Population Distribution in the U.S.: Not Even from East to West

The U.S. population is heavily concentrated on the coasts—the Northeast/Mid-Atlantic and the West Coast—with the interior (Great Plains, Mountain West) being far less dense. This pattern stems from historical settlement, economic opportunity (ports, industry, tech), climate preferences, and geography (aridity, mountains). The "center of population" has steadily shifted westward but remains east of the continental midpoint.