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10 Best US Cities for Black Homeownership
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Aug 22, 2025
These 10 cities/metros produce some of the highest Black homeownership rates. 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
Will the housing market ever crash? Will
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it not? That's all everybody's talking
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about these days with high interest
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rates, high inventory in a lot of
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markets, and impossibly high prices,
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too. I know a lot of us are just not
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ready to jump into the housing market
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yet. But if you're thinking about buying
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a house in the next few years and
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wondering which markets are the best for
0:19
black homeowners, stick around. This
0:20
video is for you. Hi, my name is Jared
0:22
and welcome to Black Excellence, where
0:24
we celebrate all the ways black people
0:25
pursue excellence in their everyday
0:27
lives. If you're searching for ways to
0:29
fuel your own journey of excellence with
0:31
content on where to live, where to
0:33
travel, lifestyle trends, and
0:35
unconventional ways to do it all, hit
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that subscribe button and join this
0:39
circle of excellence. Recent analysis
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that measure where black households
0:43
actually own homes show clear leaders.
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Cities where black families have higher
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than average home ownership rates, more
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attainable starter homes, and local
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markets that are producing black buyers
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in meaningful numbers. Nationally, black
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home ownership rose modestly during the
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pandemic years, but large gaps remain
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between black and white home ownership
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rates. That context makes the cities on
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this list all the more important as
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places where black families are building
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wealth and community. These 10 metros
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rank among the best places for black
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home ownership. Chosen because their
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black home ownership rates top the list
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of metros and because they show a mix of
1:19
affordability and meaningful production
1:21
of new black home owners in recent
1:23
years. In no particular order, let's
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start first with Charleston, North
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Charleston, South Carolina. The
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Charleston, North Charleston metro
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reports thriving black home ownership, a
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rare bright spot in a high price coastal
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market. In 2023 alone, this metro had a
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population of about 818,000
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with 23.6%
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identifying as black. The overall home
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ownership rate stands at 68.7%
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among the highest nationwide. The median
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home price across the metro is
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approximately $436,354.
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In some neighborhoods like North
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Charleston, the median sits near 320,000
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to 340,000,
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offering more affordable entry points
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for black families. This region blends a
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deeply rooted black population with
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strong ownership levels and pockets of
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relative affordability. Long-standing
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community institutions, churches, and
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neighborhood networks in areas like
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North Charleston and Somerville help
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sustain home ownership and continuity
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across generations. Next up, we're
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staying in South Carolina in Colombia. A
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bit inland, but no less meaningful. The
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Colombia metro encompassing Colombia,
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Sumpter, Orangeburg, had an estimated
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856,900
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residents in 2023. The black population
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share is about 33% and the metro
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consistently ranks near the top of black
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home ownership, which is around 52.5%.
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The median home price remains
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accessible. As of early 2025, listing
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prices average $259,900
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with actual sold prices averaging more
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like $251,200.
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Colombia blends affordability and
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ownership. Over half of black residents
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own homes. a notable share compared to
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the national averages. Combined with
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modest pricing and a steady growing city
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economy anchored by state government and
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the University of South Carolina,
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Colombia offers a sustainable home
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ownership path for black families
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seeking stability and opportunity. At
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number three, we have Baton Rouge,
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Louisiana. Baton Rouge wears its history
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on its sleeve. Longstanding black
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neighborhoods, H.B.CU, and civil
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institutions that have anchored families
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here for generations. The Baton Rouge
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metro is home to a substantial black
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population and the area posts a
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comparatively high overall home
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ownership rate about 69% which
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translates into a meaningful share of
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black households owning property. What
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makes Baton Rouge especially potent for
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black home ownership is simple
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arithmetic. Median home values remain
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modest by national standards around
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$244,000.
