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The LEAST Segregated Big Cities in America
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Jun 19, 2025
We have called Chicago the most segregated big city in America. But what are the least segregated big cities? Watch this video to find out. Subscribe to our channel so you don't miss any future videos! Check out the books we love and recommend in our Black Excellence Book Club: https://www.blackexcellence.com/store/ Some links are affiliate links, which means we earn a very tiny commission if you make a purchase. __________________________________________________________ Sharing interesting and noteworthy stories in Black culture. All content provided by Black Excellence Media, LLC is for entertainment purposes only. None of the information or advice provided is to replace professional advice. Website: https://blackexcellence.com
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0:00
In a country long marked by racial
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division, especially in housing and
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urban planning, a quiet transformation
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is underway. While many major cities
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still wrestle with the legacy of
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redlinining and inclusionary zoning,
0:12
some places are making progress towards
0:14
integration. Among these are a few
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standout cities where racial lines blur
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more freely and where black communities
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are growing within inclusive multithnic
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urban fabrics. We recently did a video
0:26
why Chicago is the most segregated big
0:28
city in America. And today we will look
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at the five biggest cities with fairly
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low segregation index. Hi, my name is
0:36
Jared and I talk about, as you guys
0:38
know, interesting stories and trends in
0:40
black culture because black culture is
0:42
so interesting to me and it should be
0:44
that interesting to you. If you share my
0:47
interest, hit that subscribe button and
0:48
let's deep dive into some interesting
0:50
black culture and history in every
0:52
episode. There are a couple things we
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look at to qualify these big cities. For
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one, they had to be considered big
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cities and not a tiny town somewhere off
1:00
the beaten path. Two, the black
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population there had to be at least 13%
1:04
to match the national number. And
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lastly, the segregation index had to be
1:08
lower than 50%. As a reference,
1:10
according to the 2020 census, Chicago's
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segregation index is right around 80.
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That means that about 80% of black
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residents would need to relocate to
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different neighborhoods to achieve an
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even distribution with white residents
1:24
across the city. And as we talked about
1:26
many, many times before, the problem
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with segregation is not that black
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people are not living next door to white
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people. Problem is where white people
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live is mostly where their resources and
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opportunities are in comparison to where
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black people live. You might think that
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segregation is a problem of the past and
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all neighborhoods are pretty much equal
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now. But no, segregation is a problem of
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the past and present. So, let's get to
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the list of our cities. Starting in what
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some people argue is the South and
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others say is the Midwest. Oklahoma
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City, Oklahoma. Oklahoma City has
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quietly emerged as a leader in urban
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integration, particularly when compared
2:02
to deeply segregated cities like Chicago
2:04
and Milwaukee. It has avoided some of
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the stark racial divides that plague
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older metropolitan areas, partly due to
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its newer urban development and sparring
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geography. Historically, Oklahoma's
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black population surged around the Civil
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War as many African-Americans migrated
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to what was then Indian territory in
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hopes of land ownership and safety.
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Towns like Bowley and Langston,
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historically black towns, are testaments
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to this migration. In more recent
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decades, Oklahoma City's moderate
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housing costs, expanding economy, and
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decentralized urban layout has fostered
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more mixed neighborhoods. New
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developments often featured more
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inclusive zoning practices, and
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community organizations have advocated
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for racial equality in schooling and
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infrastructure investment. Today,
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Oklahoma City's black middle class is
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growing with many families moving into
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integrated neighborhoods in the
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northwest and southern parts of the
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city. The black population in Oklahoma
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City is 13.8%
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and the segregation index here is under
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50, which is considered low. Side note,
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can one of you guys answer in the
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comments, is Oklahoma in the South or
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the Midwest? I always thought it was in
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the South, at least culturally, but I
3:16
get comments correcting me all the time.
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So, if you guys could clear this up,
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that would be great. At number two, we
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have Long Beach, California. Long Beach,
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a coastal city in the Los Angeles metro
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area, is a striking example of how
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diversity and integration can coexist.
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The city has long been a melting pot
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with substantial black, Latino,
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Cambodian, and white communities living
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in relatively close proximity. The roots
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of Long Beach's black community date
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back to World War II when many
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African-Americans move west for
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defensive jobs. Unlike in Los Angeles,
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Long Beach never developed massive
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segregated enclaves. Instead, its
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neighborhoods remain smaller and more
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fluid, aided by the port city's
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transient labor economy. One key factor
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in Long Beach's integration is the civil
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focus on inclusive housing policies. The
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city has actively invested in mixed
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income housing, anti-displacement
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programs, and culturally responsive
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education. Moreover, local leadership,
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often representative of the city's
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diversity, has prioritized equity in
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policy, education, and public health.
