Is 21.49 closer to 21 or 22?

To determine which whole number 21.49 is closer to, we can look at the tenths place. Since 21.49 is closer to 21 than to 22, we can conclude that 21.49 is closer to 21. This is because the digit in the tenths place is 4, which is less than 5. Therefore, 21.49 is closer to 21.