CB11- FF.10

March 24, 2011 

 

*Special Edition*

2010 Center of Population

The U.S. mean center of population, as of April 1, 2010, is near Plato, Mo., an incorporated 

village in Texas County. The U.S. Census Bureau calculated this point as the place where an 

imaginary, flat, weightless and rigid map of the United States would balance perfectly if all 

308,745,538 residents counted in the 2010 Census were of identical weight.

Ever since Chestertown, Md., was determined to be the center of population after the first census

was conducted in 1790, the center of population has told the story of America, illustrating how 

we’ve grown as a nation. It follows a trail across the country ─ across Maryland, Virginia, West 

Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana and Missouri ─ that reflects our history of settling the frontier, 

waves of immigration and regional migration.

The Census Bureau will install a commemorative “geodetic control mark” at a site near the 

official coordinates during a dedication ceremony in May 2011. This survey disc will be used by 

satellites and land surveyors to conduct scientific surveys to generate precise position data that 

serve as the foundation for accurate mapping and charting in America.

The Mean Center of Population

37.517534 N, 92.173096 W

Coordinates (latitude, longitude) in decimal degrees of the 2010 mean center of population

and the most western and southern point in our nation’s history, as well as the most southerly 

movement from the previous decade. 

2.9

Distance in miles from the center of population coordinates to Plato, Mo., the nearest 

incorporated municipality and nearest place for which the Census Bureau provides data.

109

The 2010 Census population of Plato, Mo.

26,008

The 2010 Census population of Texas County, Mo., where the village of Plato is located. 
Historical Path of the Mean Center of Population

4

Number of times the mean center of population has been placed in Missouri: 1980-2010.

23.4

Distance in miles from Edgar Springs, Mo., the 2000 mean center of population, to Plato, Mo., 

the 2010 center of population.

872.9

Distance in miles from Chestertown, Md., the 1790 mean center of population, to Plato, Mo.,

the 2010 mean center of population.

1870

The U.S. census with the most northerly movement of the center of population from the previous 

decade ─ 44 miles from Beaver, Ohio, to Hillsboro, Ohio.

1860

The U.S. census with the largest increase in distance of the mean center of population from

the previous decade ─ the 80.4 miles from Elizabeth, W.Va., to Beaver, Ohio, as well as the 

most westerly movement from the prior census. 

1920

The U.S. census with the smallest increase in distance of the mean center of population from

the previous decade ─ from downtown Bloomington, Ind., to a spot 9.7 miles to the northwest. 

Locating the Mean Center of Population

National Geodetic Survey

A federal agency under the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration that defines and 

manages the national coordinate system and pinpoints the position of the center of population. 

Geodesy

The science concerned with determining the size and shape of the Earth and the location of 

points on its surface. Accurate positions are required for a wide variety of applications, including 

mapping and charting, flood risk determination, transportation, communication, engineering and 

land use planning.

1.5 million

Approximate number of points that serve as the foundation for mapping and charting in the 

United States under the National Spatial Reference System.
Did You Know?

The U.S. Census Bureau also calculates the median center of population, which is the point of 

intersection of a north-south line that divides the population of the United States in half and an 

east-west line that also divides the population of the United States in half. 

38.472967 N, 87.410365 W

Coordinates (latitude, longitude) in decimal degrees of the 2010 median center of population, in 

Clay Township, Pike County, Ind., 7.1 miles southwest of Petersburg, Ind.

For more information regarding the mean and median center of population, including maps and 

data files on the center of population for each state and county in the U.S., please visit:

http://www.census.gov/geo/www/2010census/centerpop2010/centerpop2010.html

Map of the 2010 mean and median center of population:

http://www.census.gov/geo/www/2010census/centerpop2010/centerpop_geographic2010.pdf

Following is a list of observances typically covered by the Census Bureau’s Facts for Features series:

Black History Month (February) Labor Day 

Super Bowl Grandparents Day 

Valentine’s Day (Feb. 14) Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15-Oct. 15)

Women’s History Month (March) Unmarried and Single Americans Week 

Irish-American Heritage Month (March)/ Halloween (Oct. 31)

 St. Patrick’s Day (March 17) American Indian/Alaska Native Heritage Month

Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month (May) (November) 

Older Americans Month (May) Veterans Day (Nov. 11)

Cinco de Mayo (May 5) Thanksgiving Day 

Mother’s Day The Holiday Season (December) 

Hurricane Season Begins (June 1)

Father’s Day 

The Fourth of July (July 4)

Anniversary of Americans with Disabilities Act (July 26)

Back to School (August)

Editor’s note: The preceding data were collected from a variety of sources and may be subject to sampling 

variability and other sources of error. Facts for Features are customarily released about two months before an 

observance in order to accommodate magazine production timelines. Questions or comments should be directed to 

the Census Bureau’s Public Information Office: telephone: 301-763-3030; fax: 301-763-3762; or e-mail: 

<pio@census.gov>.