Most African American cities in Nevada research summary. We used Saturday Night Science to analyze Nevada’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 Nevada is North Las Vegas (20.6% Black); the least is Mesquite (0.5%). Statewide, Nevada is 9.0% Black — the 23rd 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 Nevada, the Black population is 285,857, at 9.0% of the state total.
We broke down the most recent Census data to determine the cities in Nevada with the largest African American population in 2026.
#1 most African American in Nevada
Located in
Clark County, Nevada
North Las Vegas is a city in Clark County, Nevada, United States, in the Las Vegas Valley. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 216,961, with an estimated population of 249,180 in 2017. The city was incorporated on May 16, 1946. It is in the Las Vegas-Paradise, NV MSA and is the fourth largest city in the state of Nevada.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
#2 most African American in Nevada
Located in
Clark County, Nevada
Las Vegas, officially the City of Las Vegas and often known simply as Vegas, is the 28th-most populated city in the United States, the most populated city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area and is the largest city within the greater Mojave Desert. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city, known primarily for its gambling, shopping, fine dining, entertainment, and nightlife. The Las Vegas Valley as a whole serves as the leading financial, commercial, and cultural center for Nevada.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
#3 most African American in Nevada
Located in
Clark County, Nevada
Henderson, officially the City of Henderson, is a city in Clark County, Nevada, United States, about 16 miles southeast of Las Vegas. It is the second-largest city in Nevada, after Las Vegas, with an estimated population of 292,969 in 2016. The city is part of the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which spans the entire Las Vegas Valley. Henderson occupies the southeastern end of the valley, at an elevation of approximately 1,330 feet.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
#4 most African American in Nevada
Located in
Washoe County, Nevada
Reno is a city in the U.S. state of Nevada. It is in Northern Nevada, approximately 22 miles from Lake Tahoe. Known as “The Biggest Little City in the World”, Reno is famous for its hotels and casinos and as the birthplace of Harrah’s Entertainment. It is the county seat of Washoe County, in the northwestern part of the state. The city sits in a high desert at the foot of the Sierra Nevada and its downtown area occupies a valley informally known as the Truckee Meadows. It is named after Jesse L. Reno.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
#5 most African American in Nevada
Located in
Churchill County, Nevada
Fallon is a city in Churchill County, Nevada, United States. The population was 8,606 at time of the 2010 census. Fallon is the county seat of Churchill County and is located in the Lahontan Valley.
Fallon and Churchill County are mostly agricultural areas. Although the area is arid, approximately 50,000 acres of its pastureland are irrigated with water from the Truckee-Carson Irrigation District. The principal crop grown is alfalfa for livestock feed. The “Heart O’ Gold” cantaloupes of Churchill County were once distributed across the United States, but are now grown mostly for consumption in Nevada.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
#6 most African American in Nevada
Located in
Washoe County, Nevada
Sparks is a city in Washoe County, Nevada, United States. It was founded in 1904 and incorporated on March 15, 1905, and is located just east of Reno. The 2010 U.S. Census Bureau population count was 90,264. It is the fifth most populous city in Nevada. It is named after the late Nevada Governor John Sparks, a member of the Silver Party.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
#7 most African American in Nevada
Located in
Elko County, Nevada
Coordinates: 4050N 11546W 40.833; -115.767 Elko is the largest city and county seat of Elko County, Nevada, United States. The population was 18,297 at the 2010 census. The city straddles the Humboldt River.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
#8 most African American in Nevada
Boulder City is a city in Clark County, Nevada. It is approximately 26 miles southeast of Las Vegas. As of the 2010 census, the population of Boulder City was 15,023.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
#9 most African American in Nevada
Located in
Lyon County, Nevada
Coordinates: 393555N 1191254W 39.59861; -119.21500 Fernley is a city in Lyon County, Nevada, United States, east of the Reno-Sparks metropolitan area. The city incorporated in 2001; prior to that it was a census-designated place. The population of the city was 19,368 at the 2010 census. Fernley is home to the Reno-Fernley Raceway.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
#10 most African American in Nevada
Located in
Humboldt County, Nevada
Winnemucca ) is the only incorporated city in and is the county seat of Humboldt County, Nevada, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 7,396, up 3.1 percent from the 2000 census figure of 7,174. Interstate 80 passes through the city, where it meets U.S. Route 95.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is Nevada’s statewide median.
On the map
Where Nevada’s Black communities live
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How We Determined The Cities In Nevada 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 Nevada.
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 8,000 people in Nevada. That left us with 11 cities.
We then calculated the percentage of residents that are Black or African American. The percentages ranked from 20.6% to 0.5%.
Finally, we ranked each city based on the percentage of the Black population, with a higher score being more Black than a lower score. North Las Vegas took the distinction of being the most Black, while Mesquite was the least African American city.
We updated this article for 2026. This is our eleventh time ranking the cities in Nevada with the largest African American population.
The full plate
African American Population By City In Nevada
Click any column to sort. Search by city name.
| Rank | City | Population | African American Population | % African American |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Las Vegas | 278,595 | 57,268 | 20.6% |
| 2 | Las Vegas | 660,400 | 74,082 | 11.2% |
| 3 | Henderson | 332,141 | 21,568 | 6.5% |
| 4 | Reno | 273,212 | 8,218 | 3.0% |
| 5 | Fallon | 9,463 | 257 | 2.7% |
| 6 | Sparks | 110,024 | 2,479 | 2.3% |
| 7 | Elko | 20,696 | 222 | 1.1% |
| 8 | Boulder City | 14,919 | 124 | 0.8% |
| 9 | Fernley | 24,225 | 187 | 0.8% |
| 10 | Winnemucca | 8,361 | 53 | 0.6% |
| 11 | Mesquite | 22,059 | 121 | 0.5% |
Source: U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024. 11 cities with more than 8,000 residents.
Summary
Summary: Black Populations Across Nevada
If you’re looking for a breakdown of African American populations across Nevada according to the most recent data, this is an accurate list.
The blackest cities in Nevada are North Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Henderson, Reno, Fallon, Sparks, Elko, Boulder City, Fernley, and Winnemucca.
