The mean center of the United States population is determined by the United States Census Bureau from the results of each national census. The Bureau defines it as follows:
Map showing changes to the mean center of population for the United States, 1790–2020 (US Census Bureau)[1]
Map of the Position of the U.S. Geographic Center of Area, Mean Center of Population, and Median Center of Population, 2020 (U.S. Census Bureau)[2]
The concept of the center of population as used by the U.S. Census Bureau is that of a balance point. The center of population is the point at which an imaginary, weightless, rigid, and flat (no elevation effects) surface representation of the 50 states (or 48 conterminous states for calculations made prior to 1960) and the District of Columbia would balance if weights of identical size were placed on it so that each weight represented the location on one person. More specifically, this calculation is called the mean center of population.[3]
After moving roughly 600 mi (966 km) west by south during the 19th century, the shift in the mean center of population during the 20th century was less pronounced, moving 324 mi (521 km) west and 101 mi (163 km) south. Nearly 79% of the overall southerly movement happened between 1950 and 2000.
^The addition of Alaska and Hawaii to the union in 1959 contributed to moving the mean center of population about 2 miles (3.2 km) farther south and about 10 miles (16 km) farther west in the 1960 census.[3]
^"Mean Center of Population for the United States: 1790 to 2020" (PDF). (PDF) from the original on November 16, 2021.
^ abBureau, US Census. "Position of the Geographic Center of Area, Mean and Median Centers of Population: 2020". Census.gov. Retrieved December 28, 2021.
^ abcdeCenters of population computation, a U.S. Census Bureau publication, issued March 2011.
^ abc2000 U.S. Population Centered in Phelps County, Mo. December 22, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, a U.S. Census Bureau press release.
^Centers of Population for the 2010 Census, U.S. Census Bureau.
December 29, 2022
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The mean center of the United States population is determined by the United States Census Bureau from the results of each national census The Bureau defines it as follows Map showing changes to the mean center of population for the United States 1790 2020 US Census Bureau 1 Map of the Position of the U S Geographic Center of Area Mean Center of Population and Median Center of Population 2020 U S Census Bureau 2 The center of the US population 13th census near Bloomington Indiana The center of the US population 13th census 1910 near Bloomington Indiana Map all coordinates using OpenStreetMap Download coordinates as KML The concept of the center of population as used by the U S Census Bureau is that of a balance point The center of population is the point at which an imaginary weightless rigid and flat no elevation effects surface representation of the 50 states or 48 conterminous states for calculations made prior to 1960 and the District of Columbia would balance if weights of identical size were placed on it so that each weight represented the location on one person More specifically this calculation is called the mean center of population 3 After moving roughly 600 mi 966 km west by south during the 19th century the shift in the mean center of population during the 20th century was less pronounced moving 324 mi 521 km west and 101 mi 163 km south Nearly 79 of the overall southerly movement happened between 1950 and 2000 Location information since 1790 EditUS Census County Location description 3 Decimal coordinates 3 Distance from previous point 3 1790 Kent County Maryland a 23 miles east of Baltimore 39 16 30 N 76 11 12 W 39 27500 N 76 18667 W 39 27500 76 18667 n a1800 Howard County Maryland 18 miles west of Baltimore 39 16 06 N 76 56 30 W 39 26833 N 76 94167 W 39 26833 76 94167 52 miles 84 km 1810 Loudoun County Virginia 40 miles west northwest of Washington D C 39 11 30 N 77 37 12 W 39 19167 N 77 62000 W 39 19167 77 62000 47 miles 75 km 1820 Hardy County West Virginia b 16 miles east of Moorefield 39 05 42 N 78 33 00 W 39 09500 N 78 55000 W 39 09500 78 55000 64 miles 103 km 1830 Grant County West Virginia b 19 miles west