12 Richest Black Communities in America

What do you imagine when you think of Black communities?

Society and entertainment still shape Black communities to solely mirror “ghettos.”

It’s the 2020s.

There is more to Black communities than what you see on TV and film.

While shows and movies are showing poverty and crime, that’s not it.

There are Black communities that are wealthy and flourishing.

Rich communities don’t only belong to the white population.

If you’re interested in knowing some of the richest Black communities around the United States, look no further.

Friendly, Maryland

Located just a few miles south of Washington, D.C., Friendly, Maryland, is a small suburban city with just under 10,000 people.

Nestled in Prince George’s County, the city is approximately 5 square miles.

The demographics of the city are predominantly African American with 77.67% of their population being Black.

Now, it’s time to talk about money.

As one of the most affluent Black communities in the country, the city’s median income is $114,315 according to Livability.

The town’s median home value is also around $328K as well.

With a deeper look into the education and career opportunities in Friendly, MD, they have a 5.9% unemployment rate with 31.10%.

Friendly, Maryland, houses about 108 businesses and about 70% of their population is in the workforce.

When looking further into the home situation, Friendly has an average mortgage amount of $1634 with a median rent of $1703.

Lastly, while 90.8% of the homes are owned, 9.2% are rented.

According to Niche, Friendly ranks as one of the most diverse suburbs, best places to retire, and best suburbs for young professionals in Maryland.

Windsor Hills, California

Formally referred to as View Park-Windsor Hills, this city is considered an unincorporated community.

This means that it is not governed by its own local municipal corporation and rather it is part of a larger division or township.

With just under 11,000 people living within the community, View Park-Windsor Hills is considered one of the largest, wealthiest, and best-educated Black communities in the Western region of the country.

The demographics of the community are predominantly Black with white and Asian professionals making recent moves into the area.

Regardless, as of the 2010 census, 84.8% of the population is Black.

Diving deeper into the community and their population, the median home value of this area is approximately $812K.

The median household income is around $97,000 as well.

Over half the population (52.20%) has a Bachelor’s degree or higher while 61.3% of their population is in the workforce.

A quick look into the living situation in the city will show that 70% of the homes are owned with $1300 being the average for mortgage payments.

View Park-Windsor Hills has been the home of many notable figures including Ray Charles, Loretta Devine, and Regina King.

Woodmore, Maryland

Now, when it comes to affluent, Woodmore is probably one of the most affluent on this list.

Also located in Prince George’s County, just like Friendly, Maryland, Woodmore is a Washington, D.C. suburb.

When compared to the rest of the communities on this list, this Maryland town has one of the smaller populations with under 4000.

The suburb also features the Country Club at Woodmore – a private gated community that houses hundreds of the town’s residents.

The Black community of Woodmore sits at 64.9% with the White population being the next largest group at 28.8%.

The median home value of Woodmore is $444K while the household income sits at an average of $182,859.

The unemployment rate in the community is low at under 5% and over ¾ of the community’s population is in the workforce.

Lastly, most of the residents in Woodmore own their homes with only 6% of the population renting.

Six Flags America is also located in Woodmore which seemingly adds to the wealth and growth of the community.

Mitchellville, Maryland – Has A Rich Black Community

If you were wondering about Prince George’s County in Maryland, it’s clearly the place to be for wealthy, Black professionals and families.

The next community on the list is Mitchellville, Maryland, which you can also find in Prince George’s County.

With a population of almost 11,000 people, the town’s population is 78.5% Black.

When it comes to the residents of the community, their age demographics are generally well spread out. 

While 27.5% of the population is under the age of 13, 28.5% is 25-44 and 30.1% is 45-64.

The median home value is just over $350,000 with the average household income being $122K.

Almost half their population *45.7%) has a Bachelor’s degree or higher with 76.8% of their population being in the workforce.

Mitchellville is another affluent Black community where most of the residents own their home with 91.5% of homes being owned and 8.5% being rented.

Baldwin Hills, California

If you were watching BET between 2007 and 2009, then you probably know about Baldwin Hills.

A BET series premiered in 2007 to demonstrate the lives of young Black teenagers and adults living in the “Black Beverly Hills.”

Located in Los Angeles County, Baldwin Hills has a population of around 30,000.

Listed as the second richest Black community in the United States, the community has an average family income of $157,000.

According to Realtor, the median listing price for homes in Baldwin Hills are around $1.1 million.

This makes sense especially when considering who lives (or has lived) there.

Baldwin Hills has been the home to Ray Charles, Allyson Felix, John Singleton, Tina Turner, and Ice Cube.

Kettering, Maryland

Prince George’s County is taking over this list!

Next up we have Kettering, Maryland.

The suburb has a population of over 12,000 and borders the neighboring community of Woodmore.

Compared to some of the other neighborhoods on this list, Kettering’s population is very predominantly Black with 90.6%.

When it comes to the median home value of Kettering, residents are looking just under $300,000.

The median household income is around $93K with 43.1% of their population having Bachelor’s degrees or higher and 65.1% of them being in the workforce.

