The Black Population: 2

Nicholas A. Jones and Tallese D. John

Racial Statistics Branch, U.S. Census Burea

Presentation for the Profile America Forum on the Black Po

Sponsored by the U.S. Census Bureau and the National Urb

(BET Studios/Headquarters 

● Washington, DC 

● February 
Topics Presented

• Race concepts• Definition of “Black”• Population size and growth• Geographic distribution
2010 Census Race Quest
Race Concepts

• Race alone population –

people who reported a single race group(e.g., Black alone)

• Race in combination population –

people who reported more than one race (e.g., Black and White; Black and Asian)

• Race alone or in combination populatio

all people who reported a particular race either alone, or in combination with one oother race groups
Definition of “Black”

Used in the 2010 Censu

• According to the U.S. Office of Management 

Budget, “Black or African American” refers to person having origins in any of the Black racgroups of Africa

• Includes people who marked the “Black” che• Also includes respondents who reported

- African American- Sub-Saharan African (e.g., Kenyan, Nig- Afro-Caribbean (e.g., Haitian, Jamaican
POPULATION SIZE

AND GROWTH
Black Population:

2000 and 2010

2000 

Black alone orin combination 36,419,434 42Black alone 34,658,190 38Black in combination 1,761,244 3

Sources: Census 2000 and 2010 Census
Black Population as a Percenta

the Total Population: 2000 and 

Sources: Census 2000 and 2010 Census

0.6

%

1.0

%

Black in combination

Black alone

Black alone or in

combination

2010 2000
Growth of the Black Population: 2000 

Sources: Census 2000 and 2010 Census

9.7%

15.4% 12.3%

7

Total population

(27.3 million)

Black alone or in

combination

(5.6 million)

Black alone

(4.3 million)

Black in c

(1.3 
Percentage Distribution of the Growth 

Black in Combination Population: 2000 t

5.7% 

6.5% 

8.9% 

All other combinations

 including Black

Black; American Indian

 and Alaska Native

Black; White;

 American Indian

and Alaska Native

Black; White

Sources: Census 2000 and 2010 Census

Total growth = 1.3 million
THE GEOGRAPHIC 

DISTRIBUTION OF TH

BLACK POPULATION
REGIONS AND STATE
Source: 2010 Census

Percent Distribution of the Blac

Population by Region: 2010

Black alone or in 

combination 

Black alone

Black in combination

20.6

16.8

17.1

20.8

17.9

18.1

35.6

56.5

55.0

Northeast Midwest South West

Black alone or in combinationBlack aloneBlack in combination
Top Five States with the Highe

Proportion Black Alone or in 

Combination: 2010

52.2

37.6

32.8 31.5 

District of

Columbia*

Mississippi Louisiana Georgia M

*For this presentation, the District of Columbia is treated as a state equivalent.

Source: 2010 Census 
Percentage Distribution of 

Black Population by State: 2

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

Source: 2010 Census

Black alone or 

in combination

Black alone

Black in 

combination
COUNTIES AND PLACE
Black Alone or in Combination as a Perce

Total Population by County: 2010

Source: 2010 Census
Percentage Change in Black Alone o

Combination by County: 2000 to 20

Sources: Census 2000 and 2010 Census
Black in Combination PopuDistribution by County: 201

Source: 2010 Census
Top Five Places with the Highest Propo

Black Alone or in Combination: 201

84.3

80.1 77.9

74.0

Detroit, MI Jackson, MS Miami

Gardens, FL

Birmingham,

AL

Ba

* Places of 100,000 or more total population.Source: 2010 Census 
Top Five Places with the Highest Propo

Black in Combination: 2010*

4.1 3.8 3.8 3.6 

Lansing, MI Tacoma, WA Killeen, TX Syracuse, NY Pro

* Places of 100,000 or more total population.Source: 2010 Census 
METROPOLITAN 

STATISTICAL AREAS
Proportion of Non-Hispanic Black Alone P

Living Inside the Largest Principal C

of the 20 Largest Metro Areas: 201

Source: 2010 Census
Percentage-Point Difference of Groups Living Inside th

Principal City of the 20 Largest Metro Areas: 2000 to 

Source: Census 2000 and 2010 Census

NonHispanic 

Black 

alone

NonHispanic 

White

alone
ggggggggg

Source: Census 2000 and 2010 Census 
Source: Census 2000 and 2010 Census 
fgfggggggg

Source: Census 2000 and 2010 Census 
ggggggggg

Source: Census 2000 and 2010 Census 
The Black Population: 2010

<www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/briefs/c2010br