southwest of Moorefield 38 57 54 N 79 16 54 W 38 96500 N 79 28167 W 38 96500 79 28167 51 miles 81 km 1840 Upshur County West Virginia b 16 miles south of Clarksburg 39 02 00 N 80 18 00 W 39 03333 N 80 30000 W 39 03333 80 30000 70 miles 113 km 1850 Wirt County West Virginia b 23 miles southeast of Parkersburg 38 59 00 N 81 19 00 W 38 98333 N 81 31667 W 38 98333 81 31667 70 miles 113 km 1860 Pike County Ohio 20 miles southeast of Chillicothe 39 00 24 N 82 48 48 W 39 00667 N 82 81333 W 39 00667 82 81333 103 miles 166 km 1870 Highland County Ohio 48 miles northeast of Cincinnati 39 12 00 N 83 35 42 W 39 20000 N 83 59500 W 39 20000 83 59500 54 miles 87 km 1880 Boone County Kentucky 8 miles southwest of Cincinnati 39 04 08 N 84 39 40 W 39 06889 N 84 66111 W 39 06889 84 66111 74 miles 119 km 1890 Decatur County Indiana 20 miles east of Columbus 39 11 56 N 85 32 53 W 39 19889 N 85 54806 W 39 19889 85 54806 61 miles 99 km 1900 Bartholomew County Indiana 6 miles southeast of Columbus 39 09 36 N 85 48 54 W 39 16000 N 85 81500 W 39 16000 85 81500 18 miles 30 km 1910 Monroe County Indiana in the city of Bloomington 39 10 12 N 86 32 20 W 39 17000 N 86 53889 W 39 17000 86 53889 50 miles 80 km 1920 Owen County Indiana 8 miles south southeast of Spencer 39 10 21 N 86 43 15 W 39 17250 N 86 72083 W 39 17250 86 72083 13 miles 20 km 1930 Greene County Indiana 3 miles northeast of Linton 39 03 45 N 87 08 06 W 39 06250 N 87 13500 W 39 06250 87 13500 29 miles 46 km 1940 Sullivan County Indiana 2 miles east southeast of Carlisle 38 56 54 N 87 22 35 W 38 94833 N 87 37639 W 38 94833 87 37639 17 miles 27 km 1950 Richland County Illinois c Clay County Illinois d 8 miles north northwest of Olney3 miles northeast of Louisville 38 50 21 N 88 09 33 W 38 83917 N 88 15917 W 38 83917 88 15917 38 48 15 N 88 22 08 W 38 80417 N 88 36889 W 38 80417 88 36889 54 miles 87 km 69 miles 110 km 1960 Clinton County Illinois e 6 5 miles northwest of Centralia 38 35 58 N 89 12 35 W 38 59944 N 89 20972 W 38 59944 89 20972 58 miles 93 km 1970 St Clair County Illinois 5 miles east southeast of Mascoutah 38 27 47 N 89 42 22 W 38 46306 N 89 70611 W 38 46306 89 70611 34 miles 55 km 1980 Jefferson County Missouri 0 3 mile west of DeSoto 38 08 13 N 90 34 26 W 38 13694 N 90 57389 W 38 13694 90 57389 60 miles 96 km 1990 Crawford County Missouri 9 7 miles southeast of Steelville 37 52 20 N 91 12 55 W 37 87222 N 91 21528 W 37 87222 91 21528 44 miles 71 km 2000 Phelps County Missouri 2 8 miles east of Edgar Springs 37 41 49 N 91 48 34 W 37 696987 N 91 809567 W 37 696987 91 809567 4 41 miles 66 km 2010 Texas County Missouri 2 7 miles northeast of Plato 37 31 03 N 92 10 23 W 37 517534 N 92 173096 W 37 517534 92 173096 5 25 miles 40 km 2020 Wright County Missouri 15 miles northeast of Hartville 37 24 57 N 92 20 47 W 37 415725 N 92 346525 W 37 415725 92 346525 2 12 miles 19 km In the first census 1790 the mean population center was about 7 4 miles northwest by west of Chestertown Maryland 4 a b c d The mean population centers of 1820 1830 1840 and 1850 were in Virginia at the time of their censuses before West Virginia s split from Virginia in 1863 4 Computation method used until 1950 Current computation method The addition of Alaska and Hawaii to the union in 1959 contributed to moving the mean center of population about 2 miles 3 2 km farther south and about 10 miles 16 km farther west in the 1960 census 3 See also EditCenter of population Median center of United States population Geographic center of the United States Geographic center of the contiguous United StatesReferences Edit Mean Center of Population for the United States 1790 to 2020 PDF Archived PDF from the original on November 16 2021 a b Bureau US Census Position of the Geographic Center of Area Mean and Median Centers of Population 2020 Census gov Retrieved December 28 2021 a b c d e Centers of population computation a U S Census Bureau publication issued March 2011 a b c 2000 U S Population Centered in Phelps County Mo Archived December 22 2012 at the Wayback Machine a U S Census Bureau press release Centers of Population for the 2010 Census U S Census Bureau Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Mean center of the United States population amp oldid 1102450655, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
