responded to the question on race by indicating only one 

race are referred to as the race 

alone population, or the group 

who reported only one race. For 

example, respondents who marked 

only the “Black, African Am., or 

Negro” category on the census 

questionnaire would be included 

in the Black alone population. This 

population can be viewed as the 

minimum number of people reporting Black.

Individuals who chose more than 

one of the six race categories are 

referred to as the race in combination population, or as the group 

who reported more than one race. 

For example, respondents who 

reported they were Black or African 

American and White or Black or 

African American and Asian and

American Indian and Alaska Native 

would be included in the Black 

in combination population. This 

population is also referred to as the 

multiple-race Black population.

DEFINITION OF BLACK OR AFRICAN AMERICAN USED 

IN THE 2010 CENSUS

According to OMB, “Black or African American” refers to a person 

having origins in any of the Black racial groups of Africa.

The Black racial category includes people who marked the “Black, 

African Am., or Negro” checkbox. It also includes respondents who 

reported entries such as African American; Sub-Saharan African 

entries, such as Kenyan and Nigerian; and Afro-Caribbean entries, 

such as Haitian and Jamaican.*

*Sub-Saharan African entries are classified as Black or African American with the exception of Sudanese and Cape Verdean because of their complex, historical heritage. North 

African entries are classified as White, as OMB defines White as a person having origins 

in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa.
U.S. Census Bureau 3

The maximum number of people 

reporting Black is reflected in the 

Black alone-or-in-combination population. One way to define the Black 

population is to combine those 

respondents who reported Black 

alone with those who reported 

Black in combination with one or 

more other races. This creates the 

Black alone-or-in-combination population. Another way to think of the 

Black alone-or-in-combination population is the total number of people 

who reported Black, whether or not 

they reported any other races.

Throughout the report, the discussion of the Black population 

compares results for each of these 

groups and highlights the diversity 

within the entire Black population.11

11 As a matter of policy, the Census Bureau 

does not advocate the use of the alone

population over the alone-or-in-combination

population or vice versa. The use of the alone 

population in sections of this report does not 

imply that it is a preferred method of presenting or analyzing data. The same is true 

for sections of this report that focus on the 

alone-or-in-combination population. Data on 

race from the 2010 Census can be presented 

and discussed in a variety of ways.

THE BLACK POPULATION: 

A SNAPSHOT

The 2010 Census showed that the 

United States population on April 

1, 2010, was 308.7 million. Out of 

the total population, 38.9 million 

people, or 13 percent, identified 

as Black alone (see Table 1).12, 13 In 

addition, 3.1 million people, or 1 

percent, reported Black in combination with one or more other races. 

Together, these two groups totaled 

42.0 million people. Thus, 14 

percent of all people in the United 

States identified as Black, either 

12 Percentages shown in text generally are 

rounded to the nearest integer, while those 

shown in tables and figures are shown with 

decimals. All rounding is based on unrounded 

calculations. Thus, due to rounding, some 

percentages shown in tables and figures 

ending in “5” may round either up or down. 

For example, unrounded numbers of 14.49 

and 14.51 would both be shown as 14.5 in 

a table, but would be cited in the text as 14 

and 15, respectively. 13 For the purposes of this report, the 

terms “reported,” “identified,” and “classified” are used interchangeably to refer to the 

response provided by respondents as well as 

responses assigned during the editing and 

imputation process.

alone, or in combination with one 

or more other races.

The Black population 

increased at a faster rate 

than the total population.

The total U.S. population grew by 

9.7 percent, from 281.4 million in 

2000 to 308.7 million in 2010 

(see Table 1). In comparison, the 

Black alone population grew by 

12 percent from 34.7 million 

to 38.9 million.14

The Black alone-or-in-combination 

population experienced more 

growth than the total population 

and the Black alone population, 

growing by 15 percent. However, 

both groups grew at a slower rate 

14 The observed changes in the race 

counts between Census 2000 and the 

2010 Census could be attributed to a number of factors. Demographic change since 

2000, which includes births and deaths in a 

geographic area and migration in and out of 

a geographic area, will have an impact on the 

resulting 2010 Census counts. Additionally, 

some changes in the race question’s wording 

and format since Census 2000 could have 

influenced reporting patterns in the 

2010 Census.

Table 1.

Black or African American Population: 2000 and 2010

(For information on confidentiality protection, nonsampling error, and definitions, see www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/doc/pl94-171.pdf)

Race

2000 2010 Change, 

2000 to 2010

Number

Percent

of total 

population Number

Percent 

of total 

population Number Percent

 Total population . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281,421,906 100.0 308,745,538 100.0 27,323,632 9.7

Black or African American alone or in combination . . . . . . . . . . . . 36,419,434 12.9 42,020,743 13.6 5,601,309 15.4

Black or African American alone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34,658,190 12.3 38,929,319 12.6 4,271,129 12.3

Black or African American in combination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,761,244 0.6 3,091,424 1.0 1,330,180 75.5

Black or African American; White . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 784,764 0.3 1,834,212 0.6 1,049,448 133.7

Black or African American; Some Other Race . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 417,249 0.1 314,571 0.1 –102,678 –24.6

Black or African American; American Indian and Alaska Native . 182,494 0.1 269,421 0.1 86,927 47.6

Black or African American; White; American Indian and 

Alaska Native . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112,207 – 230,848 0.1 118,641 105.7

Black or African American; Asian . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106,782 – 185,595 0.1 78,813 73.8

All other combinations including Black or African American . . . . 157,748 0.1 256,777 0.1 99,029 62.8

Not Black or African American alone or in combination . . . . . . . . . 245,002,472 87.1 266,724,795 86.4 21,722,323 8.9

– Percentage rounds to 0.0.

Note: In Census 2000, an error in data processing resulted in an overstatement of the Two or More Races population by about 1 million people (about 15 percent) nationally, which almost entirely affected race combinations involving Some Other Race. Therefore, data users should assess observed changes in the Two 

or More Races population and race combinations involving Some Other Race between Census 2000 and the 2010 Census with caution. Changes in specific race 

combinations not involving Some Other Race, such as Black or African American and White or Black or African American and Asian, generally should be more 

comparable.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000 Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171) Summary File, Table PL1; and 2010 Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 

94-171) Summary File, Table P1.
4 U.S. Census Bureau

than most other major race and 

ethnic groups in the country.15

15 Humes, K., N. Jones, and R. Ramirez. 

2011. Overview of Race and Hispanic Origin: 

2010, U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 Census 

Briefs, C2010BR-02, available at 

<www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/briefs 

/c2010br-02.pdf>.

MULTIPLE-RACE REPORTING 

AMONG THE BLACK 

POPULATION

Blacks who reported more 

than one race grew at a much 

faster rate than the Black 

alone population.

In the 2010 Census, 3.1 million people reported Black in 

combination with one or more 

additional races (see Table 2). The 

multiple-race Black population grew 

at a considerably faster rate than 

the Black alone population, growing by more than three-fourths in 

size since 2000.

Table 2.

Most Frequent Combinations of Black or African American Population With One or More 

Other Races by Hispanic or Latino Origin: 2000 and 2010

(For information on confidentiality protection, nonsampling error, and definitions, see www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/doc/pl94-171.pdf)

Black or African American in combination

2000 2010 Change, 

2000 to 2010

Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent

 Total number reporting Black or African American 

 and one or more other races . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,761,244 100.0 3,091,424 100.0 1,330,180 75.5

Black or African American; White . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 784,764 44.6 1,834,212 59.3 1,049,448 133.7

Black or African American; Some Other Race.............. 417,249 23.7 314,571 10.2 –102,678 –24.6

Black or African American; American Indian and 

Alaska Native . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182,494 10.4 269,421 8.7 86,927 47.6

Black or African American; White; American Indian and 

Alaska Native . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112,207 6.4 230,848 7.5 118,641 105.7

Black or African American; Asian . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106,782 6.1 185,595 6.0 78,813 73.8

Black or African American; White; Some Other Race . . . . . . . . 43,172 2.5 46,641 1.5 3,469 8.0

All other combinations including Black or African American . . . 114,576 6.5 210,136 6.8 95,560 83.4

Hispanic or Latino

Black or African American in combination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 325,330 100.0 653,747 100.0 328,417 100.9

Black or African American; White . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87,687 27.0 245,850 37.6 158,163 180.4