Approximately 90% of the residents in the area own their homes while 10% of them are being rented.

Kettering definitely ranks in the top 10 richest Black communities in the United States as of 2020.

Fort Washington, Maryland

If you thought we were done with Prince George’s County, we’re not.

Fort Washington is another one of Maryland’s and the country’s richest Black communities.

Named after the original defense fort that protected Washington, D.C. during the Civil War, the city now has a Black majority population of 70%. 

This is followed by a 13.4% White and 9.2% Asian populations.

The median home value in Fort Washington is approximately $343K while the average household income is $115,000.

Livability lists Fort Washington’s workforce percentage at 65.1% while 40.5% of their population have earned a Bachelor’s degree or higher.

87.5% of homes in Fort Washington are owned with $1,751 being the average mortgage amount.

12.5% of residents are renting their homes with a median rent of $1,234.

Similarly to Baldwin Hills and Windsor Hills, you’ll find that many notable people have lived in or around the Fort Washington area.

While actor Martin Lawrence attended high school in Fort Washington, athlete siblings Brian and Byron Westbrook also lived in the community.

Uniondale, New York

We’re now headed to New York’s Long Island to Uniondale.

A suburb in Nassau County, Uniondale has a pretty big population with close to 25K residents.

While the Black percentage isn’t as large as it is in other cities, Uniondale is still predominantly Black with 55.53% of its residents being Black.

This is followed by 26.97% of their residents being White and 2.1% being Asian.

Uniondale is known as more than an affluent Black community.

The Lufthansa United States airline carrier has its headquarters in Uniondale.

Also before moving to the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, the hockey team, the New York Islanders, played at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

Diving deeper into the living conditions of the area, the median home value of the region is $350K while Uniondale has a median household income of $84,000.

When comparing the amount of homeowners versus renters, Uniondale rate is smaller than most other communities on this list with 69.5% of homes owned.

Hillcrest, New York, Has Wealthy Black People

Located in Rockland County, the next community we have on this list is Hillcrest, New York.

Considered a “bedroom suburb of New York City,” Hillcrest is a town where you’ll find that many of their residents commute to work in New York City.

With a population of just under 8000, their African American population is still prominent with over half (51.1%) of their population being Black.

This is followed by a 25.58% White population and 14.69% Asian population.

The median home value of Hillcrest is $370K and the community has a larger-than-most median household income of $103K.

In Hillcrest, you’ll find that over 75% of the homes are owned with around 23% of them being rented.

They also have a wonderfully low unemployment rate at 3.4%.

Lastly, the community also offers a great amount of career opportunities for their residents with close to 150 businesses.

Ladera Heights, California

The next community on our list is taking us back to California.

With Baldwin Hills as its northern neighbor, Ladera Heights is another affluent Black community in Los Angeles County.

Listed as the third richest Black community in the United States, it makes sense after you look at their median home value and household income.

The homes are valued just under $1 million at around $958K.

The median household income is also just over six figures at $118K.

Over half of the communities residents are educated with approximately 58.8% of them having a Bachelor’s degree or higher.

72% of Ladera Heights residents own their home while 28% of them rent.

Over the years, you’ll find that other notable figures have also called Ladera Heights home including Vanessa Williams and Lisa Leslie.

Lake Arbor, Maryland

We’re back in Prince George’s County in Lake Arbor, Maryland.

With just under 10,000 people living in the community, Lake Arbor’s demographics are approximately 88.74% Black, 7.2% White, and 1.77% Asian.

When analyzing their median home value, you’ll find that their average is around $311K.

Lake Arbor also has a median household income of around $97K.

Differing from some of the communities on this list, Lake Arbor has more career opportunities for their residents than most.

They have over 800 businesses housed within the community and almost 75% of their population in the workforce.

Almost half their population has a Bachelor’s degree or better with 59.2% of Lake Arbor’s residents being homeowners.

Rosaryville, Maryland

Last on our list, we have Rosaryville, Maryland.

It’s probably not surprising that this is another community that can be found in Maryland’s Prince George’s County.

As of 2010, Rosaryville has over 10,000 residents with a racial makeup that is predominantly African American.

60% of the community’s population is Black while 34% is white.

These racial groups are followed by 2.67% Asian and 2.12% Hispanic (of any race) populations.

When comparing home value and household income, Rosaryville is definitely one of the most affluent communities in the country.

The Maryland suburb has a home value average of $328K and a median household income of $128K.

The community has over 100 businesses with 70% of their population still being members of the workforce.

Rosaryville is another Maryland suburb where most of the residents are homeowners.

About 94% of the homes are owned while 6% are rented.

Richest Black Communities In The USA – Conclusion

I don’t know about you, but this list has me ready to move to Prince George’s County.

Whether it’s Maryland, California, or New York, these states have some of the richest black communities in the country.

And if you are looking for an affluent city to live in or raise your family, this list will come in handy.

Specifically if you’re looking for your family, you might want to know the best states for Black schooling and how these states hold up.

Deciding where to live is an important decision, and we’re here to help make the process that much easier.