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So monthly mortgage obligations are
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within reach for many middle-income
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households employed in government,
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healthcare, and higher education. Add
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local nonprofit housing programs and a
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civic ecosystem that prioritizes
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community stewardship. And Baton Rouge
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becomes a place where buying a first
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home often feels like a realistic step
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towards intergenerational stability. At
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number four, we have a place that
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probably won't make the list next year
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because Trump's taking the place over,
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and that is Washington DC and the
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Washington DC metro. The Washington
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Arlington Alexandria Metro is a paradox.
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It contains both wide opportunity and
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steep affordability hurdles. The metro's
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black population is large, roughly 1.53
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million people large. And while home
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prices across the region are above the
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national median, the density of
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nonprofit housing counselors, municipal
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buyers assistant programs, and employer
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staffing that support stable incomes
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means that black home ownership has
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important footholds all over the city.
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Zillow's most recent metro index places
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median values in the broader Washington
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area near $587,000
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to 600,000. What keeps DC on the good
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for home ownership list despite the cost
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is the combination of strong public
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sector employment, targeted down payment
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aid, including black home ownership
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initiatives, and community land trust
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actively that can protect home ownership
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from rapid gentrification. All critical
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when market values are so high. And the
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proof is in the numbers because the DC
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metro has some of the highest black home
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ownership rates despite the higher
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housing costs. At number five, we have
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Richmond, Virginia. Richmond's story is
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layered. A city of deep black history, a
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legacy of segregation, and growing
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reinvestment that has delivered rising
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home values, often to the benefit of
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long-term homeowners. The Richmond
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metro's demographic profile shows a
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sizable black population, and home
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ownership rates in parts of the region
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are mixed, but notable for pockets where
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black households have maintained
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ownership. The region's median home
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value, as tracked by Zillow, sits in the
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$370,000 to $410,000
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range, depending on which part of the
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metro you sample. For black buyers,
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Richmond offers a mid-Atlantic location
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with relatively lower entry prices than
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the I95 corridor's most expensive hubs,
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plus a strong local nonprofit network
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that supports home repairs, down payment
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assistance, and counseling tools that
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help convert buyer intent into signed
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mortgages. At number six, we have Cape
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Corral Fort Meyers, Florida. The Cape
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Corral Fort Meyers region has been one
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of Florida's fastest growing metros,
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attracting a mix of retirees and working
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families. The metro's black population
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is smaller than larger metros in the
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list, but stable, and home ownership
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figures in parts of the region are high.
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Places like Cape Corral often report
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owner occupied rates in the high7s.
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Zillow's market snapshot for Cape Corral
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Fort Meyers shows median values near
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$355,000
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levels that have softened from pandemic
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peaks, but still represent relative
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affordability compared with South
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Florida's pricier markets. What matters
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for black home buyers here is the
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entry-level inventory and new
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construction options exist outside the
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most expensive coastal strips. Lower
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property taxes in some counties and a
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climate that draws relocating households
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also help produce pockets where home
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ownership is sensible. Community-based
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organizations and local lender programs
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geared towards firsttime buyers have
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been important in translating incoming
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demand into long-term home ownership for
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black households choosing Florida as a
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destination. At number seven, we have
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New Orleans, Louisiana. New Orleans arc
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is defined by resilience. The metro's
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black population remains one of the
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largest by share and absolute numbers in
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the country. And despite the devastation
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of Hurricane Katrina and subsequent
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displacements, many black homeowners
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returned, rebuilt, and continued to
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maintain property-based wealth. New
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Orleans was actually on our list of
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cities that are losing black population,
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but the city still has a large black
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presence. Zillow's median value for New
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Orleans sits around 245,000 to 247,000,
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making ownership comparatively
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attainable versus many coastal metros.