Black or African American; Some Other Race . . . . . . . . . . . . 161,283 49.6 227,648 34.8 66,365 41.1

Black or African American; American Indian and 

Alaska Native . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14,472 4.4 31,571 4.8 17,099 118.2

Black or African American; White; American Indian and 

Alaska Native . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18,046 5.5 50,000 7.6 31,954 177.1

Black or African American; Asian . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7,269 2.2 15,451 2.4 8,182 112.6

Black or African American; White; Some Other Race . . . . . . 15,481 4.8 33,554 5.1 18,073 116.7

All other combinations including Black or 

African American . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21,092 6.5 49,673 7.6 28,581 135.5

Not Hispanic or Latino

Black or African American in combination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,435,914 100.0 2,437,677 100.0 1,001,763 69.8

Black or African American; White . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 697,077 48.5 1,588,362 65.2 891,285 127.9

Black or African American; Some Other Race . . . . . . . . . . . . 255,966 17.8 86,923 3.6 –169,043 –66.0

Black or African American; American Indian and 

Alaska Native . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168,022 11.7 237,850 9.8 69,828 41.6

Black or African American; White; American Indian and 

Alaska Native . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94,161 6.6 180,848 7.4 86,687 92.1

Black or African American; Asian . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99,513 6.9 170,144 7.0 70,631 71.0

Black or African American; White; Some Other Race . . . . . . 27,691 1.9 13,087 0.5 –14,604 –52.7

All other combinations including Black or 

African American . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93,484 6.5 160,463 6.6 66,979 71.6

Note: In Census 2000, an error in data processing resulted in an overstatement of the Two or More Races population by about 1 million people (about 15 

percent) nationally, which almost entirely affected race combinations involving Some Other Race. Therefore, data users should assess observed changes in the Two 

or More Races population and race combinations involving Some Other Race between Census 2000 and the 2010 Census with caution. Changes in specific race 

combinations not involving Some Other Race, such as Black or African American and White or Black or African American and Asian, generally should be 

more comparable.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000 Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171) Summary File, Tables PL1 and PL2; and 2010 Census Redistricting Data 

(Public Law 94-171) Summary File, Tables P1 and P2.
U.S. Census Bureau 5

The largest multiple-race 

combination was Black and 

White.

Among people who reported they 

were Black and one or more additional races, the majority identified 

as Black and White (59 percent) 

(see Table 2). This was followed 

by Black and Some Other Race 

(10 percent), Black and American 

Indian and Alaska Native (9 percent), and Black and White and

American Indian and Alaska Native 

(7 percent). Together, these four 

combinations comprised over 85 

percent of all Blacks who reported 

multiple races.

The Black and White 

population contributed to 

most of the growth among 

Blacks who reported multiple 

races.

Among people who reported their 

race as Black and one or more additional races, those who reported 

Black and White more than doubled 

in size from about 785,000 in 2000 

to 1.8 million in 2010. This combination constituted the greatest 

increase in the multiple-race Black 

population. The Black and White 

population’s share of all multiplerace Blacks also increased substantially, from 45 percent in 2000 to 

59 percent in 2010, about a 15 

percentage-point difference.

The Black and Some Other Race 

population decreased between 

2000 to 2010. This decrease was 

likely due to a data processing 

error in the Two or More Races 

population, which largely affected 

the combinations that included 

Some Other Race, overstating the 

Black and Some Other Race population in 2000.16

The Black and American Indian and 

Alaska Native population grew by 

nearly one-half its size, increasing 

from 182,000 in 2000 to 269,000 

in 2010. However, the Black and

American Indian and Alaska Native 

population decreased as a proportion of the Black in combination 

population, from 10 percent to 

9 percent.

The Black and White and American 

Indian and Alaska Native population increased both numerically 

and as a proportion of the Black in 

combination population. This population more than doubled in size 

from 112,000 in 2000 to 231,000 

in 2010. 

The Black and Asian population increased numerically from 

107,000 in 2000 to 186,000 in 

2010, an increase of 74 percent 

or nearly three-fourths in size. 

However, the Black and Asian 

population as a proportion of 

Blacks who reported multiple 

races remained at about 6 percent.

PATTERNS AMONG THE 

NON-HISPANIC BLACK 

POPULATION AND 

THE HISPANIC BLACK 

POPULATION 

According to the 1997 OMB standards, Hispanics may be of any 

race. The 2010 Census results 

reflect this, demonstrating that 

16 In Census 2000, an error in data processing resulted in an overstatement of the 

Two or More Races population by about 

1 million people (about 15 percent) nationally, 

which almost entirely affected race combinations involving Some Other Race. Therefore, 

data users should assess observed changes 

in the Two or More Races population and race 

combinations involving Some Other Race 

between Census 2000 and the 2010 Census 

with caution. Changes in specific race combinations not involving Some Other Race, such 

as Black or African American and White or 

Black or African American and Asian, generally should be more comparable.

Hispanics report a diversity of races 

(White, Black, American Indian or 

Alaska Native, etc.), or may also 

report that they are “Some Other 

Race” (self-identifying their race as 

“Latino,” “Mexican,” “Puerto Rican,” 

“Salvadoran,” or other national 

origins or ethnicities), or identify 

with various combinations of races. 

For more details on the race reporting patterns of Hispanics, see the 

2010 Census Brief, The Hispanic 

Population: 2010.17

This section presents data for the 

Black population, highlighting 

patterns for Blacks who reported a 

Hispanic origin and Blacks who did 

not report a Hispanic origin.

About 97 percent of the Black 

alone population reported that 

they were non-Hispanic. 

In 2010, the overwhelming majority of the Black alone population 

was non-Hispanic—about 97 

percent of the Black alone population reported as non-Hispanic and 

3 percent as Hispanic (see Table 3). 

Similarly, 95 percent of the Black 

alone-or-in-combination population 

reported as non-Hispanic and about 

5 percent reported as Hispanic. 

However, a much lower proportion (79 percent) of people who 

reported Black in combination with 

one or more additional races were 

non-Hispanic. 

Both non-Hispanic Blacks and 

Hispanic Blacks contributed 

to the growth of the multiplerace Black population.

Nationwide, the total multiple-race 

population grew from 6.8 million 

in 2000 to 9.0 million in 2010 (see 

Tables 3 and 4). Both non-Hispanic 

17 Ennis, S., M. Rios-Vargas, and 

N. Albert. 2011. The Hispanic Population: 

2010, U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 Census 

Briefs, C2010BR-04, available at 

<www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/briefs

/c2010br-04.pdf>.
6 U.S. Census Bureau

Blacks and Hispanic Blacks contributed to this growth. In 2000, 

non-Hispanic Blacks accounted 

for 21 percent of all people who 

reported multiple races, compared 

with 27 percent in 2010. Hispanic 

Blacks accounted for 5 percent of 

all people who reported multiple 

races in 2000 and increased to 7 

percent in 2010. 

Over the last 10 years there 

has been a large increase in the 

non-Hispanic Black in combination 

population who reported Black 

and White (see Table 2). In the 

2010 Census, 65 percent of nonHispanic Blacks who reported 

multiple races were Black and

White, compared with 49 percent in 

2000. Black and American Indian 

and Alaska Native accounted for 10 

percent, and Black and White and

American Indian and Alaska Native, 

and Black and Asian accounted for 

7 percent each. 

In 2010, among Hispanics who 

identified as Black and one or 

more additional races, 38 percent reported Black and White, 

compared with 27 percent in 

2000. Black and Some Other Race 

accounted for 35 percent, Black 

and White and American Indian 

and Alaska Native accounted for 

8 percent, and Black and White 

and Some Other Race accounted 

for 5 percent. 

Table 3.

Black or African American Population by Hispanic or Latino Origin: 2010

(For information on confidentiality protection, nonsampling error, and definitions, see www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/doc/pl94-171.pdf)

Race and Hispanic or 

Latino origin

Alone or in combination Alone In combination 

Number

Percent of 

total 

population

Percent 

of Black 

or African 

American 

population Number

Percent of 

total

 population

Percent 

of Black 

or African 

American 

population Number

Percent of 

total

 population

Percent 

of Black 

or African 

American 

population

 Total population . . 308,745,538 100.0 (X) 299,736,465 100.0 (X) 9,009,073 100.0 (X)

Black or African American . . 42,020,743 13.6 100.0 38,929,319 13.0 100.0 3,091,424 34.3 100.0

Hispanic or Latino . . . . . . . 1,897,218 0.6 4.5 1,243,471 0.4 3.2 653,747 7.3 21.1

Not Hispanic or Latino . . . . 40,123,525 13.0 95.5 37,685,848 12.6 96.8 2,437,677 27.1 78.9

(X) Not applicable.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171) Summary File, Tables P1 and P2.

