In the year 2000 Detroit, Michigan had a population of 1,144,646. What is this population rounded to the nearest hundred thousand?

Step one is to find which number is in the hundred thousand's place. We can count right to left to find this out. 6 is obviously in the ones place, then 4 in the 10s, 6 in the 100s, 4 in the 1,000s, 4 in the 10,000s, and finally, a 1 in the hundred thousands. Now we know that the second one in the number, 1,144,646, is in the hundred thousands place. Look at the number right behind it, 4. If the number is 5 or higher, round up, if 4 or lower, round down. Since it's 4, you'd round it to 0, and round all the numbers behind it to 0. Your answer is 1,100,000