The map above shows Idaho and Iowa side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Idaho vs Iowa Geography
Land area: Idaho has a land area of 82,645 square miles (214,051 km²), while Iowa has 55,854 square miles (144,660 km²). Idaho's land area is 1.5 times (48%) larger than Iowa's.
Total area: Idaho: 83,569 square miles (216,441 km²) vs Iowa: 56,273 square miles (145,746 km²), including inland and coastal water. Idaho's total area is 1.5 times (49%) larger than Iowa's.
Length: Idaho is 483 miles (778 km) long from north to south; Iowa is 216 miles (347 km). Idaho's north-south length is 2.2 times (124%) longer than Iowa's.
Width: Idaho spans 352 miles (566 km) east to west; Iowa spans 335 miles (539 km). Idaho's east-west width is 1.1 times (5%) wider than Iowa's.
Highest point: Idaho's highest point is Borah Peak at 12,631 feet (3,850 m); Iowa's is Hawkeye Point at 1,669 feet (509 m). Borah Peak is 10,962 feet higher than Hawkeye Point.
Lowest point: Idaho's lowest point is Snake River at 718 feet; Iowa's is Mississippi River at 480 feet. Iowa's lowest point is 238 feet lower.
Idaho vs Iowa Population and History
Population: Idaho has a population of 2,001,619 (2024), while Iowa has 3,241,488 (2024). Iowa's population is 1.6 times (62%) larger than Idaho's.
Population density: Idaho: 24.2 people per square mile vs Iowa: 58.0. Iowa's population density is 2.4 times (140%) higher than Idaho's.
Biggest city: Idaho's biggest city is Boise with 237,963 people; Iowa's is Des Moines with 213,096. Boise's population is 1.1 times (12%) larger than Des Moines'.
Largest metro area: Idaho's largest metropolitan area is Boise City, ID metro area (845,877 people) vs Iowa's Omaha, NE-IA metro area (1,001,010). Omaha, NE-IA metro area's population is 1.2 times (18%) larger than Boise City, ID metro area's.
History: Idaho: Admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state. Iowa: Admitted to the Union on December 28, 1846, as the 29th state. In its current form, Iowa is the older of the two by 44 years.
Idaho vs Iowa Economy
GDP: Idaho's GDP is $129.0 billion (2024) vs Iowa's $265.8 billion. Iowa's economic output is 2.1 times (106%) larger than Idaho's.
GDP per capita: Idaho: $64,457 per person vs Iowa: $81,998. Iowa's GDP per capita is 1.3 times (27%) higher than Idaho's.
Average income: Idaho: $62,323 vs Iowa: $65,225 average income per person (per capita personal income). Idaho and Iowa have about the same average income.
Idaho vs Iowa Counties
Number of counties: Idaho has 44 counties, while Iowa has 99. Iowa's county count is 2.3 times (125%) higher than Idaho's.
Biggest county by area: Idaho's largest county is Idaho County at 8,478 square miles; Iowa's is Kossuth County at 973 square miles. Idaho County's land area is 8.7 times (772%) larger than Kossuth County's.
Smallest county by area: Idaho: Payette County (407 sq mi) vs Iowa: Dickinson County (381 sq mi). Payette County's land area is 1.1 times (7%) larger than Dickinson County's.
Most populous county: Idaho: Ada County (535,799 people) vs Iowa: Polk County (516,185 people). Ada County and Polk County have about the same population.
Least populous county: Idaho: Clark County (794 people) vs Iowa: Adams County (3,606 people). Adams County's population is 4.5 times (354%) larger than Clark County's.
Richest county: Idaho: Blaine County ($202,612 per capita income) vs Iowa: Mitchell County ($98,211). Blaine County's income is 2.1 times (106%) richer than Mitchell County's.
Poorest county: Idaho: Madison County ($29,485 per capita income) vs Iowa: Decatur County ($46,134). Decatur County's income is 1.6 times (56%) richer than Madison County's.
Idaho vs Iowa Taxes
State income tax: Idaho has a top income tax rate of 5.3%, while Iowa has a top income tax rate of 3.8%. Idaho's top rate is 1.5 percentage points higher.
Property tax: Idaho: 0.43% effective rate vs Iowa: 1.29% of home value per year. Iowa's rate is 0.86 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: Idaho: 6.03% combined state and average local rate vs Iowa: 6.94%. Iowa's combined rate is 0.91 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Idaho official website · Iowa official website
More Size Comparisons
All Idaho 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.