Table 4.

Black or African American Population by Hispanic or Latino Origin: 2000

(For information on confidentiality protection, nonsampling error, and definitions, see www.census.gov/prod/cen2000/doc/pl94-171.pdf)

Race and Hispanic or 

Latino origin

Alone or in combination Alone In combination 

Number

Percent of 

total 

population

Percent 

of Black 

or African 

American 

population Number

Percent of 

total

 population

Percent 

of Black 

or African 

American 

population Number

Percent of 

total

 population

Percent 

of Black 

or African 

American 

population

 Total population . . 281,421,906 100.0 (X) 274,595,678 100.0 (X) 6,826,228 100.0 (X)

Black or African American . . 36,419,434 12.9 100.0 34,658,190 12.6 100.0 1,761,244 25.8 100.0

Hispanic or Latino . . . . . . . 1,035,683 0.4 2.8 710,353 0.3 2.0 325,330 4.8 18.5

Not Hispanic or Latino . . . . 35,383,751 12.6 97.2 33,947,837 12.4 98.0 1,435,914 21.0 81.5

(X) Not applicable.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2000 Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171) Summary File, Tables PL1 and PL2.
U.S. Census Bureau 7

THE GEOGRAPHIC 

DISTRIBUTION OF THE 

BLACK POPULATION

The South was the region 

where Blacks comprised the 

greatest proportion of the 

total population.

The South was the region where 

the Black alone-or-in-combination 

population comprised the greatest 

proportion of the total population, 

at 20 percent (see Table 5).18 In 

other regions, the Black alone-or-incombination population was much 

smaller in proportion—13 percent 

in the Northeast, 11 percent in the 

Midwest, and 6 percent in the West. 

These results were similar for the 

Black alone population. 

The majority of Blacks in 

the United States lived in 

the South.

According to the 2010 Census, of 

all respondents who reported Black 

alone-or-in-combination, 55 percent lived in the South, 18 percent 

in the Midwest, 17 percent in the 

Northeast, and 10 percent in the 

West (see Figure 2). This pattern 

was similar for the Black 

alone population.

Compared to 2000, the proportions 

of the Black alone-or-incombination population for the 

West stayed about the same, 

while the proportions increased 

18 The Northeast census region includes 

Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, 

New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, 

Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont. 

The Midwest census region includes Illinois, 

Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, 

Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, 

South Dakota, and Wisconsin. The South 

census region includes Alabama, Arkansas, 

Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida, 

Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, 

Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South 

Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West 

Virginia. The West census region includes 

Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, 

Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, 

Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.

in the South and decreased in 

the Northeast and the Midwest. 

The proportion of the Black alone 

population also increased in the 

South, from 55 percent in 2000 to 

57 percent in 2010, whereas the 

Northeast and the Midwest experienced decreases in their share of 

the Black alone population.

The multiple-race Black 

population was more 

geographically dispersed than 

the Black alone population.

The Black in combination population had a different regional pattern 

compared to the Black alone population (see Figure 2). A considerably 

higher proportion of the multiplerace Black population lived in the 

West (23 percent), relative to the 

Black alone population (9 percent). 

While a large proportion of the 

multiple-race Black population lived 

in the South (36 percent), this was 

much lower than the Black alone 

population (57 percent).

The Black population grew 

in every region between 

2000 and 2010 with the Black 

in combination population 

contributing to this growth, 

particularly in the South.

The Black alone-or-in-combination 

population grew in every region 

between 2000 and 2010, led by 

18 percent growth in both the 

South and the West (see Table 5). 

The Black alone population also 

increased in every region, but at a 

slower rate than the Black aloneor-in-combination population. The 

Black alone population grew the 

most in the South, increasing by 

16 percent.

The Black in combination population contributed to population 

growth in every region, particularly 

the South. In the South, the Black 

in combination population doubled 

from 547,000 to 1.1 million, growing 101 percent over the decade. 

The Midwest also experienced 

Figure 2.

Percentage Distribution of the Black or African American 

Population by Region: 2000 and 2010

Note: Percentages may not add to 100.0 due to rounding. 

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000 Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171) 

Summary File, Table PL1; and 2010 Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171) 

Summary File, Table P1.

Northeast Midwest South West

(For information on confidentiality protection, nonsampling error, and 

definitions, see www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/doc/pl94-171.pdf)

Black or African American

 in combination

Black or African American

 alone

Black or African American

 alone or in combination

18.3

14.4

16.8

17.6 18.8 54.8 8.9

17.9 56.5 8.8

17.1

18.0 18.8 53.6 9.6

18.1 55.0 9.8 2010

2000

2010

2000

2010

2000

18.4

20.6 20.8 35.6 23.0

25.9 19.2 31.0 23.8
8 U.S. Census Bureau

Table 5.

Black or African American Population for the United States, Regions, and States, and for 

Puerto Rico: 2000 and 2010

(For information on confidentiality protection, nonsampling error, and definitions, see www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/doc/pl94-171.pdf)

Area

Black or African American alone or in 

combination Black or African American alone Black or African American in 

combination 

2000 2010

Percent 

of total 

population, 

20101

Percent 

change, 

2000 to 

2010 2000 2010

Percent 

of total 

population, 

20101

Percent 

change, 

2000 to 

2010 2000 2010

Percent 

of total 

population, 

20101

Percent 

change, 

2000 to 

2010

 United States . 36,419,434 42,020,743 13.6 15.4 34,658,190 38,929,319 12.6 12.3 1,761,244 3,091,424 1.0 75.5

REGION

Northeast . . . . . . . . 6,556,909 7,187,488 13.0 9.6 6,099,881 6,550,217 11.8 7.4 457,028 637,271 1.2 39.4

Midwest . . . . . . . . . 6,838,669 7,594,486 11.3 11.1 6,499,733 6,950,869 10.4 6.9 338,936 643,617 1.0 89.9

South . . . . . . . . . . . 19,528,231 23,105,082 20.2 18.3 18,981,692 22,005,433 19.2 15.9 546,539 1,099,649 1.0 101.2

West . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,495,625 4,133,687 5.7 18.3 3,076,884 3,422,800 4.8 11.2 418,741 710,887 1.0 69.8

STATE

Alabama . . . . . . . . . 1,168,998 1,281,118 26.8 9.6 1,155,930 1,251,311 26.2 8.3 13,068 29,807 0.6 128.1

Alaska . . . . . . . . . . . 27,147 33,150 4.7 22.1 21,787 23,263 3.3 6.8 5,360 9,887 1.4 84.5

Arizona . . . . . . . . . . 185,599 318,665 5.0 71.7 158,873 259,008 4.1 63.0 26,726 59,657 0.9 123.2

Arkansas .......... 427,152 468,710 16.1 9.7 418,950 449,895 15.4 7.4 8,202 18,815 0.6 129.4

California . . . . . . . . 2,513,041 2,683,914 7.2 6.8 2,263,882 2,299,072 6.2 1.6 249,159 384,842 1.0 54.5

Colorado . . . . . . . . . 190,717 249,812 5.0 31.0 165,063 201,737 4.0 22.2 25,654 48,075 1.0 87.4

Connecticut . . . . . . . 339,078 405,600 11.3 19.6 309,843 362,296 10.1 16.9 29,235 43,304 1.2 48.1

Delaware . . . . . . . . 157,152 205,923 22.9 31.0 150,666 191,814 21.4 27.3 6,486 14,109 1.6 117.5

District of Columbia . 350,455 314,352 52.2 –10.3 343,312 305,125 50.7 –11.1 7,143 9,227 1.5 29.2

Florida ............ 2,471,730 3,200,663 17.0 29.5 2,335,505 2,999,862 16.0 28.4 136,225 200,801 1.1 47.4

Georgia . . . . . . . . . . 2,393,425 3,054,098 31.5 27.6 2,349,542 2,950,435 30.5 25.6 43,883 103,663 1.1 136.2

Hawaii . . . . . . . . . . . 33,343 38,820 2.9 16.4 22,003 21,424 1.6 –2.6 11,340 17,396 1.3 53.4

