Most African American cities in New Hampshire research summary. We used Saturday Night Science to analyze New Hampshire’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 New Hampshire is Berlin (6.3% Black); the least is Portsmouth (0.2%). Statewide, New Hampshire is 1.3% Black — the 45th 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 New Hampshire, the Black population is 18,704, at 1.3% of the state total.
We broke down the most recent Census data to determine the cities in New Hampshire with the largest African American population in 2026.
#1 most African American in New Hampshire
Located in
Coos County, New Hampshire
Berlin is a city along the Androscoggin River in Cos County in northern New Hampshire, United States. The population was 10,051 at the 2010 census. It includes the village of Cascade. Located on the edge of the White Mountains, the city’s boundaries extend into the White Mountain National Forest. Berlin is home to the Berlin and Cos County Historical Society’s Moffett House Museum & Genealogy Center, Service Credit Union Heritage Park, the Berlin Fish Hatchery, and the White Mountains Community College, member of the Community College System of New Hampshire.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
#2 most African American in New Hampshire
Located in
Hillsborough County, New Hampshire
Manchester is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Hampshire and the largest city in northern New England, an area comprising the states of Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 109,565, and its estimated 2016 population was 110,506. It is one of two seats of Hillsborough County, the state of New Hampshire’s most populous county. Manchester is located near the northern end of the Northeast megalopolis, along the banks of the Merrimack River-which divides the city into eastern and western sections. It was first named by the merchant and inventor Samuel Blodgett. Blodget’s vision was to create a great industrial center similar to that of the original Manchester in England, which was the world’s first industrialized city.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
#3 most African American in New Hampshire
Located in
Merrimack County, New Hampshire
Concord is the capital city of the U.S. state of New Hampshire and the county seat of Merrimack County. As of the 2010 census, its population was 42,695.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
#4 most African American in New Hampshire
Located in
Hillsborough County, New Hampshire
Nashua is a city in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States. As of the 2010 census, Nashua had a total population of 86,494, making it the second-largest city in the state after Manchester. As of 2016 the population had risen to an estimated 87,882.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
#5 most African American in New Hampshire
Located in
Strafford County, New Hampshire
Somersworth is a city in Strafford County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 11,766 at the 2010 census. Somersworth has the smallest area and third-lowest population of New Hampshire’s 13 cities.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
#6 most African American in New Hampshire
Located in
Sullivan County, New Hampshire
Claremont is the only city in Sullivan County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 13,355 at the 2010 census.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
#7 most African American in New Hampshire
Located in
Cheshire County, New Hampshire
Keene is a city in Cheshire County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 23,409 at the 2010 census. It is the seat of Cheshire County.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
#8 most African American in New Hampshire
Located in
Strafford County, New Hampshire
Dover is a city in Strafford County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 29,987 at the 2010 census, the largest in the New Hampshire Seacoast region. The population was estimated at 31,153 in 2016. It is the county seat of Strafford County, and home to Wentworth-Douglass Hospital, the Woodman Institute Museum, and the Children’s Museum of New Hampshire.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
#9 most African American in New Hampshire
Located in
Strafford County, New Hampshire
Rochester is a city in Strafford County, New Hampshire, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 29,752, and in 2016 the estimated population was 30,345. The city includes the villages of East Rochester, Gonic, and North Rochester. Rochester is home to Skyhaven Airport
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
#10 most African American in New Hampshire
Located in
Grafton County, New Hampshire
Lebanon locally is a city in Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 13,151 at the 2010 census and an estimated 13,513 as of 2016. Lebanon is located in western New Hampshire, south of Hanover, near the Connecticut River. It is the home to Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center and Dartmouth Medical School, together comprising the largest medical facility between Boston, Massachusetts and Burlington, Vermont.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is New Hampshire’s statewide median.
On the map
Where New Hampshire’s Black communities live
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How We Determined The Cities In New Hampshire 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 New Hampshire.
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 New Hampshire. That left us with 13 cities.
We then calculated the percentage of residents that are Black or African American. The percentages ranked from 6.3% 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. Berlin took the distinction of being the most Black, while Portsmouth was the least African American city.
We updated this article for 2026. This is our eleventh time ranking the cities in New Hampshire with the largest African American population.
The full plate
African American Population By City In New Hampshire
Click any column to sort. Search by city name.
| Rank | City | Population | African American Population | % African American |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Berlin | 9,383 | 594 | 6.3% |
| 2 | Manchester | 115,643 | 4,861 | 4.2% |
| 3 | Concord | 44,375 | 1,629 | 3.7% |
| 4 | Nashua | 91,294 | 2,546 | 2.8% |
| 5 | Somersworth | 12,111 | 263 | 2.2% |
| 6 | Claremont | 13,078 | 232 | 1.8% |
| 7 | Keene | 22,939 | 384 | 1.7% |
| 8 | Dover | 33,364 | 396 | 1.2% |
| 9 | Rochester | 33,144 | 354 | 1.1% |
| 10 | Lebanon | 14,999 | 100 | 0.7% |
| 11 | Franklin | 8,799 | 27 | 0.3% |
| 12 | Laconia | 17,085 | 42 | 0.2% |
| 13 | Portsmouth | 22,545 | 51 | 0.2% |
Source: U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024. 13 cities with more than 8,000 residents.
Summary
Summary: Black Populations Across New Hampshire
If you’re looking for a breakdown of African American populations across New Hampshire according to the most recent data, this is an accurate list.
The blackest cities in New Hampshire are Berlin, Manchester, Concord, Nashua, Somersworth, Claremont, Keene, Dover, Rochester, and Lebanon. Not sold on New Hampshire? Take the two-minute Find Your Place quiz and see which state actually fits you.
