The map above shows Alabama and Mississippi side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Alabama vs Mississippi Geography
Land area: Alabama has a land area of 50,651 square miles (131,185 km²), while Mississippi has 46,925 square miles (121,534 km²). Alabama's land area is 1.1 times (8%) larger than Mississippi's.
Total area: Alabama: 52,420 square miles (135,767 km²) vs Mississippi: 48,436 square miles (125,448 km²), including inland and coastal water. Alabama's total area is 1.1 times (8%) larger than Mississippi's.
Length: Alabama is 331 miles (532 km) long from north to south; Mississippi is 337 miles (542 km). Alabama and Mississippi have about the same north-south length.
Width: Alabama spans 212 miles (341 km) east to west; Mississippi spans 340 miles (547 km). Mississippi's east-west width is 1.6 times (60%) wider than Alabama's.
Highest point: Alabama's highest point is Cheaha Mountain at 2,405 feet (733 m); Mississippi's is Woodall Mountain at 805 feet (245 m). Cheaha Mountain is 1,600 feet higher than Woodall Mountain.
Lowest point: Alabama's lowest point is Gulf of Mexico at 0 feet; Mississippi's is Gulf of Mexico at 0 feet. Both lowest points are at or near sea level.
Alabama vs Mississippi Population and History
Population: Alabama has a population of 5,157,699 (2024), while Mississippi has 2,943,045 (2024). Alabama's population is 1.8 times (75%) larger than Mississippi's.
Population density: Alabama: 101.8 people per square mile vs Mississippi: 62.7. Alabama's population density is 1.6 times (62%) higher than Mississippi's.
Biggest city: Alabama's biggest city is Huntsville with 230,402 people; Mississippi's is Jackson with 141,449. Huntsville's population is 1.6 times (63%) larger than Jackson's.
Largest metro area: Alabama's largest metropolitan area is Birmingham, AL metro area (1,192,583 people) vs Mississippi's Memphis, TN-MS-AR metro area (1,339,345). Memphis, TN-MS-AR metro area's population is 1.1 times (12%) larger than Birmingham, AL metro area's.
History: Alabama: Admitted to the Union on December 14, 1819, as the 22nd state. Mississippi: Admitted to the Union on December 10, 1817, as the 20th state. In its current form, Mississippi is the older of the two by 2 years.
Alabama vs Mississippi Economy
GDP: Alabama's GDP is $325.3 billion (2024) vs Mississippi's $158.2 billion. Alabama's economic output is 2.1 times (106%) larger than Mississippi's.
GDP per capita: Alabama: $63,080 per person vs Mississippi: $53,751. Alabama's GDP per capita is 1.2 times (17%) higher than Mississippi's.
Average income: Alabama: $57,311 vs Mississippi: $52,074 average income per person (per capita personal income). Alabama's average income is 1.1 times (10%) higher than Mississippi's.
Alabama vs Mississippi Counties
Number of counties: Alabama has 67 counties, while Mississippi has 82. Mississippi's county count is 1.2 times (22%) higher than Alabama's.
Biggest county by area: Alabama's largest county is Baldwin County at 1,590 square miles; Mississippi's is Yazoo County at 922 square miles. Baldwin County's land area is 1.7 times (72%) larger than Yazoo County's.
Smallest county by area: Alabama: Etowah County (535 sq mi) vs Mississippi: Alcorn County (400 sq mi). Etowah County's land area is 1.3 times (34%) larger than Alcorn County's.
Most populous county: Alabama: Jefferson County (664,744 people) vs Mississippi: Harrison County (213,730 people). Jefferson County's population is 3.1 times (211%) larger than Harrison County's.
Least populous county: Alabama: Greene County (7,127 people) vs Mississippi: Issaquena County (1,295 people). Greene County's population is 5.5 times (450%) larger than Issaquena County's.
Richest county: Alabama: Jefferson County ($75,312 per capita income) vs Mississippi: Madison County ($90,668). Madison County's income is 1.2 times (20%) richer than Jefferson County's.
Poorest county: Alabama: Bullock County ($39,403 per capita income) vs Mississippi: Issaquena County ($27,264). Bullock County's income is 1.4 times (45%) richer than Issaquena County's.
Alabama vs Mississippi Taxes
State income tax: Alabama has a top income tax rate of 5%, while Mississippi has a top income tax rate of 4%. Alabama's top rate is 1 percentage points higher.
Property tax: Alabama: 0.38% effective rate vs Mississippi: 0.65% of home value per year. Mississippi's rate is 0.27 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: Alabama: 9.46% combined state and average local rate vs Mississippi: 7.06%. Alabama's combined rate is 2.4 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Alabama official website · Mississippi official website
More Size Comparisons
All Alabama size comparisons · All Mississippi 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.