Idaho ............. 8,127 15,940 1.0 96.1 5,456 9,810 0.6 79.8 2,671 6,130 0.4 129.5

Illinois . . . . . . . . . . . 1,937,671 1,974,113 15.4 1.9 1,876,875 1,866,414 14.5 –0.6 60,796 107,699 0.8 77.1

Indiana . . . . . . . . . . 538,015 654,415 10.1 21.6 510,034 591,397 9.1 16.0 27,981 63,018 1.0 125.2

Iowa . . . . . . . . . . . . 72,512 113,225 3.7 56.1 61,853 89,148 2.9 44.1 10,659 24,077 0.8 125.9

Kansas . . . . . . . . . . 170,610 202,149 7.1 18.5 154,198 167,864 5.9 8.9 16,412 34,285 1.2 108.9

Kentucky . . . . . . . . . 311,878 376,213 8.7 20.6 295,994 337,520 7.8 14.0 15,884 38,693 0.9 143.6

Louisiana . . . . . . . . . 1,468,317 1,486,885 32.8 1.3 1,451,944 1,452,396 32.0 – 16,373 34,489 0.8 110.6

Maine . . . . . . . . . . . 9,553 21,764 1.6 127.8 6,760 15,707 1.2 132.4 2,793 6,057 0.5 116.9

Maryland . . . . . . . . . 1,525,036 1,783,899 30.9 17.0 1,477,411 1,700,298 29.4 15.1 47,625 83,601 1.4 75.5

Massachusetts . . . . . 398,479 508,413 7.8 27.6 343,454 434,398 6.6 26.5 55,025 74,015 1.1 34.5

Michigan . . . . . . . . . 1,474,613 1,505,514 15.2 2.1 1,412,742 1,400,362 14.2 –0.9 61,871 105,152 1.1 70.0

Minnesota . . . . . . . . 202,972 327,548 6.2 61.4 171,731 274,412 5.2 59.8 31,241 53,136 1.0 70.1

Mississippi . . . . . . . 1,041,708 1,115,801 37.6 7.1 1,033,809 1,098,385 37.0 6.2 7,899 17,416 0.6 120.5

Missouri . . . . . . . . . 655,377 747,474 12.5 14.1 629,391 693,391 11.6 10.2 25,986 54,083 0.9 108.1

Montana . . . . . . . . . 4,441 7,917 0.8 78.3 2,692 4,027 0.4 49.6 1,749 3,890 0.4 122.4

Nebraska . . . . . . . . . 75,833 98,959 5.4 30.5 68,541 82,885 4.5 20.9 7,292 16,074 0.9 120.4

Nevada . . . . . . . . . . 150,508 254,452 9.4 69.1 135,477 218,626 8.1 61.4 15,031 35,826 1.3 138.3

New Hampshire . . . 12,218 21,736 1.7 77.9 9,035 15,035 1.1 66.4 3,183 6,701 0.5 110.5

New Jersey . . . . . . . 1,211,750 1,300,363 14.8 7.3 1,141,821 1,204,826 13.7 5.5 69,929 95,537 1.1 36.6

New Mexico . . . . . . 42,412 57,040 2.8 34.5 34,343 42,550 2.1 23.9 8,069 14,490 0.7 79.6

New York . . . . . . . . . 3,234,165 3,334,550 17.2 3.1 3,014,385 3,073,800 15.9 2.0 219,780 260,750 1.3 18.6

North Carolina . . . . 1,776,283 2,151,456 22.6 21.1 1,737,545 2,048,628 21.5 17.9 38,738 102,828 1.1 165.4

North Dakota . . . . . 5,372 11,086 1.6 106.4 3,916 7,960 1.2 103.3 1,456 3,126 0.5 114.7

Ohio . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,372,501 1,541,771 13.4 12.3 1,301,307 1,407,681 12.2 8.2 71,194 134,090 1.2 88.3

Oklahoma . . . . . . . . 284,766 327,621 8.7 15.0 260,968 277,644 7.4 6.4 23,798 49,977 1.3 110.0

Oregon . . . . . . . . . . 72,647 98,479 2.6 35.6 55,662 69,206 1.8 24.3 16,985 29,273 0.8 72.3

Pennsylvania . . . . . . 1,289,123 1,507,965 11.9 17.0 1,224,612 1,377,689 10.8 12.5 64,511 130,276 1.0 101.9

Rhode Island . . . . . . 58,051 77,754 7.4 33.9 46,908 60,189 5.7 28.3 11,143 17,565 1.7 57.6

South Carolina . . . . 1,200,901 1,332,188 28.8 10.9 1,185,216 1,290,684 27.9 8.9 15,685 41,504 0.9 164.6

South Dakota . . . . . 6,687 14,705 1.8 119.9 4,685 10,207 1.3 117.9 2,002 4,498 0.6 124.7

Tennessee . . . . . . . 953,349 1,107,178 17.4 16.1 932,809 1,057,315 16.7 13.3 20,540 49,863 0.8 142.8

Texas . . . . . . . . . . . 2,493,057 3,168,469 12.6 27.1 2,404,566 2,979,598 11.8 23.9 88,491 188,871 0.8 113.4

Utah . . . . . . . . . . . . 24,382 43,209 1.6 77.2 17,657 29,287 1.1 65.9 6,725 13,922 0.5 107.0

Vermont . . . . . . . . . 4,492 9,343 1.5 108.0 3,063 6,277 1.0 104.9 1,429 3,066 0.5 114.6

Virginia . . . . . . . . . . . 1,441,207 1,653,563 20.7 14.7 1,390,293 1,551,399 19.4 11.6 50,914 102,164 1.3 100.7

Washington . . . . . . . 238,398 325,004 4.8 36.3 190,267 240,042 3.6 26.2 48,131 84,962 1.3 76.5

West Virginia . . . . . . 62,817 76,945 4.2 22.5 57,232 63,124 3.4 10.3 5,585 13,821 0.7 147.5

Wisconsin . . . . . . . . 326,506 403,527 7.1 23.6 304,460 359,148 6.3 18.0 22,046 44,379 0.8 101.3

Wyoming . . . . . . . . . 4,863 7,285 1.3 49.8 3,722 4,748 0.8 27.6 1,141 2,537 0.5 122.3

Puerto Rico . . . . . . 416,296 550,259 14.8 32.2 302,933 461,498 12.4 52.3 113,363 88,761 2.4 –21.7

– Percentage rounds to 0.0. 1

 The percent of the total population is calculated by using the total population of all races. The totals for each geography can be found in Table 11, page 18 of 

the 2010 Census Brief, Overview of Race and Hispanic Origin: 2010 available at <www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/briefs/c2010br-02.pdf>.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000 Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171) Summary File, Table PL1; and 2010 Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 

94-171) Summary File, Table P1.
U.S. Census Bureau 9

considerable growth in the Black in 

combination population, increasing 

90 percent, followed by increases 

of 70 percent in the West and 39 

percent in the Northeast.

This growth contributed to shifting 

patterns of the Black in combination population by region. The 

proportion of the Black in combination population residing in the 

South increased from 31 percent to 

36 percent, and decreased in the 

Northeast (from 26 percent to 21 

percent) (see Figure 2). 

The Black population 

represented over 50 percent 

of the total population in 

the District of Columbia and 

over 25 percent of the total 

population in six states, all 

located in the South.

The Black alone-or-in-combination 

population represented 38 percent 

of the total population in Mississippi 

(see Table 5). This was followed by 

Louisiana (33 percent), Georgia (32 

percent), Maryland (31 percent), 

South Carolina (29 percent), and 

Alabama (27 percent). These same 

six states had the highest proportion of the Black alone population 

and the proportions were similar to 

the Black alone-or-in-combination 

population. The Black alone-or-incombination population represented 

52 percent of the total population in 

the District of Columbia.19

The Black alone-or-in-combination 

population represented less than 3 

percent of the total population in 

12 states, all located outside of the 

South. More than half of the states 

in the West had a Black aloneor-in-combination population of 

less than 3 percent—Hawaii, New 

Mexico, and Oregon (about 3 percent each); Utah (about 2 percent); 

and Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana 

(about 1 percent each). 

19 For this report, the District of Columbia 

is treated as a state equivalent.

