# Where can I find the the center of population of each state?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-find-the-the-center-of-population-of-each-state/55838>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 25, 2001, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-find-the-the-center-of-population-of-each-state/55838 "2001-02-25T18:31:42Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\
**Post date:** [February 25, 2001, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-find-the-the-center-of-population-of-each-state/55838/1 "2001-02-25T18:31:42Z")

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I know there are many different definitions of “center of population”. But the Census Bureau uses two different definitions in finding the center of population of the whole U.S.: the “mean center of population” (which was in Missouri in 1990) and the “median center of population” (which was in Indiana in 1990). See [this PDF file from the Census Bureau](http://www.census.gov/population/censusdata/popctr.pdf) for definitions and locations of the national centers from 1790 to 1990.

I have been able to find a list from the USGS of [the geographic centers of the states]([http://mac.usgs.gov/mac/isb/pubs/booklets/elvadist/elvadist.html#Geographic](http://mac.usgs.gov/mac/isb/pubs/booklets/elvadist/elvadist.html#Geographic) Centers) (based on one definition of “geographic center”). But I haven’t been able to find similar data for the centers of population for the states. Surely somebody must calculate this stuff. Mustn’t they?

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**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\
**Post date:** [February 25, 2001, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-find-the-the-center-of-population-of-each-state/55838/2 "2001-02-25T21:58:57Z")

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Jeepers. ☹ You win this month’s prize (a lifetime subscription to _LOOK_ magazine) for “Most Well-Hidden and Completely Unfindable Google Fact”.

All I can figure is that the state of Illinois really doesn’t care where its “median center of population” is. There’s Chicago, and there’s Springfield–what else does anybody need to know?

Sorry. ☹

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**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\
**Post date:** [February 25, 2001, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-find-the-the-center-of-population-of-each-state/55838/3 "2001-02-25T23:21:45Z")

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…and, of course, the reason that Google can’t find it is that, individual state names added to “mean population center” occur in _every page_ that you might access. I know, I did that, as did everyone else, for hours.

One hopes that there is an answer, but, there might not be.

This should be inducted into the Google hall of fame.

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**Author:** ![JCThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/dc4da7/32.png) [@JCThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JCThunder)\
**Post date:** [February 26, 2001, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-find-the-the-center-of-population-of-each-state/55838/4 "2001-02-26T06:08:29Z")

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Sounds like you’re looking to drop a bomb on Illinois… can’t help, I live in Chicago.