The map above shows Arkansas and Tennessee side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Arkansas vs Tennessee Geography
Land area: Arkansas has a land area of 51,992 square miles (134,658 km²), while Tennessee has 41,224 square miles (106,770 km²). Arkansas' land area is 1.3 times (26%) larger than Tennessee's.
Total area: Arkansas: 53,198 square miles (137,781 km²) vs Tennessee: 42,130 square miles (109,116 km²), including inland and coastal water. Arkansas' total area is 1.3 times (26%) larger than Tennessee's.
Length: Arkansas is 243 miles (392 km) long from north to south; Tennessee is 191 miles (308 km). Arkansas' north-south length is 1.3 times (27%) longer than Tennessee's.
Width: Arkansas spans 279 miles (449 km) east to west; Tennessee spans 497 miles (800 km). Tennessee's east-west width is 1.8 times (78%) wider than Arkansas'.
Highest point: Arkansas's highest point is Mount Magazine at 2,752 feet (839 m); Tennessee's is Clingmans Dome at 6,624 feet (2,019 m). Clingmans Dome is 3,872 feet higher than Mount Magazine.
Lowest point: Arkansas's lowest point is Ouachita River at 55 feet; Tennessee's is Mississippi River at 178 feet. Arkansas's lowest point is 123 feet lower.
Arkansas vs Tennessee Population and History
Population: Arkansas has a population of 3,088,354 (2024), while Tennessee has 7,227,750 (2024). Tennessee's population is 2.3 times (134%) larger than Arkansas'.
Population density: Arkansas: 59.4 people per square mile vs Tennessee: 175.3. Tennessee's population density is 3.0 times (195%) higher than Arkansas'.
Biggest city: Arkansas's biggest city is Little Rock with 204,774 people; Tennessee's is Nashville with 704,963. Nashville's population is 3.4 times (244%) larger than Little Rock's.
Largest metro area: Arkansas's largest metropolitan area is Memphis, TN-MS-AR metro area (1,339,345 people) vs Tennessee's Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN metro area (2,150,553). Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN metro area's population is 1.6 times (61%) larger than Memphis, TN-MS-AR metro area's.
History: Arkansas: Admitted to the Union on June 15, 1836, as the 25th 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 40 years.
Arkansas vs Tennessee Economy
GDP: Arkansas's GDP is $188.3 billion (2024) vs Tennessee's $561.2 billion. Tennessee's economic output is 3.0 times (198%) larger than Arkansas'.
GDP per capita: Arkansas: $60,984 per person vs Tennessee: $77,645. Tennessee's GDP per capita is 1.3 times (27%) higher than Arkansas'.
Average income: Arkansas: $59,320 vs Tennessee: $66,504 average income per person (per capita personal income). Tennessee's average income is 1.1 times (12%) higher than Arkansas'.
Arkansas vs Tennessee Counties
Number of counties: Arkansas has 75 counties, while Tennessee has 95. Tennessee's county count is 1.3 times (27%) higher than Arkansas'.
Biggest county by area: Arkansas's largest county is Union County at 1,039 square miles; Tennessee's is Shelby County at 753 square miles. Union County's land area is 1.4 times (38%) larger than Shelby County's.
Smallest county by area: Arkansas: Lafayette County (530 sq mi) vs Tennessee: Trousdale County (114 sq mi). Lafayette County's land area is 4.6 times (363%) larger than Trousdale County's.
Most populous county: Arkansas: Pulaski County (401,209 people) vs Tennessee: Shelby County (910,530 people). Shelby County's population is 2.3 times (127%) larger than Pulaski County's.
Least populous county: Arkansas: Calhoun County (4,690 people) vs Tennessee: Pickett County (5,108 people). Pickett County's population is 1.1 times (9%) larger than Calhoun County's.
Richest county: Arkansas: Benton County ($120,594 per capita income) vs Tennessee: Williamson County ($139,704). Williamson County's income is 1.2 times (16%) richer than Benton County's.
Poorest county: Arkansas: Lincoln County ($36,032 per capita income) vs Tennessee: Lake County ($31,572). Lincoln County's income is 1.1 times (14%) richer than Lake County's.
Arkansas vs Tennessee Taxes
State income tax: Arkansas has a top income tax rate of 3.9%, while Tennessee has no state income tax. Arkansas's top rate is 3.9 percentage points higher.
Property tax: Arkansas: 0.52% effective rate vs Tennessee: 0.45% of home value per year. Arkansas's rate is 0.07 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: Arkansas: 9.48% combined state and average local rate vs Tennessee: 9.61%. Tennessee's combined rate is 0.13 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Arkansas official website · Tennessee official website
More Size Comparisons
All Arkansas 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.