The Black alone-or-in-combination 

population represented less than 

3 percent of the total population in 

two states in the Midwest—South 

Dakota and North Dakota (about 

2 percent each), and three states 

in the Northeast—New Hampshire, 

Maine, (about 2 percent each) and 

Vermont (1 percent). These same 

12 states also had less than 3 

percent of the Black alone population and the percentages tended 

to be slightly lower than the Black 

alone-or-in-combination population. 

One additional state (Iowa) had a 

Black alone population of less than 

3 percent, and thus 13 states had 

Black alone populations of less than 

3 percent.

Nearly 60 percent of all people 

who reported Black lived in 

ten states.

The ten states with the largest 

Black alone-or-in-combination 

populations in 2010 were New York 

(3.3 million), Florida (3.2 million), 

Texas (3.2 million), Georgia (3.1 

million), California (2.7 million), 

North Carolina (2.2 million), Illinois 

(2.0 million), Maryland (1.8 million), 

Virginia (1.7 million), and Ohio (1.5 

million) (see Table 5). Among these 

states, four experienced substantial 

growth between 2000 and 2010. 

The Black alone-or-in-combination 

population grew by 29 percent in 

Florida, 28 percent in Georgia, 27 

percent in Texas, and 21 percent in 

North Carolina. 

Out of the ten states above, nine 

of them also had the largest Black 

alone populations. The state with 

the tenth largest Black alone population was Louisiana (1.5 million). 

In a similar fashion to the Black 

alone-or-in-combination population, 

the Black alone population also 

experienced considerable growth 

in Florida, Georgia, Texas, and 

North Carolina.

The Black population grew 

in every state between 2000 

and 2010, but declined in the 

District of Columbia. 

Among all states, the states with 

small Black alone-or-incombination populations (2 percent or less) in 2010 tended to 

experience the largest percentage 

growth. Maine experienced the 

largest percentage growth in the 

Black alone-or-in-combination population, increasing by 128 percent 

between 2000 and 2010. This was 

followed by South Dakota (120 percent), Vermont (108 percent), North 

Dakota (106 percent), and Idaho 

(96 percent). 

At the other end of the spectrum, 

the Black population in the District 

of Columbia decreased by 10 

percent between 2000 and 2010. 

As discussed earlier, the District 

of Columbia still had the highest 

proportion reporting Black among 

states, with 52 percent in 2010. 

The same patterns were observed 

for the Black alone population 

by state. 

The Black in combination population showed even more substantial 

growth, as it more than doubled 

in more than half of all states. The 

states that experienced the most 

growth were in the South: North 

Carolina and South Carolina both 

grew by 165 percent, followed 

by West Virginia (147 percent), 

Kentucky (144 percent), and 

Tennessee (143 percent).

Of the population who identified as Black, people who 

reported multiple races 

were more likely to live in 

California. 

Of all respondents who reported 

as Black alone-or-in-combination, 

about 8 percent lived in each of 

these states—New York, Florida, 

and Texas. Another 7 percent lived 

in Georgia and 6 percent lived in 
10 U.S. Census Bureau

California (see Figure 3). The pattern for the Black alone population 

was similar, where 8 percent of the 

Black alone population lived in New 

York, Florida, Texas, and Georgia 

and 6 percent lived in California. 

The pattern was slightly different 

for respondents who identified 

as Black in combination with one 

or more additional races. Among 

multiple-race Blacks, 12 percent 

lived in California, 8 percent in New 

York, 6 percent lived in both Florida 

and Texas, and 4 percent in Ohio. 

The Black population was 

highly concentrated in 

counties in the South.

The Black alone-or-in-combination 

population was highly concentrated 

in 2010: 62 percent (1,941 counties) of all counties in the United 

States had less than 5 percent of 

the population identified as Black 

alone-or-in-combination, but in 106 

counties, the Black alone-or-in-combination population comprised 50 

percent or more of the total county 

population. All of these counties 

were located in the South except 

for the city of St. Louis, MO, which 

is considered a county equivalent 

(see Figure 4). These patterns 

were similar for the Black alone 

population.

Concentrations of Blacks outside of 

the South tended to be in counties 

located within metropolitan statistical areas. There were 317 counties 

where the Black alone-or-incombination population was 25.0 

to 49.9 percent of the county population, and only 17 of these counties were not in the South. Of these 

17 counties, 15 were in metro 

areas. This pattern was similar for 

the Black alone population.

Although the Black alone-or-incombination population and the 

Black alone population were not 

as concentrated in counties in 

midwestern states, in some metro 

areas, such as around Chicago, 

IL, and Detroit, MI, the proportion Black was much higher than 

the national average of 13 percent. Also, in some metro areas 

in the West, such as around San 

Francisco, CA, and Sacramento, CA, 

the proportion Black was above the 

national average. 

The Black population in the 

South experienced mixed 

growth—some counties 

experienced an increase, while 

others experienced a decline.

Among the 1,558 counties with 

a Black alone-or-in-combination 

population of over 1,000 people, 

over one-third (536 counties) had 

an increase of 25 percent or more 

from 2000 to 2010 (see Figure 5). 

On the other hand, 100 counties 

had a decrease of over 10 percent. 

The Black alone-or-in-combination 

population in counties located in 

northeastern states such as Maine 

and Pennsylvania grew significantly, as well as counties in the 

South, specifically Florida, which 

had a number of counties that grew 

by 25 percent or more. 

Large growth in the Black aloneor-in-combination population also 

occurred in the West and sections of the Midwest. Counties 

in Arizona, Nevada, California, 

Oregon, and Washington grew substantially between 2000 and 2010. 

The Midwest had pockets of high 

growth in states such as Minnesota, 

Wisconsin, and Illinois.

The Black alone-or-in-combination 

population in the South experienced the largest percentage 

declines between 2000 and 2010. 

Counties located in southern states 

such as Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, 

Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia 

experienced greater declines in 

the Black alone-or-in-combination 

population compared to the rest of 

the nation. The Black alone population had similar results.

The Black in combination 

population had large 

concentrations in northeastern 

states and counties near metro 

areas in the West, Midwest, 

and South.

In 2010, large proportions of 

the Black in combination population were located in counties 

Figure 3.

Percentage Distribution of the Black or African 

American Population by State: 2010

Note: Percentages may not add to 100.0 due to rounding.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171) Summary 

File, Table P1.

(For information on confidentiality protection, nonsampling error, and 

definitions, see www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/doc/pl94-171.pdf)

Black or African

 American in

 combination

Black or African

 American alone

Black or African

American alone or

 in combination

CA

12.4

NY

8.4

FL

6.5

TX

6.1

OH

4.3

NY

7.9

NY

7.9

FL

7.7

TX

7.7

GA

7.6

CA

5.9

FL

7.6

TX

7.5

CA

6.4

GA

7.3

All other states

63.3

All other states

63.3

All other states

62.2
U.S. Census Bureau 11

Figure 4.

Black or African American Population as a Percent of County 

Population: 2010

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171) Summary File, Table P1.

Black or African American Alone

(For information on confidentiality protection, nonsampling error, and definitions, see 

www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/doc/pl94-171.pdf)

Black or African American Alone or in Combination

Percent

50.0 or more

25.0 to 49.9

10.0 to 24.9

5.0 to 9.9

Less then 5.0

U.S. percent 12.6

Percent

50.0 or more

25.0 to 49.9

10.0 to 24.9

5.0 to 9.9

Less then 5.0

U.S. percent 13.6
12 U.S. Census Bureau

Figure 5.

Percent Change in Black or African American Population: 2000 to 2010

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000 Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171) Summary File, Table PL1; and 

2010 Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171) Summary File, Table P1.

Black or African American Alone

(Counties with a Black or African American population of at least 1,000 are included in the maps. For information on

confidentiality protection, nonsampling error, and definitions, see www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/doc/pl94-171.pdf)

Black or African American Alone or in Combination

Percent change

25.0 or more

10.0 to 24.9

0.0 to 9.9

–10.0 to –0.1

Less then –10.0

Fewer than 1,000

Black alone

Not comparable

U.S. change 12.3

Percent change

25.0 or more

10.0 to 24.9

0.0 to 9.9

–10.0 to –0.1

Less then –10.0

Fewer than 1,000 Black 

alone or in combination

Not comparable

U.S. change 15.4
U.S. Census Bureau 13 0 100 Miles 

0 200 Miles 0 100 Miles 

N

Figure 6. Black in Combination Population Distribution by County: 201

(Counties with a Black or African American in combination population of at least 1,000 are included in t

on confidentiality protection, nonsampling error, and definitions, see www.census.gov/prod/cen2010

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171) Summary File, Table P1. 
14 U.S. Census Bureau

in northeastern states such as 

Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New 

York, and Massachusetts (see 

Figure 6). The Black in combination population was also concentrated in counties in midwestern 

states such as Ohio, Michigan, and 

Indiana, as well as in counties in 

southern states such as Georgia, 

North Carolina, and Florida. 

