The map above shows Iowa and Kansas side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Iowa vs Kansas Geography
Land area: Iowa has a land area of 55,854 square miles (144,660 km²), while Kansas has 81,759 square miles (211,754 km²). Kansas' land area is 1.5 times (46%) larger than Iowa's.
Total area: Iowa: 56,273 square miles (145,746 km²) vs Kansas: 82,278 square miles (213,100 km²), including inland and coastal water. Kansas' total area is 1.5 times (46%) larger than Iowa's.
Length: Iowa is 216 miles (347 km) long from north to south; Kansas is 207 miles (334 km). Iowa and Kansas have about the same north-south length.
Width: Iowa spans 335 miles (539 km) east to west; Kansas spans 401 miles (645 km). Kansas' east-west width is 1.2 times (20%) wider than Iowa's.
Highest point: Iowa's highest point is Hawkeye Point at 1,669 feet (509 m); Kansas's is Mount Sunflower at 4,040 feet (1,231 m). Mount Sunflower is 2,371 feet higher than Hawkeye Point.
Lowest point: Iowa's lowest point is Mississippi River at 480 feet; Kansas's is Verdigris River at 679 feet. Iowa's lowest point is 199 feet lower.
Iowa vs Kansas Population and History
Population: Iowa has a population of 3,241,488 (2024), while Kansas has 2,970,606 (2024). Iowa's population is 1.1 times (9%) larger than Kansas'.
Population density: Iowa: 58.0 people per square mile vs Kansas: 36.3. Iowa's population density is 1.6 times (60%) higher than Kansas'.
Biggest city: Iowa's biggest city is Des Moines with 213,096 people; Kansas's is Wichita with 400,991. Wichita's population is 1.9 times (88%) larger than Des Moines'.
Largest metro area: Iowa's largest metropolitan area is Omaha, NE-IA metro area (1,001,010 people) vs Kansas's Kansas City, MO-KS metro area (2,253,579). Kansas City, MO-KS metro area's population is 2.3 times (125%) larger than Omaha, NE-IA metro area's.
History: Iowa: Admitted to the Union on December 28, 1846, as the 29th state. Kansas: Admitted to the Union on January 29, 1861, as the 34th state. In its current form, Iowa is the older of the two by 15 years.
Iowa vs Kansas Economy
GDP: Iowa's GDP is $265.8 billion (2024) vs Kansas's $230.5 billion. Iowa's economic output is 1.2 times (15%) larger than Kansas'.
GDP per capita: Iowa: $81,998 per person vs Kansas: $77,601. Iowa's GDP per capita is 1.1 times (6%) higher than Kansas'.
Average income: Iowa: $65,225 vs Kansas: $65,856 average income per person (per capita personal income). Iowa and Kansas have about the same average income.
Iowa vs Kansas Counties
Number of counties: Iowa has 99 counties, while Kansas has 105. Kansas' county count is 1.1 times (6%) higher than Iowa's.
Biggest county by area: Iowa's largest county is Kossuth County at 973 square miles; Kansas's is Butler County at 1,430 square miles. Butler County's land area is 1.5 times (47%) larger than Kossuth County's.
Smallest county by area: Iowa: Dickinson County (381 sq mi) vs Kansas: Wyandotte County (152 sq mi). Dickinson County's land area is 2.5 times (151%) larger than Wyandotte County's.
Most populous county: Iowa: Polk County (516,185 people) vs Kansas: Johnson County (632,276 people). Johnson County's population is 1.2 times (22%) larger than Polk County's.
Least populous county: Iowa: Adams County (3,606 people) vs Kansas: Greeley County (1,152 people). Adams County's population is 3.1 times (213%) larger than Greeley County's.
Richest county: Iowa: Mitchell County ($98,211 per capita income) vs Kansas: Greeley County ($134,780). Greeley County's income is 1.4 times (37%) richer than Mitchell County's.
Poorest county: Iowa: Decatur County ($46,134 per capita income) vs Kansas: Wyandotte County ($42,878). Decatur County's income is 1.1 times (8%) richer than Wyandotte County's.
Iowa vs Kansas Taxes
State income tax: Iowa has a top income tax rate of 3.8%, while Kansas has a top income tax rate of 5.58%. Kansas's top rate is 1.78 percentage points higher.
Property tax: Iowa: 1.29% effective rate vs Kansas: 1.25% of home value per year. Iowa's rate is 0.04 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: Iowa: 6.94% combined state and average local rate vs Kansas: 8.71%. Kansas's combined rate is 1.77 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Iowa official website · Kansas official website
More Size Comparisons
All Iowa size comparisons · All Kansas 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.