The map above shows Illinois and New York side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Illinois vs New York Geography
Land area: Illinois has a land area of 55,513 square miles (143,778 km²), while New York has 47,123 square miles (122,049 km²). Illinois' land area is 1.2 times (18%) larger than New York's.
Total area: Illinois: 57,913 square miles (149,995 km²) vs New York: 54,559 square miles (141,306 km²), including inland and coastal water. Illinois' total area is 1.1 times (6%) larger than New York's.
Length: Illinois is 390 miles (628 km) long from north to south; New York is 312 miles (503 km). Illinois' north-south length is 1.3 times (25%) longer than New York's.
Width: Illinois spans 283 miles (456 km) east to west; New York spans 415 miles (668 km). New York's east-west width is 1.5 times (47%) wider than Illinois'.
Highest point: Illinois's highest point is Charles Mound at 1,232 feet (376 m); New York's is Mount Marcy at 5,335 feet (1,626 m). Mount Marcy is 4,103 feet higher than Charles Mound.
Lowest point: Illinois's lowest point is Mississippi River at 292 feet; New York's is Atlantic Ocean at 0 feet. New York's lowest point is 292 feet lower.
Illinois vs New York Population and History
Population: Illinois has a population of 12,710,158 (2024), while New York has 19,867,248 (2024). New York's population is 1.6 times (56%) larger than Illinois'.
Population density: Illinois: 229.0 people per square mile vs New York: 421.6. New York's population density is 1.8 times (84%) higher than Illinois'.
Biggest city: Illinois's biggest city is Chicago with 2,721,308 people; New York's is New York with 8,478,072. New York's population is 3.1 times (212%) larger than Chicago's.
Largest metro area: Illinois's largest metropolitan area is Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area (9,408,576 people) vs New York's New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro area (19,940,274). New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro area's population is 2.1 times (112%) larger than Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area's.
History: Illinois: Admitted to the Union on December 3, 1818, as the 21st state. New York: Admitted to the Union on July 26, 1788, as the 11th state. In its current form, New York is the older of the two by 30 years.
Illinois vs New York Economy
GDP: Illinois's GDP is $1,148.1 billion (2024) vs New York's $2,322.1 billion. New York's economic output is 2.0 times (102%) larger than Illinois'.
GDP per capita: Illinois: $90,330 per person vs New York: $116,883. New York's GDP per capita is 1.3 times (29%) higher than Illinois'.
Average income: Illinois: $74,522 vs New York: $85,552 average income per person (per capita personal income). New York's average income is 1.1 times (15%) higher than Illinois'.
Illinois vs New York Counties
Number of counties: Illinois has 102 counties, while New York has 62. Illinois' county count is 1.6 times (65%) higher than New York's.
Biggest county by area: Illinois's largest county is McLean County at 1,183 square miles; New York's is St. Lawrence County at 2,680 square miles. St. Lawrence County's land area is 2.3 times (126%) larger than McLean County's.
Smallest county by area: Illinois: Putnam County (160 sq mi) vs New York: New York County (23 sq mi). Putnam County's land area is 7.1 times (605%) larger than New York County's.
Most populous county: Illinois: Cook County (5,182,617 people) vs New York: Kings County (2,617,631 people). Cook County's population is 2.0 times (98%) larger than Kings County's.
Least populous county: Illinois: Hardin County (3,550 people) vs New York: Hamilton County (5,082 people). Hamilton County's population is 1.4 times (43%) larger than Hardin County's.
Richest county: Illinois: Cumberland County ($104,890 per capita income) vs New York: New York County ($217,075). New York County's income is 2.1 times (107%) richer than Cumberland County's.
Poorest county: Illinois: Lawrence County ($43,606 per capita income) vs New York: Allegany County ($44,689). Lawrence County and Allegany County have about the same income.
Illinois vs New York Taxes
State income tax: Illinois has a top income tax rate of 4.95%, while New York has a top income tax rate of 10.9%. New York's top rate is 5.95 percentage points higher.
Property tax: Illinois: 1.92% effective rate vs New York: 1.45% of home value per year. Illinois's rate is 0.47 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: Illinois: 8.98% combined state and average local rate vs New York: 8.54%. Illinois's combined rate is 0.44 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Illinois official website · New York official website
More Size Comparisons
All Illinois size comparisons · All New York 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.