Where is the center of the USA population? (history)
This visualization shows how the Center of Population for the nation has shifted since the first census in 1790.
If the United States map was a scale and every person had equal weight, the center of population is the place where the scale would balance. In other words, the center of population is the average location of where people in the United States currently live.
The first center of population, based on the 1790 census, was located in Chestertown, Maryland. Since then, the center of population has moved west and south.
Based on data from the 2020 Census, the current center of the population is near Hartville, Missouri. An event to recognize Hartville, Missouri, took place September 21 and included an on-site unveiling of a commemorative survey monument.
The town of Lyons population was 2,033 at the 2010 United States Census, up from 1,585 at the 2000 United States Census. In 2020 it was 2,302.
The center of population for Boulder County is: +40.062992,-105.180215 (which is downtown city of Boulder). As of the 2020 census, the population was 330,758. The most populous municipality in the state, and the county seat is Boulder. White alone: 89.9% Female: 49.4%. Persons 65 and over: 15.9%. Foreign born: 10%. Median Household income: $87,476. Mean travel time to work: 23 minutes. High school grad: 95.5%. Bachelor’s Degree or higher: 63%. Households with computer: 96.4%.=== Larimer County: 359,066 (2020 census).
The location of the center of population for Colorado has remained relatively stable:
Chart: Year==North Latitude==West Longitude
==18801==39° 05′ 23″==105° 32′ 53″ (approx. 100 miles SW of Denver)
The Pike’s Peak Gold Rush started in July 1858 and lasted until roughly the creation of the Colorado Territory. Colorado became a state in 1876.
==19001==39° 05′ 45″==105° 16′ 05″
==19503==39° 20′ 32″==105° 05′ 57″
==19905==39° 29′ 34″==105° 11′ 18″
==20006==39° 30′ 02″==105° 12′ 13″
==20106==39° 30′ 48″==105° 12′ 29″
==20206==39° 32′ 05″==105° 11′ 07″
1 Source: U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, Fourteenth Census of the United States, 1923
2 Source: U.S. Census Bureau, recomputation for historical county level data which relied upon aggregate county level population data with an estimated county centroid resulting in a possible error of up to one mile.
3 Source: U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, Centers of Population for States and Counties, 1974
4 Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Geography Division, recomputation from archived national block group/enumeration area data resulting in a possible error of up to 1,000 feet.
5 Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Geography Division, recomputation from archived national block group data resulting in a possible error of up to 1,000 feet.
6 Source: U.S. Census Bureau, computation from national block-level data
