The map above shows Hawaii and Kentucky side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Hawaii vs Kentucky Geography
Land area: Hawaii has a land area of 6,423 square miles (16,634 km²), while Kentucky has 39,485 square miles (102,267 km²). Kentucky's land area is 6.1 times (515%) larger than Hawaii's.
Total area: Hawaii: 10,970 square miles (28,412 km²) vs Kentucky: 40,406 square miles (104,651 km²), including inland and coastal water. Kentucky's total area is 3.7 times (268%) larger than Hawaii's.
Length: Hawaii is 333 miles (536 km) long from north to south; Kentucky is 257 miles (414 km). Hawaii's north-south length is 1.3 times (30%) longer than Kentucky's.
Width: Hawaii spans 386 miles (621 km) east to west; Kentucky spans 418 miles (672 km). Kentucky's east-west width is 1.1 times (8%) wider than Hawaii's.
Highest point: Hawaii's highest point is Mauna Kea at 13,795 feet (4,205 m); Kentucky's is Black Mountain at 4,134 feet (1,260 m). Mauna Kea is 9,661 feet higher than Black Mountain.
Lowest point: Hawaii's lowest point is Pacific Ocean at 0 feet; Kentucky's is Mississippi River at 270 feet. Hawaii's lowest point is 270 feet lower.
Hawaii vs Kentucky Population and History
Population: Hawaii has a population of 1,446,146 (2024), while Kentucky has 4,588,372 (2024). Kentucky's population is 3.2 times (217%) larger than Hawaii's.
Population density: Hawaii: 225.2 people per square mile vs Kentucky: 116.2. Hawaii's population density is 1.9 times (94%) higher than Kentucky's.
Biggest city: Hawaii's biggest city is Honolulu with 344,967 people; Kentucky's is Louisville with 640,796. Louisville's population is 1.9 times (86%) larger than Honolulu's.
Largest metro area: Hawaii's largest metropolitan area is Urban Honolulu, HI metro area (998,747 people) vs Kentucky's Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN metro area (2,302,815). Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN metro area's population is 2.3 times (131%) larger than Urban Honolulu, HI metro area's.
History: Hawaii: Admitted to the Union on August 21, 1959, as the 50th state. Kentucky: Admitted to the Union on June 1, 1792, as the 15th state. In its current form, Kentucky is the older of the two by 167 years.
Hawaii vs Kentucky Economy
GDP: Hawaii's GDP is $117.6 billion (2024) vs Kentucky's $295.4 billion. Kentucky's economic output is 2.5 times (151%) larger than Hawaii's.
GDP per capita: Hawaii: $81,339 per person vs Kentucky: $64,375. Hawaii's GDP per capita is 1.3 times (26%) higher than Kentucky's.
Average income: Hawaii: $71,019 vs Kentucky: $58,256 average income per person (per capita personal income). Hawaii's average income is 1.2 times (22%) higher than Kentucky's.
Hawaii vs Kentucky Counties
Number of counties: Hawaii has 5 counties, while Kentucky has 120. Kentucky's county count is 24.0 times higher than Hawaii's.
Biggest county by area: Hawaii's largest county is Hawaii County at 4,028 square miles; Kentucky's is Pike County at 786 square miles. Hawaii County's land area is 5.1 times (412%) larger than Pike County's.
Smallest county by area: Hawaii: Kalawao County (12 sq mi) vs Kentucky: Gallatin County (98 sq mi). Gallatin County's land area is 8.2 times (719%) larger than Kalawao County's.
Most populous county: Hawaii: Honolulu County (998,747 people) vs Kentucky: Jefferson County (793,881 people). Honolulu County's population is 1.3 times (26%) larger than Jefferson County's.
Least populous county: Hawaii: Kalawao County (81 people) vs Kentucky: Robertson County (2,382 people). Robertson County's population is 29.4 times larger than Kalawao County's.
Richest county: Hawaii: Honolulu County ($74,681 per capita income) vs Kentucky: Oldham County ($87,137). Oldham County's income is 1.2 times (17%) richer than Honolulu County's.
Poorest county: Hawaii: Hawaii County ($57,694 per capita income) vs Kentucky: Elliott County ($31,817). Hawaii County's income is 1.8 times (81%) richer than Elliott County's.
Hawaii vs Kentucky Taxes
State income tax: Hawaii has a top income tax rate of 11%, while Kentucky has a top income tax rate of 3.5%. Hawaii's top rate is 7.5 percentage points higher.
Property tax: Hawaii: 0.27% effective rate vs Kentucky: 0.71% of home value per year. Kentucky's rate is 0.44 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: Hawaii: 4.5% combined state and average local rate vs Kentucky: 6%. Kentucky's combined rate is 1.5 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Hawaii official website · Kentucky official website
More Size Comparisons
All Hawaii 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.