The map above shows Delaware and Kentucky side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Delaware vs Kentucky Geography
Land area: Delaware has a land area of 1,949 square miles (5,047 km²), while Kentucky has 39,485 square miles (102,267 km²). Kentucky's land area is 20.3 times larger than Delaware's.
Total area: Delaware: 2,489 square miles (6,446 km²) vs Kentucky: 40,406 square miles (104,651 km²), including inland and coastal water. Kentucky's total area is 16.2 times larger than Delaware's.
Length: Delaware is 98 miles (158 km) long from north to south; Kentucky is 257 miles (414 km). Kentucky's north-south length is 2.6 times (162%) longer than Delaware's.
Width: Delaware spans 96 miles (155 km) east to west; Kentucky spans 418 miles (672 km). Kentucky's east-west width is 4.4 times (335%) wider than Delaware's.
Highest point: Delaware's highest point is Ebright Azimuth at 450 feet (137 m); Kentucky's is Black Mountain at 4,134 feet (1,260 m). Black Mountain is 3,684 feet higher than Ebright Azimuth.
Lowest point: Delaware's lowest point is Atlantic Ocean at 0 feet; Kentucky's is Mississippi River at 270 feet. Delaware's lowest point is 270 feet lower.
Delaware vs Kentucky Population and History
Population: Delaware has a population of 1,051,917 (2024), while Kentucky has 4,588,372 (2024). Kentucky's population is 4.4 times (336%) larger than Delaware's.
Population density: Delaware: 539.9 people per square mile vs Kentucky: 116.2. Delaware's population density is 4.6 times (365%) higher than Kentucky's.
Biggest city: Delaware's biggest city is Wilmington with 73,176 people; Kentucky's is Louisville with 640,796. Louisville's population is 8.8 times (776%) 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 Kentucky's Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN metro area (2,302,815). Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area's population is 2.7 times (175%) larger than Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN metro area's.
History: Delaware: Admitted to the Union on December 7, 1787, as the 1st state. Kentucky: Admitted to the Union on June 1, 1792, as the 15th state. In its current form, Delaware is the older of the two by 5 years.
Delaware vs Kentucky Economy
GDP: Delaware's GDP is $111.0 billion (2024) vs Kentucky's $295.4 billion. Kentucky's economic output is 2.7 times (166%) larger than Delaware's.
GDP per capita: Delaware: $105,495 per person vs Kentucky: $64,375. Delaware's GDP per capita is 1.6 times (64%) higher than Kentucky's.
Average income: Delaware: $68,061 vs Kentucky: $58,256 average income per person (per capita personal income). Delaware's average income is 1.2 times (17%) higher than Kentucky's.
Delaware vs Kentucky Counties
Number of counties: Delaware has 3 counties, while Kentucky has 120. Kentucky's county count is 40.0 times higher than Delaware's.
Biggest county by area: Delaware's largest county is Sussex County at 936 square miles; Kentucky's is Pike County at 786 square miles. Sussex County's land area is 1.2 times (19%) larger than Pike County's.
Smallest county by area: Delaware: New Castle County (426 sq mi) vs Kentucky: Gallatin County (98 sq mi). New Castle County's land area is 4.3 times (334%) larger than Gallatin County's.
Most populous county: Delaware: New Castle County (588,093 people) vs Kentucky: Jefferson County (793,881 people). Jefferson County's population is 1.3 times (35%) larger than New Castle County's.
Least populous county: Delaware: Kent County (192,690 people) vs Kentucky: Robertson County (2,382 people). Kent County's population is 80.9 times larger than Robertson County's.
Richest county: Delaware: Sussex County ($73,647 per capita income) vs Kentucky: Oldham County ($87,137). Oldham County's income is 1.2 times (18%) richer than Sussex County's.
Poorest county: Delaware: Kent County ($55,474 per capita income) vs Kentucky: Elliott County ($31,817). Kent County's income is 1.7 times (74%) richer than Elliott County's.
Delaware vs Kentucky Taxes
State income tax: Delaware has a top income tax rate of 6.6%, while Kentucky has a top income tax rate of 3.5%. Delaware's top rate is 3.1 percentage points higher.
Property tax: Delaware: 0.47% effective rate vs Kentucky: 0.71% of home value per year. Kentucky's rate is 0.24 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: Delaware: 0% combined state and average local rate vs Kentucky: 6%. Kentucky's combined rate is 6 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Delaware official website · Kentucky official website
More Size Comparisons
All Delaware size comparisons · All Kentucky 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.