Most African American cities in Maine research summary. We used Saturday Night Science to analyze Maine’s most recent Census data to determine the cities with the largest Black population, based on the percentage of Black residents.
The city with the largest African American population in Maine is Lewiston (13.8% Black); the least is Belfast (0.0%). Statewide, Maine is 1.8% Black — the 43rd blackest state in the country.
Roughly 42 million people identifying as Black or African American live in the United States, about 12% of the total population. In Maine, the Black population is 24,846, at 1.8% of the state total.
We broke down the most recent Census data to determine the cities in Maine with the largest African American population in 2026.
#1 most African American in Maine
Located in
Androscoggin County, MaineLewiston is the second largest city in Maine and the most central city in Androscoggin County. The city borders the coastal sideways of the Gulf of Maine and is south of Augusta, the state’s capital and north of Portland, the cultural hub of Maine. It is one-half of the Lewiston-Auburn Metropolitan Statistical Area, commonly referred to as “L.A.” or “L-A.” Lewiston exerts a significant impact upon the diversity, religious variety, commerce, education, and economic power of Maine. It is known for a relatively low cost of living, substantial access to medical care, and an extremely low violent crime rate. While the dominant language spoken in the city is English, it is home to the largest French-speaking population in the United States while it is second to St. Martin Parish, Louisiana, in percentage of speakers.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
#2 most African American in Maine
Located in
Cumberland County, MainePortland is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maine, with a population of 66,937 as of 2016. This makes it the fourth least populous city in the U.S. to be the most populous in its state. The Greater Portland metropolitan area is home to over half a million people, more than one-third of Maine’s total population. The Old Port district is frequented by tourists, while Portland Head Light is also a destination. The city seal depicts a phoenix rising from ashes, which is a reference to the recoveries from four devastating fires. Portland was named after the English Isle of Portland, and the city of Portland, Oregon, was in turn named after Portland, Maine.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
#3 most African American in Maine
Located in
Cumberland County, MaineSouth Portland is a city in Cumberland County, Maine, United States, and is the fourth-largest city in the state, incorporated in 1898. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 25,002. Known for its working waterfront, South Portland is situated on Portland Harbor and overlooks the skyline of Portland and the islands of Casco Bay. Due to South Portland’s close proximity to air, marine, rail, and highway transportation options, the city has become a center for retail and industry in the region.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
#4 most African American in Maine
Located in
Cumberland County, MaineWestbrook is a city in Cumberland County, Maine, United States and a suburb of Portland. The population was 17,494 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Portland-South Portland-Biddeford, Maine metropolitan statistical area.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
#5 most African American in Maine
Located in
Androscoggin County, MaineAuburn is a city in and the county seat of Androscoggin County, Maine, United States. The population was 23,055 at the 2010 census. Auburn and Lewiston are known locally as the Twin Cities or Lewiston-Auburn.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
#6 most African American in Maine
Old Town is a city in Penobscot County, Maine, United States. The population was 7,840 at the 2010 census. The city’s developed area is chiefly located on relatively large Marsh Island, though its boundaries extend beyond that. The island is surrounded and defined by the Penobscot River to the east, and the Stillwater River to the west.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
#7 most African American in Maine
Located in
Penobscot County, MaineBangor is a city along the Penobscot River in the U.S. state of Maine. The city proper has a population of 33,039, while the Bangor metropolitan area has a population of 153,746. Bangor is known as the “Queen City” of Maine.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
#8 most African American in Maine
Located in
Kennebec County, MaineAugusta is the capital of the U.S. state of Maine and the county seat of Kennebec County.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
#9 most African American in Maine
Located in
York County, MaineSaco is a city in York County, Maine, United States. The population was 18,482 at the 2010 census. It is home to Ferry Beach State Park, Funtown Splashtown USA, Thornton Academy, as well as General Dynamics Armament Systems, a subsidiary of the defense contractor General Dynamics. Saco sees much tourism during summer months, due to its amusement parks, Ferry Beach State Park, and proximity to Old Orchard Beach.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
#10 most African American in Maine
Located in
Aroostook County, MainePresque Isle is the commercial center and largest city in Aroostook County, Maine, United States. The population was 9,171 in 2015 as estimated by the US Census, a decrease from the count of 9,692 in the 2010 Census. The city is home to the University of Maine at Presque Isle, Northern Maine Community College, Husson University Presque Isle, Northern Maine Fairgrounds, The Aroostook Centre Mall, and the Northern Maine Regional Airport.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is Maine’s statewide median.
On the map
Where Maine’s Black communities live
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How We Determined The Cities In Maine 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 Maine.
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 6,000 people in Maine. That left us with 19 cities.
We then calculated the percentage of residents that are Black or African American. The percentages ranked from 13.8% 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. Lewiston took the distinction of being the most Black, while Belfast was the least African American city.
We updated this article for 2026. This is our eleventh time ranking the cities in Maine with the largest African American population.
The full plate
African American Population By City In Maine
Click any column to sort. Search by city name.
| Rank | City | Population | African American Population | % African American |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lewiston | 38,324 | 5,280 | 13.8% |
| 2 | Portland | 68,854 | 6,244 | 9.1% |
| 3 | South Portland | 26,930 | 1,925 | 7.1% |
| 4 | Westbrook | 20,775 | 982 | 4.7% |
| 5 | Auburn | 24,602 | 850 | 3.5% |
| 6 | Old Town | 7,470 | 247 | 3.3% |
| 7 | Bangor | 31,938 | 909 | 2.8% |
| 8 | Augusta | 19,077 | 437 | 2.3% |
| 9 | Saco | 20,819 | 404 | 1.9% |
| 10 | Presque Isle | 8,736 | 150 | 1.7% |
| 11 | Waterville | 17,077 | 264 | 1.5% |
| 12 | Gardiner | 6,088 | 90 | 1.5% |
| 13 | Ellsworth | 8,657 | 126 | 1.5% |
| 14 | Brewer | 9,652 | 124 | 1.3% |
| 15 | Biddeford | 22,498 | 203 | 0.9% |
| 16 | Bath | 8,815 | 41 | 0.5% |
| 17 | Caribou | 7,382 | 11 | 0.1% |
| 18 | Rockland | 7,035 | 6 | 0.1% |
| 19 | Belfast | 6,986 | 0 | 0.0% |
Source: U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024. 19 cities with more than 6,000 residents.
Summary
Summary: Black Populations Across Maine
If you’re looking for a breakdown of African American populations across Maine according to the most recent data, this is an accurate list.
The blackest cities in Maine are Lewiston, Portland, South Portland, Westbrook, Auburn, Old Town, Bangor, Augusta, Saco, and Presque Isle. Not sold on Maine? Take the two-minute Find Your Place quiz and see which state actually fits you.
