The map above shows Alabama and Tennessee side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Alabama vs Tennessee Geography
Land area: Alabama has a land area of 50,651 square miles (131,185 km²), while Tennessee has 41,224 square miles (106,770 km²). Alabama's land area is 1.2 times (23%) larger than Tennessee's.
Total area: Alabama: 52,420 square miles (135,767 km²) vs Tennessee: 42,130 square miles (109,116 km²), including inland and coastal water. Alabama's total area is 1.2 times (24%) larger than Tennessee's.
Length: Alabama is 331 miles (532 km) long from north to south; Tennessee is 191 miles (308 km). Alabama's north-south length is 1.7 times (73%) longer than Tennessee's.
Width: Alabama spans 212 miles (341 km) east to west; Tennessee spans 497 miles (800 km). Tennessee's east-west width is 2.3 times (134%) wider than Alabama's.
Highest point: Alabama's highest point is Cheaha Mountain at 2,405 feet (733 m); Tennessee's is Clingmans Dome at 6,624 feet (2,019 m). Clingmans Dome is 4,219 feet higher than Cheaha Mountain.
Lowest point: Alabama's lowest point is Gulf of Mexico at 0 feet; Tennessee's is Mississippi River at 178 feet. Alabama's lowest point is 178 feet lower.
Alabama vs Tennessee Population and History
Population: Alabama has a population of 5,157,699 (2024), while Tennessee has 7,227,750 (2024). Tennessee's population is 1.4 times (40%) larger than Alabama's.
Population density: Alabama: 101.8 people per square mile vs Tennessee: 175.3. Tennessee's population density is 1.7 times (72%) higher than Alabama's.
Biggest city: Alabama's biggest city is Huntsville with 230,402 people; Tennessee's is Nashville with 704,963. Nashville's population is 3.1 times (206%) larger than Huntsville's.
Largest metro area: Alabama's largest metropolitan area is Birmingham, AL metro area (1,192,583 people) vs Tennessee's Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN metro area (2,150,553). Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN metro area's population is 1.8 times (80%) larger than Birmingham, AL metro area's.
History: Alabama: Admitted to the Union on December 14, 1819, as the 22nd state. Tennessee: Admitted to the Union on June 1, 1796, as the 16th state. In its current form, Tennessee is the older of the two by 23 years.
Alabama vs Tennessee Economy
GDP: Alabama's GDP is $325.3 billion (2024) vs Tennessee's $561.2 billion. Tennessee's economic output is 1.7 times (73%) larger than Alabama's.
GDP per capita: Alabama: $63,080 per person vs Tennessee: $77,645. Tennessee's GDP per capita is 1.2 times (23%) higher than Alabama's.
Average income: Alabama: $57,311 vs Tennessee: $66,504 average income per person (per capita personal income). Tennessee's average income is 1.2 times (16%) higher than Alabama's.
Alabama vs Tennessee Counties
Number of counties: Alabama has 67 counties, while Tennessee has 95. Tennessee's county count is 1.4 times (42%) higher than Alabama's.
Biggest county by area: Alabama's largest county is Baldwin County at 1,590 square miles; Tennessee's is Shelby County at 753 square miles. Baldwin County's land area is 2.1 times (111%) larger than Shelby County's.
Smallest county by area: Alabama: Etowah County (535 sq mi) vs Tennessee: Trousdale County (114 sq mi). Etowah County's land area is 4.7 times (368%) larger than Trousdale County's.
Most populous county: Alabama: Jefferson County (664,744 people) vs Tennessee: Shelby County (910,530 people). Shelby County's population is 1.4 times (37%) larger than Jefferson County's.
Least populous county: Alabama: Greene County (7,127 people) vs Tennessee: Pickett County (5,108 people). Greene County's population is 1.4 times (40%) larger than Pickett County's.
Richest county: Alabama: Jefferson County ($75,312 per capita income) vs Tennessee: Williamson County ($139,704). Williamson County's income is 1.9 times (86%) richer than Jefferson County's.
Poorest county: Alabama: Bullock County ($39,403 per capita income) vs Tennessee: Lake County ($31,572). Bullock County's income is 1.2 times (25%) richer than Lake County's.
Alabama vs Tennessee Taxes
State income tax: Alabama has a top income tax rate of 5%, while Tennessee has no state income tax. Alabama's top rate is 5 percentage points higher.
Property tax: Alabama: 0.38% effective rate vs Tennessee: 0.45% of home value per year. Tennessee's rate is 0.07 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: Alabama: 9.46% combined state and average local rate vs Tennessee: 9.61%. Tennessee's combined rate is 0.15 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Alabama official website · Tennessee official website
More Size Comparisons
All Alabama size comparisons · All Tennessee 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.