Census Bureau Announces Hartville, Missouri, as “Center of Population” for the United States
 The U.S. Census Bureau has calculated the center of population for the United States based on the 2020 Census population of 331.4 million. The center is near Hartville, a town of about 600 people in central southern Missouri.
Every 10 years, since the first census in 1790, the Census Bureau has calculated the “center of population,” which is a point at where an imaginary, flat, weightless and rigid map of the United States would balance perfectly if everyone were of identical weight. This point represents the average location of where people in the United States live.
Based on the 2020 Census redistricting data released September 16, the center of the population (as of Census Day, April 1, 2020) is located about 15 miles from Hartville.
 The “Hart” of the Nation’s Population: Hartville, Missouri (Pop. 594)
According to the 2020 Census, a tiny town in south central Missouri now has the unique distinction of being the center of the nation’s population.
Visit America Counts to read more about:
- Celebrating Hartville
- How we know where the center of population is
- Shifts in the center of population through the decades
Find Your State's 2020 Center of Population
In addition to a national center of population, the Census Bureau also calculates centers of population for each state, county, census tract and census block group. Coordinates for each of these locations can be found on the Center of Population webpage.
Encourage your social media followers to explore their area's centers of population using our new data visualization. Visit our toolkit to find sharable graphics and sample post copy.
 In 2020, the 10 states where population centers moved the farthest from 2010 were:
- North Dakota (6.4 miles)
- Arkansas (5.1 miles)
- Nebraska (4.9 miles)
- South Dakota (4.4 miles)
- West Virginia (3.8 miles)
- Kansas (3.1 miles)
- Alaska (3.0 miles)
- Louisiana (2.8 miles)
- Maine (2.6 miles)
- New York (2.6 miles)
For a complete list of the centers of population for the 50 states and the District of Columbia, visit the Center of Population press kit.
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