The 45th President of the United States, Donald J. Trump, came under fire with his attempt to “reach out” to African Americans asserting that blacks were “living in hell” in the inner cities; so much so that they could barely walk down the street without getting shot.
However, as data reported by The New York Times shows, there is actually a strong upward mobility trend among African Americans, with nearly 40% residing in the suburbs.
The ‘burbs are often valued for great local economies; neighborhoods with high median incomes; high household values; low crime and great public schools.
Below are a few of the most thriving African American suburban neighborhoods:
Black Beverly Hills
(Image: iStock.com/gruizza)
Nicknamed “Black Beverly Hills,” these suburbs lay within the Ladera Heights and View Park–Windsor Hills, California, area, with nearly 75% of the population being African American according to statistics compiled by City-Data.
Median household incomes and home values are more than the entire state of California averages, with house values coming in at nearly $900,000 and incomes averaging over $100,000. The area is famous for its many wealthy and successful African American residents including many doctors and attorneys—making it one of the most coveted of black suburbs in the country.
As per Best Places, the area has low violent and property crime rates, but the cost of living is very high. While City-Data reports a small population of only 6,500, nearly 100% have high school diplomas, 44% are married, and nearly 54% have a bachelor’s degree or higher.
Black Wall Street
(Image: iStock/monkeybusinessimages)
An NBC affiliate reports that nearly 60% of the businesses in the DeSoto, Texas, suburb are owned by African Americans. Seventy
percent of the population is black in DeSoto, according to City-Data, with median household incomes over $61,000 and house values nearly $164,000—more than the state’s average. Approximately 50,000 people reside in DeSoto, with nearly 50% of the population being married, 90% are high school graduates, and over 30% have a bachelor’s degree or higher.Best Places also reports that DeSoto also has very low violent crimes and very low property crime rates. Compared to Black Beverly Hills, DeSoto has a low cost of living index, which means your purchasing power will go a lot further in DeSoto.
Other Great Options
Here are other American suburbs which City-Data reports as having a majority black population (where 70% to 85% of the population is black), high household incomes ($60,000 to $90,000), high home values, a 90% population with high school diplomas, and a population with 30% to 50% earning a bachelor’s degree or higher; and low crime rates:
- Olympia Fields, Illinois
- Wheatley Heights, New York
- Hillcrest, New York
- Woodmore, Maryland
- Kettering, Maryland
- Fort Washington, Maryland
- Mitchellville, Maryland
- Friendly, Maryland