From 2002 to 2007, the number of black-owned businesses in the United States increased by 60.5 percent to 1.9 million, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s “Survey of Business Owners” released in February.

That rate of growth was more than triple the overall national rate of 18 percent.

“Black-owned businesses continued to be one of the fastest-growing segments of our economy, showing rapid growth in both the number of businesses and total sales during this time period,” said Thomas Mesenbourg, associate director for economic programs at the Census Bureau, in a press release.

The report, which defined black-owned businesses as firms in which blacks or African-Americans own 51 percent or more of the equity, interest or stock of the business, said that the number of black-owned businesses with receipts of $1 million or more increased by 35.4 percent to 14,507. Receipts generated by black-owned businesses increased 55.1 percent to $137.5 billion.

New York has the most black-owned businesses among cities, followed by Chicago, Houston and Detroit.