Cities with the most Black-owned businesses

Jen Wolf // Shutterstock February is Black History Month, and to honor the occasion, researchers at TruckInfo.net analyzed data from the Census Bureau to better understand the positive impact of Black entrepreneurs. Despite Gains in Recent Years, Black Entrepreneurs Are Still Underrepresented Although Black Americans represent 13.7% of the population, only 3.3% of employer firms (those with at least one employee) are Black-owned. This discrepancy highlights both the challenges and the untapped potential within the community. Black Entrepreneurs See the Most Success in Southern Metro Areas TruckInfo.net Black-owned businesses in the South exceed national averages. For example, Hinesville, Georgia, has five times as many Black-owned businesses as would be expected based on population alone. The metro areas with the highest concentration of Black-owned employer firms include: 1. Hinesville, GA Black-owned businesses: 18.2% Black Population: 37.5% Black-owned Businesses: 157 Black-owned Businesses per 10k: 51 2. Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA Black-owned businesses: 11.3% Black Population: 34.3% Black-owned Businesses: 13,766 Black-owned Businesses per 10k: 66 3. Fayetteville, NC Black-owned businesses: 10% Black Population: 32.6% Black-owned Businesses: 480 Black-owned Businesses per 10k: 28 4. Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC Black-owned businesses: 9.4% Black Population: 30% Black-owned Businesses: 2,632 Black-owned Businesses per 10k: 49 5. Memphis, TN-MS-AR Black-owned businesses: 9.3% Black Population: 47.5% Black-owned Businesses: 1,606 Black-owned Businesses per 10k: 25 6. Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Black-owned businesses: 9.2% Black Population: 25% Black-owned Businesses: 10,486 Black-owned Businesses per 10k: 66 7. Jackson, MS Black-owned businesses: 8.2% Black Population: 49.8% Black-owned Businesses: 865 Black-owned Businesses per 10k: 29 8. Sumter, SC Black-owned businesses: 7.9% Black Population: 45.8% Black-owned Businesses: 112 Black-owned Businesses per 10k: 18 9. Richmond, VA Black-owned businesses: 7.6% Black Population: 28.9% Black-owned Businesses: 1,805 Black-owned Businesses per 10k: 47 10. Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC Black-owned businesses: 7.6% Black Population: 35% Black-owned Businesses: 638 Black-owned Businesses per 10k: 30 At the State Level, Washington D.C., Maryland, and Georgia Have the Highest Concentration of Black-Owned Employer Businesses by a Wide Margin The District of Columbia, Maryland, and Georgia each have about 50% more Black-owned businesses compared to other states. While 9% of employer businesses in Georgia are Black-owned, only 6% of employer businesses are Black-owned in Mississippi even though the state has the fourth-highest concentration of Black-owned businesses. Transportation Is the Most Popular Industry for Black Entrepreneurs TruckInfo.net While only 3.3% of employer firms are Black-owned, 7.8% of transportation and warehousing firms are Black-owned–more than twice the national average. Other popular industries include health care and social services, administrative support, and entertainment. Methodology TruckInfo.net All data was sourced from the Census Bureau for 2022, the most recent data available. Only businesses that employed at least one individual were included in the analysis.   This story was produced by TruckInfo.net and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.