📍 In Case You Missed It: 2020 Census Center of Population

Centers of Population: Explore New Interactive Story Maps

The Census Bureau calculates the center of population as a way to summarize population shifts over time. Knowing the center of population helps geographers, demographers, and others quantify how fast and in what direction Americans are moving. Use these new story maps to learn more about historic centers of population, 2020 Centers of Population, and commemorative marks placed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Geodetic Survey.

Related Resources:

• Statistics in Schools: Center of Population Story Map Scavenger Hunt
• Statistics in Schools: Exploring Centers of Population Through the Decades

What is the Center of Population and How Has it Changed Since 1790?

The center of population, a calculation made every 10 years after the census, illustrates population shifts over the decades from westward expansion to southern migration.

This video explains what the Center of Population is and how it’s changed since the first census in 1790.

More Center of Population Resources:

• Press Release: Census Bureau Announces Hartville, Missouri, as “Center of Population” for the United States
• Press Kit: 2020 Center of Population
• Data: Centers of Population

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The “Hart” of the Nation’s Population: Hartville, Missouri (Pop. 594)

According to the 2020 Census, a tiny town in south central Missouri has the unique distinction of being the center of the nation’s population. Hartville (pop. 594) in south central Missouri’s Wright County is the center of population in the United States. The exact location is +37.415725, -092.346525, 15 miles northeast of Hartville, the nearest town.

2020 Census Center of Population Data Visualization

Our 2020 Center of Population interactive data visualization shows how the nation’s center has shifted from Chestertown, Maryland in 1790 to the most western and southern point in our nation's history. You can also use it to explore the center of population for your state and county.

About the Census Bureau

We serve as the nation’s leading provider of quality data about its people and economy. The Census Bureau is the federal government's largest statistical agency. As the world’s premier statistical agency, we are dedicated to making our nation a better place. Policy-makers, businesses, and the public use our data to make informed decisions.