Counties near metro areas in the 

Midwest such as Chicago, IL; 

Detroit, MI; and Minneapolis, MN, 

also had large concentrations of the 

Black in combination population. 

There were also large concentrations of the Black in combination 

population in the West in counties near metro areas such as Los 

Angeles, CA; San Francisco, CA; 

and Seattle, WA.

The places with the largest 

Black population were New 

York and Chicago.

Among the places with populations of 100,000 or more, the 

2010 Census showed that New 

York, NY, had the largest Black 

alone-or-in-combination population with 2.2 million, followed by 

Chicago, IL (913,000) (see Table 6). 

Three other places had Black aloneor-in-combination populations of 

over 500,000 people (Philadelphia, 

PA; Detroit, MI; and Houston, TX). 

Five of the ten places with the 

largest Black alone-or-incombination populations—Houston, 

TX; Memphis, TN; Baltimore, MD; 

Washington, DC; and Dallas, TX—

were in the South. These rankings 

were identical for the Black alone 

population.

The places with the largest 

Black in combination 

populations were New York 

and Los Angeles.

Among the places with populations 

of 100,000 or more, New York, NY, 

had the largest Black in combination population (140,000), followed by Los Angeles, CA (37,000) 

(see Table 6). Two other places, 

Chicago, IL, and Philadelphia, PA, 

had populations over 25,000.

In contrast to the patterns observed 

for the Black alone-or-incombination population, only one 

out of the ten places with the largest Black in combination population 

was in the South and there was 

more representation of places in 

the Midwest and the West. 

The place with the greatest 

proportion Black was Detroit.

Among the places with populations of 100,000 or more, the 

places with the greatest proportion 

Black alone-or-in-combination were 

Detroit, MI (84 percent); followed 

by Jackson, MS (80 percent); Miami 

Gardens, FL (78 percent); and 

Birmingham, AL (74 percent) (see 

Table 7). Of the top ten places 

shown, all were majority Black. 

Of these places, eight were in 

the South, and two were in the 

Midwest, specifically Michigan. 

These patterns were the same for 

the Black alone population and 

the proportions were similar to 

the Black alone-or-in-combination 

population. 

Table 6.

Ten Places With the Largest Number of Blacks or African Americans: 2010

(For information on confidentiality protection, nonsampling error, and definitions, see www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/doc/pl94-171.pdf)

Place1 Total 

population

Black or African American 

alone or in combination 

Black or African American 

alone

Black or African American in 

combination 

Rank Number Rank Number Rank Number

New York, NY . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8,175,133 1 2,228,145 1 2,088,510 1 139,635

Chicago, IL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,695,598 2 913,009 2 887,608 3 25,401

Philadelphia, PA . . . . . . . . . . . 1,526,006 3 686,870 3 661,839 4 25,031

Detroit, MI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 713,777 4 601,988 4 590,226 13 11,762

Houston, TX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,099,451 5 514,217 5 498,466 8 15,751

Memphis, TN . . . . . . . . . . . . . 646,889 6 414,928 6 409,687 58 5,241

Baltimore, MD . . . . . . . . . . . . 620,961 7 403,998 7 395,781 29 8,217

Los Angeles, CA . . . . . . . . . . 3,792,621 8 402,448 8 365,118 2 37,330

Washington, DC........... 601,723 9 314,352 9 305,125 22 9,227

Dallas, TX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,197,816 10 308,087 10 298,993 23 9,094

Columbus, OH . . . . . . . . . . . . 787,033 15 237,077 16 220,241 5 16,836

San Diego, CA . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,307,402 40 104,374 43 87,949 6 16,425

Phoenix, AZ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,445,632 37 109,544 40 93,608 7 15,936

Indianapolis, IN . . . . . . . . . . . 829,718 14 240,789 15 226,671 9 14,118

Boston, MA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 617,594 21 163,629 23 150,437 10 13,192

1

 Places of 100,000 or more total population. The 2010 Census showed 282 places in the United States with 100,000 or more population. They included 273 

incorporated places (including 5 city-county consolidations) and 9 census designated places (CDPs) that were not legally incorporated.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171) Summary File, Table P1.
U.S. Census Bureau 15

The place with the highest 

proportion of people who 

identified as multiple-race 

Black was Lansing, MI. 

Among the places with populations 

of 100,000 or more, the places 

with the highest proportion of people who identified as Black and one 

or more other races were Lansing, 

MI; Tacoma, WA; Killeen, TX; and 

Syracuse, NY (about 4 percent 

each) (see Table 7). Of these ten 

places, three were in the Northeast, 

three were in the West, two in the 

Midwest, and two in the South.

Among the 20 largest 

metropolitan statistical areas, 

New York-Northern New 

Jersey-Long Island, NY-NJ-PA, 

had the highest proportion of 

the non-Hispanic Black alone 

population living inside the 

largest principal city.

The remaining sections discuss 

geographic patterns for the nonHispanic Black alone population 

and make comparisons to other 

race and ethnic groups.

Figure 7 shows the proportion of 

selected race and Hispanic origin 

groups who lived inside the largest principal city of the 20 largest 

metro areas in the country versus 

those who lived outside of that 

largest principal city.20 The red bars 

represent the non-Hispanic Black 

alone population, the blue bars represent the non-Hispanic White alone 

population, the green bars represent the Hispanic population, and 

the orange bars represent other 

race groups.21 For example, the red 

bar denotes the proportion of the 

20 For the remainder of this section, 

when metro areas are discussed, the report 

will refer to the largest 20 metropolitan 

statistical areas. 21 For this report, the “other” race group 

refers to the non-Hispanic Asian alone, nonHispanic American Indian and Alaska Native 

alone, non-Hispanic Native Hawaiian and 

Other Pacific Islander alone, and nonHispanic Some Other Race alone populations, 

as well as non-Hispanics who reported 

multiple races.

non-Hispanic Black alone population that lived inside the largest 

principal city of Boston 

(46 percent), out of the total nonHispanic Black alone population 

in the entire Boston-CambridgeQuincy, MA-NH metro area.

The top 5 metro areas that had the 

highest proportion of the nonHispanic Black alone population 

living inside their respective largest 

principal cities were New YorkNorthern New Jersey-Long Island, 

NY-NJ-PA (61 percent); DetroitWarren-Livonia, MI (60 percent); San 

Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos, CA (56 

percent); Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, 

IL-IN-WI (54 percent); and 

Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, 

PA-NJ-DE-MD (53 percent). 

The 5 metro areas with the lowest proportion of the non-Hispanic 

Black alone population living 

inside their respective largest 

principal cities were Miami-Fort 

Table 7.

Ten Places With the Highest Percentage of Blacks or African Americans: 2010

(For information on confidentiality protection, nonsampling error, and definitions, see www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/doc/pl94-171.pdf)

Place1

Total 

population

Black or African American 

alone or in combination 

Black or African American 

alone

Black or African American in 

combination 

Rank

Percent of 

total 

population Rank

Percent of 

total 

population Rank

Percent of 

total 

population

Detroit, MI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 713,777 1 84.3 1 82.7 83 1.6

Jackson, MS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173,514 2 80.1 2 79.4 242 0.7

Miami Gardens, FL . . . . . . . . . . . 107,167 3 77.9 3 76.3 91 1.6

Birmingham, AL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212,237 4 74.0 4 73.4 257 0.6

Baltimore, MD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 620,961 5 65.1 5 63.7 134 1.3

Memphis, TN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 646,889 6 64.1 6 63.3 225 0.8

New Orleans, LA . . . . . . . . . . . . . 343,829 7 61.2 7 60.2 184 1.0

Flint, MI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102,434 8 59.5 9 56.6 9 2.9

Montgomery, AL . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205,764 9 57.4 8 56.6 231 0.8

Savannah, GA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136,286 10 56.7 10 55.4 139 1.3

Lansing, MI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114,297 69 27.8 78 23.7 1 4.1