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Neighborhoods like Bixsby, Nolles,
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Central Long Beach, and North Wrigley
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show how racial lines have blurred with
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multithnic businesses, schools, and
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housing developments coexisting. Long
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Beach is currently 13% black and the
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segregation index is estimated to be
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below 45. Compare that to LA's index of
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74. At number three, we have Las Vegas,
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Nevada. Las Vegas is not just a
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playground for tourists. It's also a
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city of transplants, many of whom bring
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fewer entrenched attitudes about race
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and class. That combined with rapid
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urban expansion, has made Las Vegas one
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of the most integrated cities in
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America. The black population in Las
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Vegas grew significantly during the
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1990s and 2000s. Driven by job
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opportunities and hospitality,
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construction, and the service sector.
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While discrimination in housing once
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kept black families concentrated in West
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Las Vegas, these barriers begin to break
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down in the 1990s with increased home
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ownership opportunities and police
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reform. Las Vegas's growth oriented
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economy allowed for expansive housing
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developments that didn't follow
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historical patterns of redlinining.
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School integration has also improved
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with magnet and charter schools often
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drawing diverse student bodies. The Las
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Vegas metro area is almost 13% black and
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the segregation index here is 37, which
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is the lowest on this list. At number
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four, we have Charleston, North
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Charleston Somerville, a South Carolina
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metro area. Charleston's history is
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deeply intertwined with America's racial
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story. Once a major port in the
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transatlantic slave trade, the city
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still bears the architectural and
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cultural marks of its antibbellum past.
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Yet, in recent decades, Charleston and
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its suburbs have seen a shift towards
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more integrated living. Historically,
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black Charlestonians were relegated to
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segregated neighborhoods or rural areas,
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but urban revitalization in the spread
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of suburban development have changed
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these dynamics. The North Charleston and
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Somerville areas have become especially
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integrated, offering affordable housing,
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quality schools, and mixeduse
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developments. Local leadership has
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focused on racial reconciliation through
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investment in blackowned businesses,
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public memorials like the International
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African-American Museum, and community
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dialogue. While gentrification remains a
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concern in downtown Charleston, many
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black families are finding new
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opportunities in suburban neighborhoods.
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Community organizations such as the
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Charleston Area Justice Ministry
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advocate for equitable housing and
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policing policies, helping to bridge
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racial divides and create pathways for
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integrated growth. The Charleston metro
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area is 26% black with a segregation
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index of 41.5. At number five, we have
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Rally Kerry, North Carolina metro area.
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The research triangle comprising Rally,
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Durham, and Chapel Hill has long been a
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hub for innovation and education. Rally,
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in particular, has become a model for
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managed growth and integration. A robust
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tech economy anchored by companies like
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IBM and Cisco has drawn professionals of
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all races, contributing to an educated
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and diverse populace. Rallyy's black
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community has deep roots, especially
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around historic black colleges like Shaw
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University and St. Augustine's. In the
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midentth century, Rally was home to the
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important civil rights efforts, and it
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legacy of black civil leadership
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continues today. Affordable housing
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initiatives, inclusive school zoning,
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and anti-discrimination ordinances have
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helped foster integration. Neighborhoods
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like Southeast Raleigh have seen
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demographic diversification without the
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displacement that often accompanies
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gentrification. Public transportation
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improvements and investment in mixeduse
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development have also contributed to
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breaking down geographic barriers.
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Rally's emphasis on education,
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innovation, and inclusivity have created
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a city where racial integration is
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definitely possible. The black
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population here is 20% with a
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segregation index of 42. These five
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cities each offer unique lessons in what
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urban integration can look like. None
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are perfect and all still face
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challenges related to equity, education,
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and wealth disparity. However, they
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prove that segregation is not
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inevitable. Several common threads unite
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them. These cities grew rapidly in the
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latter half of the 20th century,
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avoiding some of the entrenched
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segregation found in older northern
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metros. Decentralized development sprawl
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and suburbanation, often critiqued for
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environmental reasons, have ironically
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contributed to integration by diffusing
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populations across new housing
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development. Diverse economies, a
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stronger labor market in industrials
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like tech, hospitality, and logistics
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has attracted multi-racial populations.
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Cities that proactively pursued
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inclusive zoning, equitable education,
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and anti-discrimination policies saw
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more integrated outcomes. As Americans
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continue to grapple with the legacy of
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systematic racism, these cities light a
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possible path forward through
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intentional planning, community
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engagement, and inclusive policym. They
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show that integration isn't just ideal,
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it's a live reality for many. So, let me
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know your thoughts on these cities. Do
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you live in any of them? What's been
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your experience? As always, let's start
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a dialogue. You know that I'll be
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reading your comments and responding.
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See you guys on the next one.