Mean Center of Population Factors

The video explains the Mean Center of Population, a point where a map of the U.S. would balance if every person weighed the same. This center, calculated every 10 years by the Census, reflects population shifts. Initially in Maryland, it moved westward in the 1800s due to state additions and westward migration. In the 1900s, European immigration and the Great Migration slowed its westward pace. The inclusion of Alaska and Hawaii, along with recent Latino population growth and economic factors like the Texas oil industry, have shifted it slightly south. Air conditioning has also made the South more livable. Currently, the center is near Plato, Missouri.

What does the Mean Center of Population represent?

• The average population density of the United States

• The most populated city in the United States

• The point where a map of the U.S. would balance if everyone weighed the same

• The geographical center of the United States

How often does the Census calculate the Mean Center of Population?

• Every 5 years

• Every 10 years

• Every 15 years

• Every 20 years

What caused the westward shift of the Mean Center of Population in the 1800s?

• The Civil War

• The addition of new states and westward migration

• The gold rush

• The industrial revolution

Which two groups significantly influenced the Mean Center of Population in the early 1900s?

• Middle Eastern immigrants and African immigrants

• Mexican immigrants and Canadian immigrants

• European immigrants and Southern Blacks

• Native Americans and Asian immigrants

What recent factor has contributed to the southward movement of the Mean Center of Population?

• The decline of the Midwest manufacturing industry

• The growth of the Latino population in the Southeast and Texas

• The expansion of the tech industry in California

• The increase in tourism in Florida

How has air conditioning influenced the Mean Center of Population?

• It has decreased the population in the Midwest

• It has increased migration to the South

• It has made the Northeast more livable

• It has had no significant impact