Tacoma, WA................. 198,397 132 15.0 145 11.2 2 3.8

Killeen, TX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127,921 40 37.9 46 34.1 3 3.8

Syracuse, NY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145,170 51 33.1 57 29.5 4 3.6

Providence, RI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178,042 109 19.4 114 16.0 5 3.3

Fairfield, CA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105,321 111 19.0 118 15.7 6 3.3

Rochester, NY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210,565 29 44.9 33 41.7 7 3.2

Fayetteville, NC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200,564 31 44.8 32 41.9 8 2.9

Vallejo, CA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115,942 81 24.9 83 22.1 10 2.9

1

 Places of 100,000 or more total population. The 2010 Census showed 282 places in the United States with 100,000 or more population. They included 273 

incorporated places (including 5 city-county consolidations) and 9 census designated places (CDPs) that were not legally incorporated.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171) Summary File, Table P1.
16 U.S. Census Bureau Figure 7. Proportion of Race and Ethnic Groups Living Inside the Largest Principal City of the 20 Large

Statistical Areas: 2010 (For information on confidentiality protection, nonsampling error, and definitions, see www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/doc/pl94-171

Non-Hispanic Black Alone 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 Seattle San Francisco Los Angeles Riverside San Diego Phoenix Minneapolis Chicago Detroit St. Louis Dallas Houston Miami Tampa Atlanta Washington Baltimore Philadelphia New York Boston Hispanic 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 Seattle San Francisco Los Angeles Riverside San Diego Phoenix Minneapolis Chicago Detroit St. Louis Dallas Houston Miami Tampa Atlanta Washington Baltimore Philadelphia New York Boston 1 For this figure, the “other” race category refers to the non-Hispanic Asian alone, non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Native alone, non-Hispanic Nat

Pacific Islander alone, and non-Hispanic Some Other Race alone populations, as well as non-Hispanics who reported multiple races. Note: Principal cities within regions are organized based on proximity to each other. Boston, New York, and Philadelphia are located in the Northeast censu

Washington, Atlanta, Tampa, Miami, Houston, and Dallas are located in the South census region. St. Louis, Detroit, Chicago, and Minneapolis are located in 

Phoenix, San Diego, Riverside, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Seattle are located in the West census region. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 Census special tabulation. Non-Hispanic Whi

0 10 20 30 4

Seattle San Francisco Los Angeles Riverside San Diego Phoenix Minneapolis Chicago Detroit St. Louis Dallas Houston Miami Tampa Atlanta Washington Baltimore Philadelphia New York Boston Other 

0 10 20 30 4

Seattle San Francisco Los Angeles Riverside San Diego Phoenix Minneapolis Chicago Detroit St. Louis Dallas Houston Miami Tampa Atlanta Washington Baltimore Philadelphia New York Boston
U.S. Census Bureau 17

Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, FL (6 

percent); Riverside-San BernardinoOntario, CA (7 percent); AtlantaSandy Springs-Marietta, GA (13 

percent); San Francisco-OaklandFremont, CA (13 percent); and 

Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, 

DC-VA-MD-WV (21 percent).

The proportion of the 

non-Hispanic Black alone 

population living inside 

the largest principal city 

surpassed 40 percent in all 

of the northeastern metro 

areas shown.

Across the northeastern metro 

areas shown, at least 40 percent of 

the non-Hispanic Black alone population lived inside their respective 

largest principal city—New York 

(61 percent), Philadelphia (53 percent), and Boston (46 percent) (see 

Figure 7).22

In the South, 2 out of the 7 metro 

areas shown had at least 40 

percent of the non-Hispanic Black 

alone population living inside their 

respective largest principal city— 

Baltimore (51 percent) and Houston 

(49 percent). In the Midwest, this 

was the case for 2 out of the 4 

metro areas shown—Chicago (54 

percent) and Detroit (60 percent). 

In the West, half of the metro areas 

shown had at least 40 percent of 

the non-Hispanic Black alone population living inside their largest 

respective principal city—San Diego 

(56 percent), Phoenix (45 percent), 

and Los Angeles (40 percent).

22 The Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, 

PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area contains counties 

that are also part of the South region as 

defined by the U.S. Census Bureau.

The non-Hispanic Black alone 

population was more likely 

to live inside the largest 

principal cities compared with 

non-Hispanic White alone, 

Hispanic, and other race 

populations.

A higher proportion of the nonHispanic Black alone population 

lived inside the largest principal 

cities in 15 out of the 20 largest 

metro areas, relative to the nonHispanic White alone, Hispanic, and 

other race populations (see Figure 

7). This was most pronounced in 

the metro areas of Detroit-WarrenLivonia, MI, and Baltimore-Towson, 

MD, where the proportion of the 

non-Hispanic Black alone population living in the largest principal 

city surpassed the second largest 

group, Hispanics, by 30 percentage 

points. 

Metro areas that had a lower 

proportion of the non-Hispanic 

Black alone population living inside 

their largest principal city, relative to the Hispanic and other race 

group populations, were primarily located in the West—the metro 

areas of Phoenix-Mesa-Glendale, AZ; 

Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, 

CA; San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos, 

CA; and San Francisco-OaklandFremont, CA. However, the metro 

area with the lowest proportion was 

Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano 

Beach, FL, located in the South.

In the metro areas of Miami-Fort 

Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, FL, 

and Phoenix-Mesa-Glendale, AZ, a 

higher proportion of the Hispanic 

population lived inside the largest principal cities of Miami and 

Phoenix, relative to the nonHispanic Black alone population. 

In the metro area of Riverside-San 

Bernardino-Ontario, CA, the nonHispanic Black alone population 

had the lowest proportion living 

inside the city of Riverside, relative 

to the other groups shown.

In the metro area of San DiegoCarlsbad-San Marcos, CA, the 

other race category had a slightly 

higher proportion living in the city 

of San Diego relative to the nonHispanic Black alone population. 

In the metro area of San FranciscoOakland-Fremont, CA, both the 

other race category and the nonHispanic White alone population 

had a higher proportion living in 

the city of San Francisco relative 

to the non-Hispanic Black alone 

population.

The proportion of the 

non-Hispanic Black alone 

population living inside the 

largest principal cities within 

the 20 largest metro areas 

decreased over the 

last decade.

Figure 8 shows the percentage-point 

difference of a race or Hispanic 

origin group living inside the largest principal city in a metro area, 

from 2000 to 2010.23 The red bars 

represent the non-Hispanic Black 

alone population, the blue bars represent the non-Hispanic White alone 

population, the green bars represent 

the Hispanic population, and the 

orange bars represent other race 

groups. For example, in the BostonCambridge-Quincy, MA-NH metro 

area, 57 percent of the non-Hispanic 

Black alone population lived in 

the largest principal city, Boston, 

in 2000. This figure decreased to 

46 percent in 2010, representing 

a decline of 11 percentage points, 

which is denoted by the red bar.

Across the 20 largest metro areas 

in the United States, the nonHispanic Black alone population 

declined in the largest principal 

23 Data for the metro areas are based on 

the 2010 Census boundaries.
18 U.S. Census Bureau Figure 8. Percentage-Point Difference of Race and Ethnic Groups Living Inside the Largest Principal Cit

Metropolitan Statistical Areas: 2000 to 2010 (For information on confidentiality protection, nonsampling error, and definitions, see www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/doc/pl94-171

Non-Hispanic Black Alone Hispanic 

1 For this figure, the “other” race category refers to the non-Hispanic Asian alone, non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Native alone, non-Hispanic Nati

Pacific Islander alone, and non-Hispanic Some Other Race alone populations, as well as non-Hispanics who reported multiple races. Note: Principal cities within regions are organized based on proximity to each other. Boston, New York, and Philadelphia are located in the Northeast censu

Washington, Atlanta, Tampa, Miami, Houston, and Dallas are located in the South census region. St. Louis, Detroit, Chicago, and Minneapolis are located in 

Phoenix, San Diego, Riverside, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Seattle are located in the West census region. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 Census special tabulation. Non-Hispanic White 

Other 1 –16 –14 –12 –10–8–6–4–202

Boston

New York

Philadelphia

Baltimore

Washington

Atlanta

Tampa

Miami

Houston

Dallas 

St. Louis

Detroit

Chicago

Minneapolis

Phoenix

San Diego

Riverside

Los Angeles

San Francisco

Seattle

Boston

New York

Philadelphia

Baltimore

Washington

Atlanta

Tampa

Miami

Houston

Dallas 

St. Louis

Detroit

Boston

New York

Philadelphia

Baltimore

Washington

Atlanta

Tampa

Miami

Houston

Dallas 

St. Louis

Detroit

Chicago

Minneapolis

Phoenix

San Diego

Riverside

Los Angeles

San Francisco

Seattle

Boston

New York

Philadelphia

Baltimore

Washington

Atlanta

Tampa

Miami

Houston

Dallas 

St. Louis

Detroit

–16–14–12–10

–8–6–4–2

02

–16–14–12–10

–8–6–4–2

02

–16–14–12–10

–8–6–4–2

02
U.S. Census Bureau 19

cities and increased outside of 

these cities from 2000 to 2010. 

