West North Central states facts for kids

Quick facts for kids West North Central
Top, left to right: Minneapolis, St. Paul, St. Louis, and Kansas City
Composition	Iowa Kansas Minnesota Missouri Nebraska North Dakota South Dakota
Metropolitan areas	Twin Cities, MN St. Louis, MO Kansas City, MO Omaha, NE Wichita, KS Des Moines, IA Fargo, ND
Largest city	Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN
Area
• Total	507,913 sq mi (1,315,490 km2)
Population  (2020)
• Total	21,616,921
• Density	42.56028/sq mi (16.432617/km2)

The West North Central states form one of the nine geographic subdivisions within the United States that are officially recognized by the U.S. Census Bureau.

Seven states compose the division: Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota and it makes up the western half of the United States Census Bureau's larger region of the Midwest, the eastern half of which consists of the East North Central states of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin. The Mississippi River marks the bulk of the boundary between these two divisions.

The West North Central states are regarded as constituting the core of the nation's "Farm Belt." Another name popularly applied to the division is the "Agricultural Heartland," or simply the "Heartland."

Since the early 1990s, the West North Central division has consistently had the lowest unemployment rate in the United States (especially in its many college towns), and has also been noted for its plentiful supply of affordable housing.

Demographics

As of 2020, the West North Central states had a combined population of 21,616,921. This number is a 5.4% increase from 20,505,437 in 2010. The West North Central region covers 507,913 square miles (1,315,489 km²) of land, and has an average population density of 42.56 people per square mile.

Ethic origins in West North Central

Politics

• Bold denotes election winner.

See also

In Spanish: Centro Noroeste de Estados Unidos para niños

• Great Plains