The map above shows Iowa and Kentucky side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Iowa vs Kentucky Geography
Land area: Iowa has a land area of 55,854 square miles (144,660 km²), while Kentucky has 39,485 square miles (102,267 km²). Iowa's land area is 1.4 times (41%) larger than Kentucky's.
Total area: Iowa: 56,273 square miles (145,746 km²) vs Kentucky: 40,406 square miles (104,651 km²), including inland and coastal water. Iowa's total area is 1.4 times (39%) larger than Kentucky's.
Length: Iowa is 216 miles (347 km) long from north to south; Kentucky is 257 miles (414 km). Kentucky's north-south length is 1.2 times (19%) longer than Iowa's.
Width: Iowa spans 335 miles (539 km) east to west; Kentucky spans 418 miles (672 km). Kentucky's east-west width is 1.2 times (25%) wider than Iowa's.
Highest point: Iowa's highest point is Hawkeye Point at 1,669 feet (509 m); Kentucky's is Black Mountain at 4,134 feet (1,260 m). Black Mountain is 2,465 feet higher than Hawkeye Point.
Lowest point: Iowa's lowest point is Mississippi River at 480 feet; Kentucky's is Mississippi River at 270 feet. Kentucky's lowest point is 210 feet lower.
Iowa vs Kentucky Population and History
Population: Iowa has a population of 3,241,488 (2024), while Kentucky has 4,588,372 (2024). Kentucky's population is 1.4 times (42%) larger than Iowa's.
Population density: Iowa: 58.0 people per square mile vs Kentucky: 116.2. Kentucky's population density is 2.0 times (100%) higher than Iowa's.
Biggest city: Iowa's biggest city is Des Moines with 213,096 people; Kentucky's is Louisville with 640,796. Louisville's population is 3.0 times (201%) larger than Des Moines'.
Largest metro area: Iowa's largest metropolitan area is Omaha, NE-IA metro area (1,001,010 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 (130%) larger than Omaha, NE-IA metro area's.
History: Iowa: Admitted to the Union on December 28, 1846, as the 29th 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 54 years.
Iowa vs Kentucky Economy
GDP: Iowa's GDP is $265.8 billion (2024) vs Kentucky's $295.4 billion. Kentucky's economic output is 1.1 times (11%) larger than Iowa's.
GDP per capita: Iowa: $81,998 per person vs Kentucky: $64,375. Iowa's GDP per capita is 1.3 times (27%) higher than Kentucky's.
Average income: Iowa: $65,225 vs Kentucky: $58,256 average income per person (per capita personal income). Iowa's average income is 1.1 times (12%) higher than Kentucky's.
Iowa vs Kentucky Counties
Number of counties: Iowa has 99 counties, while Kentucky has 120. Kentucky's county count is 1.2 times (21%) higher than Iowa's.
Biggest county by area: Iowa's largest county is Kossuth County at 973 square miles; Kentucky's is Pike County at 786 square miles. Kossuth County's land area is 1.2 times (24%) larger than Pike County's.
Smallest county by area: Iowa: Dickinson County (381 sq mi) vs Kentucky: Gallatin County (98 sq mi). Dickinson County's land area is 3.9 times (287%) larger than Gallatin County's.
Most populous county: Iowa: Polk County (516,185 people) vs Kentucky: Jefferson County (793,881 people). Jefferson County's population is 1.5 times (54%) larger than Polk County's.
Least populous county: Iowa: Adams County (3,606 people) vs Kentucky: Robertson County (2,382 people). Adams County's population is 1.5 times (51%) larger than Robertson County's.
Richest county: Iowa: Mitchell County ($98,211 per capita income) vs Kentucky: Oldham County ($87,137). Mitchell County's income is 1.1 times (13%) richer than Oldham County's.
Poorest county: Iowa: Decatur County ($46,134 per capita income) vs Kentucky: Elliott County ($31,817). Decatur County's income is 1.4 times (45%) richer than Elliott County's.
Iowa vs Kentucky Taxes
State income tax: Iowa has a top income tax rate of 3.8%, while Kentucky has a top income tax rate of 3.5%. Iowa's top rate is 0.3 percentage points higher.
Property tax: Iowa: 1.29% effective rate vs Kentucky: 0.71% of home value per year. Iowa's rate is 0.58 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: Iowa: 6.94% combined state and average local rate vs Kentucky: 6%. Iowa's combined rate is 0.94 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Iowa official website · Kentucky official website
More Size Comparisons
All Iowa 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.