This largely follows the trend of 

the total population in these metro 

areas, where the proportion of the 

total population living inside the 

largest principal city within a metro 

area declined in 19 out of the 20 

largest metro areas and increased 

as a proportion outside the largest principal cities from 2000 to 

2010. The metro area of BostonCambridge-Quincy, MA-NH, was the 

only metro area that experienced 

an increase in the proportion of the 

total population living inside the 

city of Boston.

The proportion of the non-Hispanic 

Black alone population in the largest principal cities decreased by at 

least 10 percentage points in six 

metro areas from 2000 to 2010, 

Detroit-Warren-Livonia, MI (16 percentage points); MinneapolisSt. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI (14 

percentage points); Houston-Sugar 

Land-Baytown, TX (14 percentage 

points); Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, 

TX (12 percentage points); PhoenixMesa-Glendale, AZ (11 percentage 

points); and Boston-CambridgeQuincy, MA-NH (11 percentage 

points).

Among the 20 largest metro 

areas, the proportion of 

the non-Hispanic Black 

alone population living 

inside the largest principal 

cities declined by at least 7 

percentage points across all 

midwestern metro areas. 

The proportion of the non-Hispanic 

Black alone population living inside 

the largest principal cities across 

midwestern metro areas declined 

by at least 7 percentage points 

from 2000 to 2010. The largest 

change was in the Detroit-WarrenLivonia, MI metro area, where the 

proportion of the non-Hispanic 

Black alone population living inside 

the city of Detroit versus outside 

the city decreased by 16 percentage points. This was followed by 

Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, 

MN-WI (14 percentage points); 

Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL-IN-WI (9 

percentage points); and St. Louis, 

MO-IL (7 percentage points). 

In the Northeast, the proportion 

of the non-Hispanic Black alone 

population living inside the largest 

principal city declined by at least 

7 percentage points in 1 out of the 

3 metro areas, Boston-CambridgeQuincy, MA-NH (11 percentage 

points). In the South, 4 of the 7 

metro areas experienced a decline 

of at least 7 percentage points—

Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX 

(14 percentage points); Dallas-Fort 

Worth-Arlington, TX (12 percentage 

points); Baltimore-Towson, MD (9 

percentage points); and AtlantaSandy Springs-Marietta, GA (8 

percentage points).

The non-Hispanic Black alone 

population experienced 

the greatest decline in the 

proportion living inside the 

largest principal city for 14 of 

the 20 largest metro areas.

The proportion of the non-Hispanic 

Black alone population living inside 

the largest principal city declined 

more than the proportion of other 

race and ethnic groups that also 

experienced decreases in the largest principal cities in 14 out of the 

20 metro areas. In the metro areas 

of New York-Northern New JerseyLong Island, NY-NJ-PA; PhiladelphiaCamden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD; 

Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, 

FL; and Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, 

IL-IN-WI; the Hispanic population 

experienced the greatest declines 

compared to all groups shown. In 

the metro areas of Riverside-San 

Bernardino-Ontario, CA, and San 

Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA, the 

other race category experienced 

the greatest declines relative to all 

groups shown.

Although not as sweeping as the 

decline in the proportion of the 

non-Hispanic Black alone population living inside the largest 

principal cities of most major 

metro areas, the proportion of the 

Hispanic population and other race 

group populations living inside the 

largest principal city also declined 

in all of the 20 largest metro areas 

(see Figure 8). On the other hand, 

in about half of the largest metro 

areas, the proportion of the nonHispanic White alone population 

living inside the largest principal 

city increased.

SUMMARY

This report provided a portrait of 

the Black population in the 

United States and contributes 

to our understanding of the 

nation’s changing racial and 

ethnic diversity. 

While both the Black alone population and the Black alone-or-incombination population grew from 

2000 to 2010 (by 12 percent and 

15 percent, respectively), the Black 

in combination population experienced the most growth, increasing 

by 76 percent. Within this population, the Black and White population more than doubled.

Additional notable trends were 

presented in this report. The Black 

population continued to be concentrated in the South and the proportion increased from 2000 to 2010. 

Additionally, the Black population 

that lived outside of the South 

tended to be more concentrated in 

metro areas. 

Other interesting geographic patterns include, for the largest 20 

metro areas, the non-Hispanic Black 

alone population was more likely 

to live in a largest principal city 

relative to the non-Hispanic White 

alone, Hispanic, and other race 

group populations in 2010. The 
20 U.S. Census Bureau

non-Hispanic Black alone population also experienced the greatest 

declines in the proportion living in 

a largest principal city from 2000 

to 2010. 

Throughout the decade, the Census 

Bureau will release additional 

information on the Black population, including characteristics such 

as age, sex, and family type, which 

will provide greater insights into 

the demographic characteristics of 

this population at various geographic levels.

ABOUT THE 2010 CENSUS

Why was the 2010 Census 

conducted?

The U.S. Constitution mandates 

that a census be taken in the 

United States every 10 years. This 

is required in order to determine 

the number of seats each state 

is to receive in the U.S. House of 

Representatives.

Why did the 2010 Census ask 

the question on race?

The Census Bureau collects data on 

race to fulfill a variety of legislative 

and program requirements. Data 

on race are used in the legislative 

redistricting process carried out by 

the states and in monitoring local 

jurisdictions’ compliance with the 

Voting Rights Act. More broadly, 

data on race are critical for research 

that underlies many policy decisions at all levels of government.

How do data from the question 

on race benefit me, my family, 

and my community?

All levels of government need information on race to implement and 

evaluate programs, or enforce laws, 

such as the Civil Rights Act, Voting 

Rights Act, Fair Housing Act, Equal 

Employment Opportunity Act, and 

the 2010 Census Redistricting 

Data Program.

Both public and private organizations use race information to find 

areas where groups may need special services and to plan and implement education, housing, health, 

and other programs that address 

these needs. For example, a school 

system might use this information 

to design cultural activities that 

reflect the diversity in their community, or a business could use it 

to select the mix of merchandise 

it will sell in a new store. Census 

information also helps identify 

areas where residents might need 

services of particular importance 

to certain racial groups, such as 

screening for hypertension or 

diabetes.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

For more information on race in 

the United States, visit the Census 

Bureau’s Internet site at 

<www.census.gov/population

/www/socdemo/race/race.html>. 

Information on confidentiality 

protection, nonsampling error, and 

definitions is available at 

<www.census.gov/prod/cen2010

/doc/pl94-171.pdf>.

Data on race from the 

2010 Census Redistricting Data 

(Public Law 94-171) Summary File 

were released on a state-by-state 

basis. The 2010 Census redistricting data are available on the 

Internet at <http://factfinder2

.census.gov/main.html> and 

on DVD.

For more information on specific 

race groups in the United States, go 

to <www.census.gov> and search 

for “Minority Links.” This Web page 

includes information about the 

2010 Census and provides links 

to reports based on past censuses 

and surveys focusing on the social 

and economic characteristics of 

the Black or African American, 

American Indian and Alaska Native, 

Asian, and Native Hawaiian and 

Other Pacific Islander populations.

Information on other population 

and housing topics is presented 

in the 2010 Census Briefs series, 

located on the Census Bureau’s Web 

site at <www.census.gov/prod

/cen2010>. This series presents 

information about race, Hispanic 

origin, age, sex, household type, 

housing tenure, and people who 

reside in group quarters.

For more information about the 

2010 Census, including data products, call the Customer Services 

Center at 1-800-923-8282. You 

can also visit the Census Bureau’s 

Question and Answer Center at 

<ask.census.gov> to submit your 

questions online.