# Where is "average" USA? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 25, 2008, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-average-usa/474437 "2008-11-25T16:29:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![WormTheRed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/bbe5ce/32.png) [@WormTheRed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WormTheRed)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2008, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-average-usa/474437/1 "2008-11-25T16:29:55Z")
A lot of places on the internet want me to put in a zip-code before I get the info I want; ranging from [Edmunds](http://www.edmunds.com) to whatever. Now, since I don’t live in the US this is mostly done to amuse me, but I need somewhere in the US that’s pretty close to the national average. The only zip-code I know by heart is 90210, and I assume that isn’t so average. I don’t need exact figures. I just want to see what the average price for a car, a house, or whatever, would be - for my own amusement. So in which area of the US should I go hunting for zip-codes that get me the closest to the national average? ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2008, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-average-usa/474437/2 "2008-11-25T16:42:43Z")
1. It’s an easily remembered number, which belongs to Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio – a pretty average large Midwestern city. (And house prices there are a lot less than where the housing boom happened on the East and West coasts). ---
**Author:** ![WormTheRed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/bbe5ce/32.png) [@WormTheRed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WormTheRed)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2008, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-average-usa/474437/3 "2008-11-25T16:50:25Z")
That’s pretty darn perfect. Thanks a lot! ---
**Author:** ![Drain\_Bead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@Drain\_Bead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drain_Bead)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2008, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-average-usa/474437/4 "2008-11-25T19:01:02Z")
> [@Giles](#): > > 1. It’s an easily remembered number, which belongs to Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio – a pretty average large Midwestern city. > > (And house prices there are a lot less than where the housing boom happened on the East and West coasts). Hah, I was going to suggest 43214, Beechwold. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2008, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-average-usa/474437/5 "2008-11-25T19:50:53Z")
Further supporting Ohio’s averageness (not that there’s anything wrong with that), Ohio is used by many fast food restaurants as a test market for new products. I had McDonalds Pizza there a few years ago. ---
**Author:** ![janis\_and\_c0](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/janis_and_c0/32/21_2.png) [@janis\_and\_c0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/janis_and_c0)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2008, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-average-usa/474437/6 "2008-11-25T20:33:43Z")
Heh, was going to suggest 43229, another Columbus Zip Code… My own! ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2008, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-average-usa/474437/7 "2008-11-25T20:45:03Z")
Ever heard the phrase “Will it play in Peoria?” Peoria, Illinois: 61603 ---
**Author:** ![cadolphin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c37758/32.png) [@cadolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cadolphin)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2008, 8:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-average-usa/474437/8 "2008-11-26T08:01:57Z")
For a good time and a very abnormal perspective try some utah zip codes. 84103 is downtown Salt Lake City, 84057 is Orem, a suburb. 84770 St. George… located in the southwest corner of the state 5 miles from Arizona and 30 miles from Nevada. St. George has made up a lot of growth in the recent past. It’s only about 10 yrs or so behind now rather then 20 give or take. [List of Utah zip codes](http://www.555us.com/555UT/555ut_zipcodes.htm) The cities, towns, and cow pastures are spread out throughout the state but that’s changing quickly. So if you have any questions about a zip you check out and then another one that seems to be close by it but you are getting totally different information, drop me an email or pm. or IM me. Oh how could I forget the two major universities in the state. Totally opposite. One private church owned 84602 and the other state owned 84112. I might have to check those out myself just out of curiosity. I would expect the results to be totally different but I’ve been wrong before 😉 Hope I wasn’t out of line taking a side road off your specific question. Kathy ---
**Author:** ![WormTheRed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/bbe5ce/32.png) [@WormTheRed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WormTheRed)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2008, 8:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-average-usa/474437/9 "2008-11-26T08:25:27Z")
> [@control-z](#): > > Further supporting Ohio’s averageness (not that there’s anything wrong with that), Ohio is used by many fast food restaurants as a test market for new products. I had McDonalds Pizza there a few years ago. McDonalds pizza? What is the world coming to! > [@HeyHomie](#): > > Ever heard the phrase “Will it play in Peoria?” Not untill now 😉 > [@cadolphin](#): > > For a good time and a very abnormal perspective try some utah zip codes. 84103 is downtown Salt Lake City, 84057 is Orem, a suburb. 84770 St. George… located in the southwest corner of the state 5 miles from Arizona and 30 miles from Nevada. St. George has made up a lot of growth in the recent past. It’s only about 10 yrs or so behind now rather then 20 give or take. [List of Utah zip codes](http://www.555us.com/555UT/555ut_zipcodes.htm) The cities, towns, and cow pastures are spread out throughout the state but that’s changing quickly. So if you have any questions about a zip you check out and then another one that seems to be close by it but you are getting totally different information, drop me an email or pm. or IM me. Oh how could I forget the two major universities in the state. Totally opposite. One private church owned 84602 and the other state owned 84112. I might have to check those out myself just out of curiosity. I would expect the results to be totally different but I’ve been wrong before 😉 > > Hope I wasn’t out of line taking a side road off your specific question. > > Kathy Not at all. I’m glad to get all views on this matter. It’ll be fun to compare different places! ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2008, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-average-usa/474437/10 "2008-11-26T15:14:30Z")
Sacramento, CA is a pretty classic test market. It has a good mix of middle-America and urban coastal influences, as well as a diverse but well-integrated population. It’s not classic America, but is a good cross section of America. ---
**Author:** ![VunderBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/839c29/32.png) [@VunderBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VunderBob)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2008, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-average-usa/474437/11 "2008-11-26T15:18:40Z")
Indianapolis is the subject of many market tests because it is so average. The zipcode for downtown is 46204.