The map above shows Delaware and Iowa side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Delaware vs Iowa Geography
Land area: Delaware has a land area of 1,949 square miles (5,047 km²), while Iowa has 55,854 square miles (144,660 km²). Iowa's land area is 28.7 times larger than Delaware's.
Total area: Delaware: 2,489 square miles (6,446 km²) vs Iowa: 56,273 square miles (145,746 km²), including inland and coastal water. Iowa's total area is 22.6 times larger than Delaware's.
Length: Delaware is 98 miles (158 km) long from north to south; Iowa is 216 miles (347 km). Iowa's north-south length is 2.2 times (120%) longer than Delaware's.
Width: Delaware spans 96 miles (155 km) east to west; Iowa spans 335 miles (539 km). Iowa's east-west width is 3.5 times (249%) wider than Delaware's.
Highest point: Delaware's highest point is Ebright Azimuth at 450 feet (137 m); Iowa's is Hawkeye Point at 1,669 feet (509 m). Hawkeye Point is 1,219 feet higher than Ebright Azimuth.
Lowest point: Delaware's lowest point is Atlantic Ocean at 0 feet; Iowa's is Mississippi River at 480 feet. Delaware's lowest point is 480 feet lower.
Delaware vs Iowa Population and History
Population: Delaware has a population of 1,051,917 (2024), while Iowa has 3,241,488 (2024). Iowa's population is 3.1 times (208%) larger than Delaware's.
Population density: Delaware: 539.9 people per square mile vs Iowa: 58.0. Delaware's population density is 9.3 times (831%) higher than Iowa's.
Biggest city: Delaware's biggest city is Wilmington with 73,176 people; Iowa's is Des Moines with 213,096. Des Moines' population is 2.9 times (191%) larger than Wilmington's.
Largest metro area: Delaware's largest metropolitan area is Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area (6,330,422 people) vs Iowa's Omaha, NE-IA metro area (1,001,010). Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area's population is 6.3 times (532%) larger than Omaha, NE-IA metro area's.
History: Delaware: Admitted to the Union on December 7, 1787, as the 1st state. Iowa: Admitted to the Union on December 28, 1846, as the 29th state. In its current form, Delaware is the older of the two by 59 years.
Delaware vs Iowa Economy
GDP: Delaware's GDP is $111.0 billion (2024) vs Iowa's $265.8 billion. Iowa's economic output is 2.4 times (139%) larger than Delaware's.
GDP per capita: Delaware: $105,495 per person vs Iowa: $81,998. Delaware's GDP per capita is 1.3 times (29%) higher than Iowa's.
Average income: Delaware: $68,061 vs Iowa: $65,225 average income per person (per capita personal income). Delaware and Iowa have about the same average income.
Delaware vs Iowa Counties
Number of counties: Delaware has 3 counties, while Iowa has 99. Iowa's county count is 33.0 times higher than Delaware's.
Biggest county by area: Delaware's largest county is Sussex County at 936 square miles; Iowa's is Kossuth County at 973 square miles. Sussex County and Kossuth County have about the same land area.
Smallest county by area: Delaware: New Castle County (426 sq mi) vs Iowa: Dickinson County (381 sq mi). New Castle County's land area is 1.1 times (12%) larger than Dickinson County's.
Most populous county: Delaware: New Castle County (588,093 people) vs Iowa: Polk County (516,185 people). New Castle County's population is 1.1 times (14%) larger than Polk County's.
Least populous county: Delaware: Kent County (192,690 people) vs Iowa: Adams County (3,606 people). Kent County's population is 53.4 times larger than Adams County's.
Richest county: Delaware: Sussex County ($73,647 per capita income) vs Iowa: Mitchell County ($98,211). Mitchell County's income is 1.3 times (33%) richer than Sussex County's.
Poorest county: Delaware: Kent County ($55,474 per capita income) vs Iowa: Decatur County ($46,134). Kent County's income is 1.2 times (20%) richer than Decatur County's.
Delaware vs Iowa Taxes
State income tax: Delaware has a top income tax rate of 6.6%, while Iowa has a top income tax rate of 3.8%. Delaware's top rate is 2.8 percentage points higher.
Property tax: Delaware: 0.47% effective rate vs Iowa: 1.29% of home value per year. Iowa's rate is 0.82 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: Delaware: 0% combined state and average local rate vs Iowa: 6.94%. Iowa's combined rate is 6.94 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Delaware official website · Iowa official website
More Size Comparisons
All Delaware 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.