While many metropolitan areas experienced substantial increases in Black population between 2020 and 2025, others recorded declines during the same period, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Vintage 2025 Population Estimates.
Among metropolitan areas with at least 80,000 Black residents in 2020, Chicago recorded the nation’s largest decline, followed by Los Angeles, San Francisco, New Orleans, and New York.
Together, the ten metropolitan areas with the largest decreases lost a combined 213,653 Black residents over the five-year period.
Metropolitan Areas With the Largest Black Population Declines (2020–2025)
| Rank | Metropolitan Area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chicago, IL-IN | -54,370 |
| 2 | Los Angeles, CA | -49,878 |
| 3 | San Francisco, CA | -24,682 |
| 4 | New Orleans, LA | -20,009 |
| 5 | New York, NY-NJ | -19,007 |
| 6 | Detroit, MI | -13,996 |
| 7 | St. Louis, MO-IL | -9,247 |
| 8 | Cleveland, OH | -8,297 |
| 9 | Jackson, MS | -7,245 |
| 10 | Milwaukee, WI | -4,231 |
| 11 | Shreveport, LA | -2,345 |
| 12 | Buffalo, NY | -2,185 |
| 13 | San Diego, CA | -1,696 |
| 14 | Flint, MI | -1,304 |
| 15 | Memphis, TN-MS-AR | -330 |
| 16 | Mobile, AL | -299 |
| 17 | Columbus, GA-AL | -294 |
| 18 | Monroe, LA | -576 |
Several Long-Established Metropolitan Areas Recorded Declines
Many of the metropolitan areas with the largest decreases have long been home to some of the nation’s largest Black communities, including Chicago, New York, Detroit, Cleveland, St. Louis, and New Orleans.
California also stands out in the latest estimates, with Los Angeles, San Francisco, and San Diego all recording declines in Black population between 2020 and 2025.
Declines Do Not Necessarily Mean Fewer Black Residents Through Migration
Population change reflects many factors, including births, deaths, domestic migration, international migration, and changes in where people live within metropolitan areas. The Census Bureau’s population estimates measure the overall change but do not identify the specific reasons for increases or decreases in any individual metropolitan area.
Most Large Black Metropolitan Areas Continued to Grow
Despite the declines shown above, many of the nation’s largest metropolitan areas continued to experience significant Black population growth during the same period. Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, Atlanta, Charlotte, Orlando, and Phoenix all added tens of thousands of Black residents between 2020 and 2025.
Taken together, the gains and declines illustrate how the geographic distribution of Black Americans continues to evolve across the United States.