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But the market carries the added
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complexity of climate risk and insurance
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costs that can alter affordability
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suddenly. What keeps New Orleans on this
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list is the sheer density of black home
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ownership in historic neighborhoods, the
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important role of grassroot rebuild
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programs, and the network of churches
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and community groups that preserve
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neighborhood ties and support long-term
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ownership. And number eight, Atlanta,
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Georgia. Atlanta's metro is often called
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the black mecca for a reason. The area
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is home to a large black middle and
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professional class, robust blackowned
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businesses, and a culture that fosters
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upward mobility. The metro's black
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population is large and highly visible
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in civic life. And while the overall
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black white home ownership gap persists,
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Atlanta continues to generate large
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numbers of black homeowners. Zillow's
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current metro indicators put typical
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Atlanta home values around 360,000 to
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425,000 depending on submarket and data
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point use. And the metro sprawling
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geography means that there are still
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many suburban loces where starter homes
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are more affordable. What specifically
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helps black home ownership in Atlanta is
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the scale of job opportunity across
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tech, film, health care, and higher
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education, plus a strong tradition of
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black professional networks and housing
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counseling organizations that orient
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buyers to favorable mortgages and down
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payment assistance. Although, I should
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note here that a lot of people from
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Atlanta have commented on all our videos
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that ATL is full. Can't take any more
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people. Well, they might be taking me
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soon because in California it's just too
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freaking expensive. But they are
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expanding the suburbs, building more
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housing, so I guess there's still a
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little bit more room. At number nine, we
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have Orlando, Florida. Orlando's economy
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is anchored in tourism, but also
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diversified in health care, logistics,
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and tech industries, a structure that
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has made it possible for many black
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households to transition from renting
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into home ownership. The Orlando metro
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hosts a healthy black community. And
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while some central neighborhoods have
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become more expensive, broader swaps of
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the metros still report median values
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that are lower than the median
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comparator Sunb Belt metros. Zillow's
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Orlando snapshot indicates median values
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roughly in the $380,000
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neighborhood. While metrobased home
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ownership rates vary across counties and
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tracks, meaning affordability is often a
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matter of picking the right neighborhood
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or suburb. The practical win for black
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buyers here is job accessibility
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combined with a still reasonable housing
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ladder for entry-level mortgages. Local
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nonprofit counseling, employer buyer
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programs, and statewide down payment
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resources have all helped convert wages
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earned in Orlando's diversified economy
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into owned homes. And at number 10, we
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have Philadelphia metro. Philadelphia's
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metro area combines a very large black
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population with a housing stock that
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includes many smaller, more affordable
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row houses and suburban single family
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houses. Those housing forms make monthly
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mortgage payments feasible in many
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neighborhoods. Zillow reports metro
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median home values in the $230,000 to
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$275,000
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range, which is more affordable than
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many of its northeastern peers.
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Philadelphia's large nonprofit and CDC
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network along with municipal programs
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aimed at stabilizing historically black
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neighborhoods creates multiple practical
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pathways into home ownership. Everything
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from renovated affordable homes to
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programs that help with down payments
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for buyers departing rental housing. The
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result is a metro in which black
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households have strong potential to buy
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and hold property, particularly where
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community organizations have marshaled
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resources to prevent displacement and to
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promote sustained ownership across all
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10 metros. The pattern is similar. A
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meaningful black population, local or
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regional housing prices that indicate
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real pockets of affordability, and a
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civic and nonprofit ecosystem that
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convert buyer intent into actual
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mortgages. In the deep south metros,
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that history and civic fabric are
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especially pronounced. While in the sunb
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belt metros, the growth economy and
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suburban housing stock create volume
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opportunities for new black homeowners.
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In Washington, DC, where all the
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Ethiopians live, the combination of high
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home values and strong public and
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nonprofitbacked assistant programs make
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home ownership possible for many, even
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as prices remain a barrier for others.
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Philadelphia's long-standing black
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neighborhoods and varied housing
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typologies illustrate a third pattern.
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Large-scale home ownership potential
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driven by a mix of small town housing
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and strong local support. I know most of
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you are not out there rushing into the
13:07
housing market anytime soon, but keep
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this list in mind whenever you're ready
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to make that jump. I mean, at this
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point, if we ever do, if you've ever
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bought a house in any of these markets,
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share your experience in the comments.
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You know, as always, I would love to
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hear about it. That's it for this video.