- Determine the two consecutive multiples of 1,000 that bracket 256,603
- 256,603 is between 256,000 and 257,000
- 256,500 is the midpoint between 256,000 and 257,000
- As illustrated on the number line, 256,603 is greater than the midpoint (256,500)
- Therefore, 256,603 rounded to the nearest thousand = 257,000
