Seven states comprise a section: Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota, and it is a american 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. A Mississippi River marks the bulk of the boundary between these ii divisions.

In which a East Northward Central States come seen when existence synonymous (though conditionally conterminous) sustaining a Rust Belt by a vast majority of Americans, a West Northward Central States come regarded when constituting the core of the united states's "Farm Belt." About whole of a territory contained inside the West Northerly Central section fall under what Joel Garreau called The Breadbasket in his 1981 book The Nine Nations of North America, and what James Patterson and Peter Kim labelled the Garner in their similarly-themed operate The Day America Told The Truth (the just exception existence southern Missouri, positioned around Dixie by Garreau and Old Dixie by Patterson & Kim). An additional title popularly applied to the section is the "Agricultural Heartland," or even just a "Heartland."

Beginning in the early 1990s, a West Northerly Central section has systematically experienced the last unemployment rate in the United States (especially in its numerous college towns), & has besides been noted for its plentiful supply of low-cost housing.