Why Black American Consumers Are a Goldmine for Growth 

As the second largest ethnic minority group in the United States, Black American consumers represent a durable, scaled market defined by digital fluency, cultural influence, and strong spending power. Over the last two decades, the Black consumers population aged 6+ has grown 33%, rising from 33 million in 2005 to 44 million in 2025, now accounting for 14% of the U.S. population, up from 12% in 2005. This momentum is fueled by a youthful core, with 18–34-year-olds making up 30% of the Black population, up from 28% in 2024.

According to the latest State of Black American Consumers report, this younger, digitally active, and socially engaged audience pairs with a distinctive attitudinal profile that translates to Black consumers’ early adoption and wide cultural influence. Combined with strong discretionary spending and a resilient personal financial outlook, Black consumers can help brands drive real performance.

Resilient Personal Finances Outlook

Despite the nationwide dip in consumer confidence in 2025, Black consumers adults remain notably optimistic about their personal financial futures compared to the average American. Nearly 9 in in 10 (86%) expect their household finances to be better off or stable in the next year with nearly half (46%) expecting to be better off. They are 18% more likely than the total U.S. population to feel this way.

This optimism signals a propensity for Black adult consumers to keep spending on aspirations and experiences. Paired with rising discretionary spending, Black consumers are over 20% more likely than the average American to plan to buy or lease a new or used vehicle (39%), visit a theme park (37%) or go on a cruise (35%), invest in self-improvement through taking online courses (30%) or joining a gym or health club (26%), or purchase their first home (26%) in the next year.

In the near future, this Spring, Black consumers are 33% more likely than the average American to plan to fly internationally, 14% more likely to visit a spa, and in the next 6 months are 21% more likely to plan to purchase a house.

Rising Discretionary Spend Among Black Households

Black households show spending power, accounting for 14% of all U.S. discretionary spending, totaling $272 billion on non-essentials as of Fall 2025, up from $259 billion the year prior. Over the last five years, Black households’ discretionary spend has gone up 44%.

Narrowing this down by region, the South continues to be a concentration point of opportunity for this audience. Roughly one in every five discretionary dollars in the region are controlled by Black Households. A large share comes from the Atlanta market, where black households account for one-third (33%) of the market’s $45 billion in annual discretionary spend, followed by a strong influence in Washington D.C. (24%), and Detroit (23%).

Trendsetters and Super-Influencers

The State of Black American Consumers 2026 Report also reveals that six in ten Black adults demonstrate trendsetting in above average number of categories. They are above the average American for being the first among their friends and colleagues to try new products, clothing styles, food, etc. They’re not only early adopters, they’re also the people others ask for advice and are much more likely to be “super influencers” across a wide range of categories. They are 36% more likely than the average American to be Super Influential Consumers in music and TV shows. Their friends and family are also likely to trust them on these topics. In addition to their above average influence in media, they are around 10% more likely than the average American to recommend healthcare and technology products to others.

Beyond discretionary spending totals, category-level intensity matters. Black adults outspend the average American on items that appeal to their value to look good and interest in entertainment, including men’s apparel, shoes, computer software, video games, and perfume/ colognes. Entertainment is a driving force for spending, as Black consumers plan to spend around $900.6 on entertainment in the next 12 months, $84 more than the average American plans to spend this year.

Identity Aligned and Culturally Driven Shopping Decisions

Black consumers are highly engaged, socially connected shoppers whose decisions are shaped by experience, identity, and culture, treating shopping as both recreation and exploration while seeking out new retail environments to find brands they love.

Their behaviors and attitudes cluster around three major themes:

• Alignment With Personal Image: Black consumers adults place strong emphasis on personal style, cultural identity, and social values when making purchase decisions. Brand image carries significant weight, with Black consumers 34% more likely to pay more for a product that reflects their personal image and 41% more likely to prefer products and brands that their social circles’ approve of. Social networks, from friends and family to influencers and celebrities, play a significant role in shaping their shopping decisions. They also value inclusive and culturally diverse marketing, as 75% find it important for companies to highlight cultural representation to stay relevant and 41% expect brands to support social causes, making authenticity a key driver of loyalty.
• Digital Confidence: Digitally fluent and early adopters, Black consumers are over 23% more likely than the average American to be comfortable making big ticket purchases online and prefer purchasing products with the latest technology. 2 in 5 Black consumers are self-described “spenders” that prioritize convenience and flexibility, as nearly half have higher tendencies toward impulse buying (45%) and the use of “buy now, pay later” services (46%). Their digital confidence strengthens their influence across high impact categories and as community recommenders through word-of mouth and online reviews.
• Ad-Positive Mindset: Black consumers hold more positive attitudes toward advertising than non-Black adults. They are 24% more likely to agree that advertising keeps them informed about products, 50% more likely that they like looking at ads, and 44% more likely to agree that advertised brands have higher quality. Advertising is also more likely to play a meaningful role in choosing products for their children, with 44% looking to advertising to help them make product decisions, and they are 16% less likely to view advertising to children as wrong than the average American.

Applying Insight‑Driven Strategies with MRI‑Simmons

Black/African American consumers are a large and growing segment marked by cultural influence, digital fluency, and strong youth representation. As the second largest ethnic minority group and fueled by a youthful core, Black consumers are digitally savvy, socially engaged, influential in their communities in various categories, and attitudinally distinct from Non-Black consumers. Their optimism in their household’s finances, rising discretionary spending, and higher than average engagement with advertising makes Black/African American consumers a high value engine for growth. Black consumers are also early adopters and “super influencers,” trusted by their networks to recommend products and spend more than average on travel, entertainment, and products for their personal image and self-improvement intentions. Their shopping decisions are shaped by personal style, social values, and a desire for cultural representation from the brands they support. Importantly, they are more receptive to advertising and view it as informative and valuable. Altogether, this is a highly influential, highspending consumer base that rewards brands that understand and authentically engage them.

Through MRI-Simmons' activation solution, ACT, marketers can leverage trusted and nationally representative data to reach Black consumers more effectively across media environments. Curate your audience with over 60,000 consumer elements: 1000+ attitudes and opinions, 6500+ brands in 1000+ product categories; and 90+ proprietary segments. to understand the motivations, behaviors, and cultural drivers that shape this influential audience. Use these insights to refine messaging, strengthen planning, and align brand strategies with the values and preferences that matter most to Black consumers. Then, activate your audience via the ad-tech platform or media partner of your choice.