Census division 4
The West North Central division
The West North Central division has 7 states with 21,977,413 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimates, 6.5% of the US total, on 507,608 square miles of land. It ranks 7th of 9 divisions by population and 3rd by land area.
- Residents 2024
- 21,977,413
- 6.5% of the US
- Land area
- 507,608 sq mi
- Density
- 43.3 / sq mi
- Member states
- 7
- 618 counties
Member states shaded by density; others hatched. Pins mark capitals.
West North Central population and land
The West North Central division has 7 states with 21,977,413 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimates, 6.5% of the US total, on 507,608 square miles of land. It ranks 7th of 9 divisions by population and 3rd by land area. It averages 43.3 people per square mile, 2.2 times sparser than the national figure of 96.3, and ranks 8th of 9 by density.
Missouri is the most populous member with 6,245,466 residents, 28% of the division, while Kansas is the largest by land at 81,759 square miles. North Dakota is the least populous, with 796,568.
States in the West North Central division
The Census Bureau groups the states into 4 regions and 9 divisions for statistics. West North Central is division 4, part of the Midwest region. Totals below are sums of Vintage 2024 county estimates and 2024 Gazetteer land area.
| State | Residents | Share | Land sq mi | Per sq mi | Counties |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Missouri | 6,245,466 | 28.4% | 68,746 | 90.8 | 115 |
| Minnesota | 5,793,151 | 26.4% | 79,632 | 72.7 | 87 |
| Iowa | 3,241,488 | 14.7% | 55,854 | 58.0 | 99 |
| Kansas | 2,970,606 | 13.5% | 81,759 | 36.3 | 105 |
| Nebraska | 2,005,465 | 9.1% | 76,815 | 26.1 | 93 |
| South Dakota | 924,669 | 4.2% | 75,808 | 12.2 | 66 |
| North Dakota | 796,568 | 3.6% | 68,994 | 11.5 | 53 |
Counties in the West North Central division
Its 618 county-equivalents have a median of 10,493 residents, below the national median county of 26,122. The most populous is Hennepin County, MN, with 1,273,334; the largest by land is St. Louis County, MN, at 6,248 square miles.
The median county household income here is $65,817 in SAIPE 2023, 5% above the national median county, $62,851. It ranges from $32,803 in Buffalo County, SD to $129,437 in Carver County, MN.
- 01Hennepin County, MN1,273,334
- 02St. Louis County, MO992,929
- 03Jackson County, MO727,362
- 04Johnson County, KS632,276
- 05Douglas County, NE601,158
- 06Ramsey County, MN542,015
- 07Sedgwick County, KS536,081
- 08Polk County, IA516,185
- 09Dakota County, MN453,156
- 10St. Charles County, MO423,726
Distances and center
The two member capitals farthest apart are Jefferson City and Bismarck, 717 miles in a straight line. Weighting every county's internal point by population puts the division's center of population near 41.55° N, 94.26° W. The method is explained in the center of population guide.
Bordering states compared
11 pairs of member states share a border. Each comparison puts population, land, counties and capitals side by side.
Questions people ask
What states are in the West North Central division?
Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, per the Census Bureau's regions and divisions.
What is the population of the West North Central division?
21,977,413 in the Census Vintage 2024 estimates, 6.5% of the US.
What is the largest state in the West North Central division?
Kansas by land (81,759 square miles) and Missouri by population (6,245,466).
What is the most populous county in the West North Central division?
Hennepin County, MN, with 1,273,334 residents.
Which Census region is the West North Central division in?
The Midwest region, which also includes the East North Central division.
Sources and data as of
Data as of: Census Vintage 2024 population estimates, 2024 Gazetteer land area and internal points, SAIPE 2023 median household income.
- 01Census Bureau regions and divisions of the United States (last verified 2026-09-30)
- 02Census Vintage 2024 county population estimates
- 03Census 2024 Gazetteer, counties
- 04Census SAIPE 2023 state and county estimates
How every number is computed: methodology. Spotted a wrong figure? Report an error.