Most African American cities in Arizona research summary. We used Saturday Night Science to analyze Arizona’s most recent Census data to determine the blackest cities in Arizona based on the percentage of Black residents. Here are the results of our analysis:
The city with the largest African American population in Arizona is Maricopa based on the most recent Census data.
Maricopa is 12.68% Black.
The least African American city in Arizona is Cottonwood.
Cottonwood is 0.17% Black.
Arizona is 4.4% Black.
Arizona is the 33rd 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 Arizona is 322,321 – at 4.4% of the total population of Arizona.
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 Arizona? Which cities and towns in Arizona have seen the greatest increase in its Black population?
We broke down the most recent census data to determine the cities in Arizona with the largest African American population in 2026:
What’s the blackest city in Arizona? The city with the largest Black population in Arizona for 2026 is Maricopa. See if Maricopa 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 Arizona or the most diverse places in Arizona.
The 10 Blackest Cities In Arizona For 2026
1. Maricopa
/10
Population: 67,163
% African American: 12.68%
# Of African American Residents: 8,518
Percent Change Since 2010: 291.63%
More on Maricopa: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
2. Avondale
/10
Population: 92,477
% African American: 10.53%
# Of African American Residents: 9,739
Percent Change Since 2010: 60.0%
More on Avondale: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
3. Eloy
/10
Population: 17,433
% African American: 8.84%
# Of African American Residents: 1,541
Percent Change Since 2010: 96.06%
More on Eloy: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
4. Florence
/10
Population: 25,570
% African American: 8.2%
# Of African American Residents: 2,096
Percent Change Since 2010: 4.28%
More on Florence: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
5. Phoenix
/10
Population: 1,642,323
% African American: 7.41%
# Of African American Residents: 121,686
Percent Change Since 2010: 40.65%
More on Phoenix: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
6. Goodyear
/10
Population: 107,645
% African American: 7.37%
# Of African American Residents: 7,931
Percent Change Since 2010: 179.46%
More on Goodyear: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
7. El Mirage
/10
Population: 36,088
% African American: 7.3%
# Of African American Residents: 2,635
Percent Change Since 2010: 32.81%
More on El Mirage: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
8. Tempe
/10
Population: 188,065
% African American: 6.86%
# Of African American Residents: 12,910
Percent Change Since 2010: 92.95%
More on Tempe: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
9. Coolidge
/10
Population: 16,636
% African American: 6.44%
# Of African American Residents: 1,072
Percent Change Since 2010: -1.47%
More on Coolidge: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
10. Tolleson
/10
Population: 7,668
% African American: 6.35%
# Of African American Residents: 487
Percent Change Since 2010: 16.23%
More on Tolleson: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
Methodology: How We Determined The Cities In Arizona With The Largest Black Population For 2026
We still believe in the accuracy of data — especially from the Census. So that’s where we went to get the race breakdown across Arizona.
That leads us to the Census’s most recently available data, the 2020-2024 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 Arizona. That left us with 54 cities.
We then calculated the percentage of residents that are Black or African American. The percentages ranked from 12.7% to 0.2%.
Finally, we ranked each city based on the percentage of the Black population, with a higher score being more Black than a lower score. Maricopa took the distinction of being the most Black, while Cottonwood was the least African American city.
We updated this article for 2026. This is our eleventh time ranking the cities in Arizona with the largest African American population.
Read on for more information on how the cities in Arizona 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 Arizona
If you’re looking for a breakdown of African American populations across Arizona according to the most recent data, this is an accurate list.
The blackest cities in Arizona are Maricopa, Avondale, Eloy, Florence, Phoenix, Goodyear, El Mirage, Tempe, Coolidge, and Tolleson.
