Unofficial 2010 U.S. Population Center

Tebbetts, Missouri

The village of Plato, Missouri, over 100 miles to the south of Tebbetts, was designated the official 2010 U.S. Population Center based on that year's census data. But the town of Tebbetts said that designation was wrong. The U.S. Census Bureau, according to Tebbetts, used a flat map to make its Center determination, while two researchers from a Michigan university checked the results using a 3-D map, and declared Tebbetts to be the true population center.

A large sign in the town's tiny park boasts, "'Unofficial' Geographic Population Center Continental U.S.A." Since we live in a 3-D world, Tebbetts had a strong argument -- at least until 2020.