The map above shows Delaware and Rhode Island side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Delaware vs Rhode Island Geography
Land area: Delaware has a land area of 1,949 square miles (5,047 km²), while Rhode Island has 1,034 square miles (2,678 km²). Delaware's land area is 1.9 times (88%) larger than Rhode Island's.
Total area: Delaware: 2,489 square miles (6,446 km²) vs Rhode Island: 1,545 square miles (4,002 km²), including inland and coastal water. Delaware's total area is 1.6 times (61%) larger than Rhode Island's.
Length: Delaware is 98 miles (158 km) long from north to south; Rhode Island is 61 miles (98 km). Delaware's north-south length is 1.6 times (61%) longer than Rhode Island's.
Width: Delaware spans 96 miles (155 km) east to west; Rhode Island spans 42 miles (67 km). Delaware's east-west width is 2.3 times (129%) wider than Rhode Island's.
Highest point: Delaware's highest point is Ebright Azimuth at 450 feet (137 m); Rhode Island's is Jerimoth Hill at 811 feet (247 m). Jerimoth Hill is 361 feet higher than Ebright Azimuth.
Lowest point: Delaware's lowest point is Atlantic Ocean at 0 feet; Rhode Island's is Atlantic Ocean at 0 feet. Both lowest points are at or near sea level.
Delaware vs Rhode Island Population and History
Population: Delaware has a population of 1,051,917 (2024), while Rhode Island has 1,112,308 (2024). Rhode Island's population is 1.1 times (6%) larger than Delaware's.
Population density: Delaware: 539.9 people per square mile vs Rhode Island: 1,075.8. Rhode Island's population density is 2.0 times (99%) higher than Delaware's.
Biggest city: Delaware's biggest city is Wilmington with 73,176 people; Rhode Island's is Providence with 194,706. Providence's population is 2.7 times (166%) 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 Rhode Island's Providence-Warwick, RI-MA metro area (1,700,901). Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area's population is 3.7 times (272%) larger than Providence-Warwick, RI-MA metro area's.
History: Delaware: Admitted to the Union on December 7, 1787, as the 1st state. Rhode Island: Admitted to the Union on May 29, 1790, as the 13th state. In its current form, Delaware is the older of the two by 3 years.
Delaware vs Rhode Island Economy
GDP: Delaware's GDP is $111.0 billion (2024) vs Rhode Island's $80.4 billion. Delaware's economic output is 1.4 times (38%) larger than Rhode Island's.
GDP per capita: Delaware: $105,495 per person vs Rhode Island: $72,265. Delaware's GDP per capita is 1.5 times (46%) higher than Rhode Island's.
Average income: Delaware: $68,061 vs Rhode Island: $70,622 average income per person (per capita personal income). Delaware and Rhode Island have about the same average income.
Delaware vs Rhode Island Counties
Number of counties: Delaware has 3 counties, while Rhode Island has 5. Rhode Island's county count is 1.7 times (67%) higher than Delaware's.
Biggest county by area: Delaware's largest county is Sussex County at 936 square miles; Rhode Island's is Providence County at 410 square miles. Sussex County's land area is 2.3 times (129%) larger than Providence County's.
Smallest county by area: Delaware: New Castle County (426 sq mi) vs Rhode Island: Bristol County (24 sq mi). New Castle County's land area is 17.7 times larger than Bristol County's.
Most populous county: Delaware: New Castle County (588,093 people) vs Rhode Island: Providence County (675,912 people). Providence County's population is 1.1 times (15%) larger than New Castle County's.
Least populous county: Delaware: Kent County (192,690 people) vs Rhode Island: Bristol County (50,145 people). Kent County's population is 3.8 times (284%) larger than Bristol County's.
Richest county: Delaware: Sussex County ($73,647 per capita income) vs Rhode Island: Bristol County ($99,923). Bristol County's income is 1.4 times (36%) richer than Sussex County's.
Poorest county: Delaware: Kent County ($55,474 per capita income) vs Rhode Island: Providence County ($61,040). Providence County's income is 1.1 times (10%) richer than Kent County's.
Delaware vs Rhode Island Taxes
State income tax: Delaware has a top income tax rate of 6.6%, while Rhode Island has a top income tax rate of 5.99%. Delaware's top rate is 0.61 percentage points higher.
Property tax: Delaware: 0.47% effective rate vs Rhode Island: 1.07% of home value per year. Rhode Island's rate is 0.6 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: Delaware: 0% combined state and average local rate vs Rhode Island: 7%. Rhode Island's combined rate is 7 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Delaware official website · Rhode Island official website
More Size Comparisons
All Delaware size comparisons · All Rhode Island 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.