The map above shows Alabama and Iowa side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Alabama vs Iowa Geography
Land area: Alabama has a land area of 50,651 square miles (131,185 km²), while Iowa has 55,854 square miles (144,660 km²). Iowa's land area is 1.1 times (10%) larger than Alabama's.
Total area: Alabama: 52,420 square miles (135,767 km²) vs Iowa: 56,273 square miles (145,746 km²), including inland and coastal water. Iowa's total area is 1.1 times (7%) larger than Alabama's.
Length: Alabama is 331 miles (532 km) long from north to south; Iowa is 216 miles (347 km). Alabama's north-south length is 1.5 times (53%) longer than Iowa's.
Width: Alabama spans 212 miles (341 km) east to west; Iowa spans 335 miles (539 km). Iowa's east-west width is 1.6 times (58%) wider than Alabama's.
Highest point: Alabama's highest point is Cheaha Mountain at 2,405 feet (733 m); Iowa's is Hawkeye Point at 1,669 feet (509 m). Cheaha Mountain is 736 feet higher than Hawkeye Point.
Lowest point: Alabama's lowest point is Gulf of Mexico at 0 feet; Iowa's is Mississippi River at 480 feet. Alabama's lowest point is 480 feet lower.
Alabama vs Iowa Population and History
Population: Alabama has a population of 5,157,699 (2024), while Iowa has 3,241,488 (2024). Alabama's population is 1.6 times (59%) larger than Iowa's.
Population density: Alabama: 101.8 people per square mile vs Iowa: 58.0. Alabama's population density is 1.8 times (76%) higher than Iowa's.
Biggest city: Alabama's biggest city is Huntsville with 230,402 people; Iowa's is Des Moines with 213,096. Huntsville's population is 1.1 times (8%) larger than Des Moines'.
Largest metro area: Alabama's largest metropolitan area is Birmingham, AL metro area (1,192,583 people) vs Iowa's Omaha, NE-IA metro area (1,001,010). Birmingham, AL metro area's population is 1.2 times (19%) larger than Omaha, NE-IA metro area's.
History: Alabama: Admitted to the Union on December 14, 1819, as the 22nd state. Iowa: Admitted to the Union on December 28, 1846, as the 29th state. In its current form, Alabama is the older of the two by 27 years.
Alabama vs Iowa Economy
GDP: Alabama's GDP is $325.3 billion (2024) vs Iowa's $265.8 billion. Alabama's economic output is 1.2 times (22%) larger than Iowa's.
GDP per capita: Alabama: $63,080 per person vs Iowa: $81,998. Iowa's GDP per capita is 1.3 times (30%) higher than Alabama's.
Average income: Alabama: $57,311 vs Iowa: $65,225 average income per person (per capita personal income). Iowa's average income is 1.1 times (14%) higher than Alabama's.
Alabama vs Iowa Counties
Number of counties: Alabama has 67 counties, while Iowa has 99. Iowa's county count is 1.5 times (48%) higher than Alabama's.
Biggest county by area: Alabama's largest county is Baldwin County at 1,590 square miles; Iowa's is Kossuth County at 973 square miles. Baldwin County's land area is 1.6 times (63%) larger than Kossuth County's.
Smallest county by area: Alabama: Etowah County (535 sq mi) vs Iowa: Dickinson County (381 sq mi). Etowah County's land area is 1.4 times (41%) larger than Dickinson County's.
Most populous county: Alabama: Jefferson County (664,744 people) vs Iowa: Polk County (516,185 people). Jefferson County's population is 1.3 times (29%) larger than Polk County's.
Least populous county: Alabama: Greene County (7,127 people) vs Iowa: Adams County (3,606 people). Greene County's population is 2.0 times (98%) larger than Adams County's.
Richest county: Alabama: Jefferson County ($75,312 per capita income) vs Iowa: Mitchell County ($98,211). Mitchell County's income is 1.3 times (30%) richer than Jefferson County's.
Poorest county: Alabama: Bullock County ($39,403 per capita income) vs Iowa: Decatur County ($46,134). Decatur County's income is 1.2 times (17%) richer than Bullock County's.
Alabama vs Iowa Taxes
State income tax: Alabama has a top income tax rate of 5%, while Iowa has a top income tax rate of 3.8%. Alabama's top rate is 1.2 percentage points higher.
Property tax: Alabama: 0.38% effective rate vs Iowa: 1.29% of home value per year. Iowa's rate is 0.91 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: Alabama: 9.46% combined state and average local rate vs Iowa: 6.94%. Alabama's combined rate is 2.52 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Alabama official website · Iowa official website
More Size Comparisons
All Alabama size comparisons · All Iowa size comparisons
Area, elevation and boundary figures come from official national statistics and US Census Bureau and Natural Earth boundary data; US state population, economic, county and tax figures come from the US Census Bureau, the Bureau of Economic Analysis and the Tax Foundation. Figures are rounded and for general reference.