Most African American cities in New Mexico research summary. We used Saturday Night Science to analyze New Mexico’s most recent Census data to determine the blackest cities in New Mexico based on the percentage of Black residents. Here are the results of our analysis:
-
The city with the largest African American population in New Mexico is Clovis based on the most recent Census data.
-
Clovis is 5.2% Black.
-
The least African American city in New Mexico is Aztec.
-
Aztec is 0.0% Black.
-
New Mexico is 1.8% Black.
-
New Mexico is the 42nd 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 New Mexico is 37,996 – at 1.8% of the total population of New Mexico.
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 New Mexico? Which cities and towns in New Mexico have seen the greatest increase in its Black population?
We broke down the most recent census data to determine the cities in New Mexico with the largest African American population in 2024:
Most African American Places In New Mexico
What’s the blackest city in New Mexico? The city with the largest Black population in New Mexico for 2024 is Clovis. See if Clovis 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 New Mexico or the most diverse places in New Mexico.
The 10 Blackest Cities In New Mexico For 2024
1. Clovis
/10
Population: 38,453
% African American: 5.2%
# Of African American Residents: 1,998
Percent Change Since 2010: -18.38%
More on Clovis: Data | Cost Of Living
2. Alamogordo
/10
Population: 30,996
% African American: 5.18%
# Of African American Residents: 1,607
Percent Change Since 2010: 0.63%
More on Alamogordo: Data | Cost Of Living
3. Hobbs
/10
Population: 39,782
% African American: 5.1%
# Of African American Residents: 2,029
Percent Change Since 2010: -1.65%
More on Hobbs: Data | Cost Of Living
4. Lovington
/10
Population: 11,495
% African American: 4.26%
# Of African American Residents: 490
Percent Change Since 2010: 3.59%
More on Lovington: Data | Cost Of Living
5. Ruidoso
/10
Population: 7,696
% African American: 3.16%
# Of African American Residents: 243
Percent Change Since 2010: inf%
More on Ruidoso: Data | Cost Of Living
6. Tucumcari
/10
Population: 5,206
% African American: 2.98%
# Of African American Residents: 155
Percent Change Since 2010: 216.33%
More on Tucumcari: Data
7. Portales
/10
Population: 12,085
% African American: 2.93%
# Of African American Residents: 354
Percent Change Since 2010: 71.01%
More on Portales: Data | Cost Of Living
8. Rio Rancho
/10
Population: 104,351
% African American: 2.64%
# Of African American Residents: 2,755
Percent Change Since 2010: 16.84%
More on Rio Rancho: Data | Cost Of Living
9. Albuquerque
/10
Population: 562,551
% African American: 2.59%
# Of African American Residents: 14,591
Percent Change Since 2010: -4.11%
More on Albuquerque: Data | Cost Of Living
10. Las Cruces
/10
Population: 111,273
% African American: 2.45%
# Of African American Residents: 2,721
Percent Change Since 2010: 70.06%
More on Las Cruces: Data | Cost Of Living
Methodology: How We Determined The Cities In New Mexico 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 New Mexico.
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 New Mexico. That left us with 32 cities.
We then calculated the percentage of residents that are Black or African American. The percentages ranked from 5.2% to 0.0%.
Finally, we ranked each city based on the percentage of the Black population, with a higher score being more Black than a lower score. Clovis took the distinction of being the most Black, while Aztec was the least African American city.
We updated this article for 2024. This is our tenth time ranking the cities in New Mexico with the largest African American population.
Read on for more information on how the cities in New Mexico 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 New Mexico
If you’re looking for a breakdown of African American populations across New Mexico according to the most recent data, this is an accurate list.
The blackest cities in New Mexico are Clovis, Alamogordo, Hobbs, Lovington, Ruidoso, Tucumcari, Portales, Rio Rancho, Albuquerque, and Las Cruces.
If you’re curious enough, here are the least African American places in New Mexico:
- Aztec
- Taos
- Truth or Consequences
For more New Mexico reading, check out:
- Best Places To Raise A Family In New Mexico
- Cheapest Places To Live In New Mexico
- Most Dangerous Cities In New Mexico
African American Population By City In New Mexico
| Rank | City | Population | African American Population | % African American |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Clovis | 38,453 | 1,998 | 5.2% |
| 2 | Alamogordo | 30,996 | 1,607 | 5.18% |
| 3 | Hobbs | 39,782 | 2,029 | 5.1% |
| 4 | Lovington | 11,495 | 490 | 4.26% |
| 5 | Ruidoso | 7,696 | 243 | 3.16% |
| 6 | Tucumcari | 5,206 | 155 | 2.98% |
| 7 | Portales | 12,085 | 354 | 2.93% |
| 8 | Rio Rancho | 104,351 | 2,755 | 2.64% |
| 9 | Albuquerque | 562,551 | 14,591 | 2.59% |
| 10 | Las Cruces | 111,273 | 2,721 | 2.45% |
| 11 | Corrales | 8,495 | 183 | 2.15% |
| 12 | Carlsbad | 31,755 | 607 | 1.91% |
| 13 | Socorro | 8,605 | 149 | 1.73% |
| 14 | Roswell | 48,035 | 831 | 1.73% |
| 15 | Gallup | 21,672 | 316 | 1.46% |
| 16 | Las Vegas | 13,194 | 178 | 1.35% |
| 17 | Los Ranchos De Albuquerque | 5,894 | 79 | 1.34% |
| 18 | Los Lunas | 17,452 | 230 | 1.32% |
| 19 | Grants | 9,177 | 108 | 1.18% |
| 20 | Santa Fe | 87,617 | 910 | 1.04% |
| 21 | Deming | 14,756 | 149 | 1.01% |
| 22 | Sunland Park | 16,773 | 131 | 0.78% |
| 23 | Silver City | 9,650 | 71 | 0.74% |
| 24 | Farmington | 46,457 | 323 | 0.7% |
| 25 | Bloomfield | 7,430 | 35 | 0.47% |
| 26 | Bernalillo | 9,286 | 41 | 0.44% |
| 27 | Belen | 7,367 | 31 | 0.42% |
| 28 | Raton | 6,046 | 25 | 0.41% |
| 29 | Artesia | 12,632 | 52 | 0.41% |
| 30 | Truth Or Consequences | 6,030 | 22 | 0.36% |
| 31 | Taos | 6,458 | 17 | 0.26% |
| 32 | Aztec | 6,214 | 0 | 0.0% |
Nice article, it would be great if you included the median income for the cities.