Most African American cities in Delaware research summary. We used Saturday Night Science to analyze Delaware’s most recent Census data to determine the blackest cities in Delaware based on the percentage of Black residents. Here are the results of our analysis:
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The city with the largest African American population in Delaware is Wilmington based on the most recent Census data.
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Wilmington is 52.98% Black.
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The least African American city in Delaware is Newark.
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Newark is 9.38% Black.
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Delaware is 21.5% Black.
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Delaware is the 7th blackest state in the United States.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The Black community is one of the fastest-growing communities in America this decade.
Roughly 42 million people identifying as Black or African American live in the United States, making up 12% of the total population. According to the most recent American Community Survey, the Black population in Delaware is 213,516 – at 21.5% of the total population of Delaware.
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. Most scholars and historians agree that increasing diversity in America is a good thing.
We agree.
But how has the increase in the black population impacted Delaware? Which cities and towns in Delaware have seen the greatest increase in its Black population?
We broke down the most recent census data to determine the cities in Delaware with the largest African American population in 2024:
Most African American Places In Delaware
What’s the blackest city in Delaware? The city with the largest Black population in Delaware for 2024 is Wilmington. See if Wilmington ranked as one of the most african american places in America.
And if you already knew these places were Black, check out the best places to live in Delaware or the most diverse places in Delaware.
The 10 Blackest Cities In Delaware For 2024
1. Wilmington
/10
Population: 71,034
% African American: 52.98%
# Of African American Residents: 37,636
Percent Change Since 2010: -2.14%
More on Wilmington: Data | Cost Of Living
2. Dover
/10
Population: 38,879
% African American: 41.03%
# Of African American Residents: 15,953
Percent Change Since 2010: 3.2%
More on Dover: Data | Cost Of Living
3. Smyrna
/10
Population: 12,870
% African American: 34.27%
# Of African American Residents: 4,411
Percent Change Since 2010: 75.81%
More on Smyrna: Data | Cost Of Living
4. Middl
/10
Population: 23,573
% African American: 30.38%
# Of African American Residents: 7,162
Percent Change Since 2010: 73.92%
More on Middl: Data
5. Seaford
/10
Population: 8,055
% African American: 29.53%
# Of African American Residents: 2,379
Percent Change Since 2010: 16.16%
More on Seaford: Data | Cost Of Living
6. New Castle
/10
Population: 5,523
% African American: 28.06%
# Of African American Residents: 1,550
Percent Change Since 2010: -13.75%
More on New Castle: Data | Cost Of Living
7. Milford
/10
Population: 11,714
% African American: 22.76%
# Of African American Residents: 2,666
Percent Change Since 2010: 58.88%
More on Milford: Data | Cost Of Living
8. Elsmere
/10
Population: 6,194
% African American: 14.21%
# Of African American Residents: 880
Percent Change Since 2010: -15.79%
More on Elsmere: Data | Cost Of Living
9. Georg
/10
Population: 7,247
% African American: 10.93%
# Of African American Residents: 792
Percent Change Since 2010: -15.2%
More on Georg: Data
10. Newark
/10
Population: 30,655
% African American: 9.38%
# Of African American Residents: 2,874
Percent Change Since 2010: 25.12%
More on Newark: Data | Cost Of Living
Methodology: How We Determined The Cities In Delaware With The Largest Black Population For 2024
We still believe in the accuracy of data — especially from the Census. So that’s where we went to get the race breakdown across Delaware.
That leads us to the Census’s most recently available data, the 2018-2022 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 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 in Delaware. That left us with 10 cities.
We then calculated the percentage of residents that are Black or African American. The percentages ranked from 53.0% to 9.4%.
Finally, we ranked each city based on the percentage of the Black population, with a higher score being more Black than a lower score. Wilmington took the distinction of being the most Black, while Newark was the least African American city.
We updated this article for 2024. This is our tenth time ranking the cities in Delaware with the largest African American population.
Read on for more information on how the cities in Delaware 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.
Summary: Black Populations Across Delaware
If you’re looking for a breakdown of African American populations across Delaware according to the most recent data, this is an accurate list.
The blackest cities in Delaware are Wilmington, Dover, Smyrna, Middl, Seaford, New Castle, Milford, Elsmere, Georg, and Newark.
If you’re curious enough, here are the least African American places in Delaware:
- Newark
- Georg
- Elsmere
For more Delaware reading, check out:
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Delaware
- Most Dangerous Cities In Delaware
- Safest Places In Delaware
African American Population By City In Delaware
| Rank | City | Population | African American Population | % African American |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wilmington | 71,034 | 37,636 | 52.98% |
| 2 | Dover | 38,879 | 15,953 | 41.03% |
| 3 | Smyrna | 12,870 | 4,411 | 34.27% |
| 4 | Middl | 23,573 | 7,162 | 30.38% |
| 5 | Seaford | 8,055 | 2,379 | 29.53% |
| 6 | New Castle | 5,523 | 1,550 | 28.06% |
| 7 | Milford | 11,714 | 2,666 | 22.76% |
| 8 | Elsmere | 6,194 | 880 | 14.21% |
| 9 | Georg | 7,247 | 792 | 10.93% |
| 10 | Newark | 30,655 | 2,874 | 9.38% |
Would you recommend Middletown, DE is a good place to live? I have family in CT and in Virginia Beach. I lived in PA which also would like recommendations. But I have heard how reasonable DE is to live. I’m just concerned about the best areas that are reasonable and also a good mix of population.