If you’re curious enough, here are the least African American places in Arizona:
- Cottonwood
- Nogales
- Benson
For more Arizona reading, check out:
African American Population By City In Arizona
| Rank | City | Population | African American Population | % African American |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maricopa | 67,163 | 8,518 | 12.68% |
| 2 | Avondale | 92,477 | 9,739 | 10.53% |
| 3 | Eloy | 17,433 | 1,541 | 8.84% |
| 4 | Florence | 25,570 | 2,096 | 8.2% |
| 5 | Phoenix | 1,642,323 | 121,686 | 7.41% |
| 6 | Goodyear | 107,645 | 7,931 | 7.37% |
| 7 | El Mirage | 36,088 | 2,635 | 7.3% |
| 8 | Tempe | 188,065 | 12,910 | 6.86% |
| 9 | Coolidge | 16,636 | 1,072 | 6.44% |
| 10 | Tolleson | 7,668 | 487 | 6.35% |
| 11 | Sierra Vista | 45,155 | 2,788 | 6.17% |
| 12 | Glendale | 252,833 | 15,275 | 6.04% |
| 13 | Casa Grande | 60,905 | 3,220 | 5.29% |
| 14 | Chandler | 280,136 | 14,254 | 5.09% |
| 15 | Tucson | 547,073 | 26,020 | 4.76% |
| 16 | Snowflake | 6,444 | 291 | 4.52% |
| 17 | Surprise | 154,948 | 6,708 | 4.33% |
| 18 | Mesa | 511,764 | 18,986 | 3.71% |
| 19 | Winslow | 8,773 | 304 | 3.47% |
| 20 | Gilbert | 280,262 | 9,079 | 3.24% |
| 21 | Sahuarita | 35,862 | 1,156 | 3.22% |
| 22 | Peoria | 196,906 | 6,346 | 3.22% |
| 23 | Douglas | 15,981 | 510 | 3.19% |
| 24 | Queen Creek | 71,867 | 2,122 | 2.95% |
| 25 | Marana | 56,938 | 1,652 | 2.9% |
| 26 | Guadalupe | 5,272 | 136 | 2.58% |
| 27 | Fountain Hills | 23,789 | 558 | 2.35% |
| 28 | Scottsdale | 243,821 | 5,141 | 2.11% |
| 29 | Kingman | 34,375 | 689 | 2.0% |
| 30 | Yuma | 100,139 | 1,931 | 1.93% |
| 31 | Youn | 7,015 | 135 | 1.92% |
| 32 | San Luis | 37,337 | 718 | 1.92% |
| 33 | Litchfield Park | 6,916 | 126 | 1.82% |
| 34 | Flagstaff | 76,445 | 1,364 | 1.78% |
| 35 | Sedona | 9,777 | 165 | 1.69% |
| 36 | Bullhead City | 42,496 | 663 | 1.56% |
| 37 | Apache Junction | 41,058 | 583 | 1.42% |
| 38 | Safford | 10,239 | 139 | 1.36% |
| 39 | Oro Valley | 48,162 | 549 | 1.14% |
| 40 | Wickenburg | 8,059 | 80 | 0.99% |
| 41 | Globe | 7,195 | 61 | 0.85% |
| 42 | Camp Verde | 12,521 | 96 | 0.77% |
| 43 | Page | 7,345 | 55 | 0.75% |
| 44 | Prescott Valley | 49,179 | 283 | 0.58% |
| 45 | Lake Havasu City | 58,359 | 293 | 0.5% |
| 46 | Show Low | 12,102 | 60 | 0.5% |
| 47 | Prescott | 47,400 | 228 | 0.48% |
| 48 | Paradise Valley | 12,611 | 54 | 0.43% |
| 49 | Payson | 16,622 | 60 | 0.36% |
| 50 | Chino Valley | 13,602 | 42 | 0.31% |
| 51 | Somerton | 14,574 | 44 | 0.3% |
| 52 | Benson | 5,417 | 16 | 0.3% |
| 53 | Nogales | 19,841 | 41 | 0.21% |
| 54 | Cottonwood | 12,580 | 22 | 0.17% |