The U.S. Has a New Center: Hartville, Missouri

The center cannot hold.

1 minute read

November 18, 2021, 12:00 PM PST

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


A map showing the location of Hartville, Missouri.

SevenMaps / Shutterstock

The U.S. Census Bureau this week announced the new center of population for the United States s a location near Hartville, a town of about 600 people in central southern Missouri.

The new center of population balance for the country is based on the 2020 Census population of 331.4 million, according to a Census Bureau press release announcing the change. The tradition of calculating the center of the country's population dates back to 1790, when the center was located in Kent County, Maryland, 23 miles east of Baltimore. The movement of the center across the decades tracks the migration of the U.S. population south and west.

The Census Bureau also calculates centers of population for each state, county, census tract and census block group, all of which can be found at the Center of Population webpage.

An article by Summer Ballantine for the Associated Press provides news coverage of the announcement.

Tuesday, November 16, 2021 in U.S. Census Bureau

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Concrete Brutalism building with slanted walls and light visible through an atrium.

What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities

How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.

February 28, 2025 - Justin Hollander

Complete Street

‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge

Basic resources and information on building bike lanes and sidewalks, formerly housed on the government’s Complete Streets website, are now gone.

February 27, 2025 - Streetsblog USA

Green electric Volkswagen van against a beach backdrop.

The VW Bus is Back — Now as an Electric Minivan

Volkswagen’s ID. Buzz reimagines its iconic Bus as a fully electric minivan, blending retro design with modern technology, a 231-mile range, and practical versatility to offer a stylish yet functional EV for the future.

March 3, 2025 - ABC 7 Eyewitness News

Close-up of row of electric cars plugged into chargers at outdoor station.

Electric Vehicles for All? Study Finds Disparities in Access and Incentives

A new UCLA study finds that while California has made progress in electric vehicle adoption, disadvantaged communities remain underserved in EV incentives, ownership, and charging access, requiring targeted policy changes to advance equity.

3 hours ago - UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation

Blue train on coastal rail in Southern California.

SoCal Leaders Debate Moving Coastal Rail Line

Train tracks running along the Pacific Ocean are in danger from sea level rise, but residents are divided on how to fix the problem.

March 7 - The New York Times

Woman and two children sit on bench at public transit stop waiting for tram with stroller next to them.

Are Mobility Hubs Child-Friendly?

‘Mobility hubs’ aim to make urban travel easier by connecting travel modes. Adding more services could make them more accessible and useful to women and families.

March 7 - Streetsblog USA