Center of population facts for kids

The center of population is like finding the balancing point of all the people in a certain area. Imagine a map of a country, state, or city. If every person weighed the same, the center of population would be the spot where that map would perfectly balance! It's a cool way to understand where most people live and how populations change over time.

What is a Center of Population?

The center of population is a special point on a map. It shows the average location of everyone in a specific area. Think of it as the "middle" of where people live. This idea is part of Demographics, which is the study of human populations. Demographics looks at things like how many people live somewhere, their ages, and how they are spread out.

Why is it Useful?

Knowing the center of population helps us understand how people are moving. For example, if the center of population keeps moving west, it means more people are settling in western areas. This information is very useful for:

• Governments: They use it to plan where to build new roads, schools, or hospitals.
• Businesses: They can decide where to open new stores or factories.
• Researchers: They study population shifts to learn about history and predict future trends.

Where is the U.S. Center of Population?

The United States Census Bureau has calculated the center of population for the U.S. after every U.S. Census since 1790. A census is like a big count of everyone living in the country. This helps us see how the population has moved over the centuries.

The U.S. center of population has steadily moved westward. In 1790, it was in Maryland. Today, it is located in southern Missouri. This westward shift shows how the country has grown and expanded over time. It also means that Representatives (people elected to speak for their states) from western states have to travel quite a distance to their jobs at the Capitol building in Washington, D.C.!

Other Examples Around the World

Many countries and regions also track their centers of population.

• For example, the center of population for Bangladesh is found close to its capital city, Dhaka.
• In the U.S., the center of population for the state of Ohio is about 30 miles from its capital city, Columbus.

These examples show that the center of population can be a useful tool for understanding how people are distributed, whether in a small area or across an entire country.

Images for kids

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  For representational purposes only: The point on earth closest to everyone in the world on average was in calculated to be in Central Asia, with a mean distance of 5,000 kilometers (3,000 mi). Its antipodal point is correspondingly the farthest point from everyone on earth, and is located in the South Pacific near Easter Island, with a mean distance of 15,000 kilometers (9,300 mi). The data used by this figure is lumped at the country level, and is therefore precise only to country-scale distances, larger nations heavily skewed. Far more granular data -- kilometer level, is now available -- compares with this old "textbook" example.

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  European Countries median center of population in 2011

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  New Zealand's median center of population over time