Black Movement to the South, and Regional Concentration of the Races

The migration of blacks to the South region from other parts of the United States reached record highs in the 1990s. Between 1990 and 1996, and for the first time in any five-year period, the South saw net gains of black migrants from the Northeast, Midwest, and West. Seven of the ten metropolitan areas, gaining the most blacks between 1990 and 1996, were in the South, which is projected to retain over half of the nation's black population for the foreseeable future. This report assembles statistics from recent US Census Bureau sources that document the recent southward surge of the nation's African American population. These include 1990-96 metropolitan area and State-level change estimates for the black population, 1990-95 regional black migration data from the 1995 Current Population Survey, and estimated black net migration for States through the year 2025 based on recent Census Bureau projections. While these trends indicate a greater black consolidation toward the South, they also show different regional concentrations for Hispanics and Asians.

Dataset(s): 1990-96 US census postcensal estimates. five-year migration data from the 1995 US Current Population Survey, and from decennial US censuses. 1995-2025 estimates of black migration from US Census Bureau projections.