The West North Central States form one of the nine geographic divisions within the United States that are officially recognized by the U.S. Census Bureau.
Where the East North Central States are seen as being synonymous (though not absolutely coterminous) with the Rust Belt by the vast majority of Americans, 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.
As of 2010, the West North Central States had a combined population of 20,505,437. This number is a 6.6% increase from 19,237,739 in 2000. The West North Central region covers 507,913 square miles (1,315,489 km2) of land, and has an average population density of 40.37 people per square mile.
States in the West North Central Region
State
2010 est.
Land area
Iowa
3,090,416
56,272
Kansas
2,893,957
82,277
Minnesota
5,420,380
86,939
Missouri
6,044,171
69,709
Nebraska
1,868,516
77,354
North Dakota
723,393
70,700
South Dakota
844,877
77,116
Top Ten Largest Cities by Population in the West North Central Region