The map above shows Iowa and Louisiana side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Iowa vs Louisiana Geography
Land area: Iowa has a land area of 55,854 square miles (144,660 km²), while Louisiana has 43,213 square miles (111,921 km²). Iowa's land area is 1.3 times (29%) larger than Louisiana's.
Total area: Iowa: 56,273 square miles (145,746 km²) vs Louisiana: 52,375 square miles (135,652 km²), including inland and coastal water. Iowa's total area is 1.1 times (7%) larger than Louisiana's.
Length: Iowa is 216 miles (347 km) long from north to south; Louisiana is 301 miles (484 km). Louisiana's north-south length is 1.4 times (39%) longer than Iowa's.
Width: Iowa spans 335 miles (539 km) east to west; Louisiana spans 356 miles (574 km). Louisiana's east-west width is 1.1 times (6%) wider than Iowa's.
Highest point: Iowa's highest point is Hawkeye Point at 1,669 feet (509 m); Louisiana's is Driskill Mountain at 533 feet (162 m). Hawkeye Point is 1,136 feet higher than Driskill Mountain.
Lowest point: Iowa's lowest point is Mississippi River at 480 feet; Louisiana's is New Orleans at -8 feet. Louisiana's lowest point is 488 feet lower.
Iowa vs Louisiana Population and History
Population: Iowa has a population of 3,241,488 (2024), while Louisiana has 4,597,740 (2024). Louisiana's population is 1.4 times (42%) larger than Iowa's.
Population density: Iowa: 58.0 people per square mile vs Louisiana: 106.4. Louisiana's population density is 1.8 times (83%) higher than Iowa's.
Biggest city: Iowa's biggest city is Des Moines with 213,096 people; Louisiana's is New Orleans with 362,701. New Orleans' population is 1.7 times (70%) larger than Des Moines'.
Largest metro area: Iowa's largest metropolitan area is Omaha, NE-IA metro area (1,001,010 people) vs Louisiana's New Orleans-Metairie, LA metro area (966,230). Omaha, NE-IA metro area and New Orleans-Metairie, LA metro area have about the same population.
History: Iowa: Admitted to the Union on December 28, 1846, as the 29th state. Louisiana: Admitted to the Union on April 30, 1812, as the 18th state. In its current form, Louisiana is the older of the two by 34 years.
Iowa vs Louisiana Economy
GDP: Iowa's GDP is $265.8 billion (2024) vs Louisiana's $329.2 billion. Louisiana's economic output is 1.2 times (24%) larger than Iowa's.
GDP per capita: Iowa: $81,998 per person vs Louisiana: $71,594. Iowa's GDP per capita is 1.1 times (15%) higher than Louisiana's.
Average income: Iowa: $65,225 vs Louisiana: $61,897 average income per person (per capita personal income). Iowa's average income is 1.1 times (5%) higher than Louisiana's.
Iowa vs Louisiana Counties
Number of counties: Iowa has 99 counties, while Louisiana has 64. Iowa's county count is 1.5 times (55%) higher than Louisiana's.
Biggest county by area: Iowa's largest county is Kossuth County at 973 square miles; Louisiana's is Vernon Parish at 1,327 square miles. Vernon Parish's land area is 1.4 times (36%) larger than Kossuth County's.
Smallest county by area: Iowa: Dickinson County (381 sq mi) vs Louisiana: Orleans Parish (170 sq mi). Dickinson County's land area is 2.2 times (124%) larger than Orleans Parish's.
Most populous county: Iowa: Polk County (516,185 people) vs Louisiana: East Baton Rouge Parish (453,022 people). Polk County's population is 1.1 times (14%) larger than East Baton Rouge Parish's.
Least populous county: Iowa: Adams County (3,606 people) vs Louisiana: Tensas Parish (3,844 people). Tensas Parish's population is 1.1 times (7%) larger than Adams County's.
Richest county: Iowa: Mitchell County ($98,211 per capita income) vs Louisiana: St. Tammany Parish ($82,398). Mitchell County's income is 1.2 times (19%) richer than St. Tammany Parish's.
Poorest county: Iowa: Decatur County ($46,134 per capita income) vs Louisiana: East Carroll Parish ($36,751). Decatur County's income is 1.3 times (26%) richer than East Carroll Parish's.
Iowa vs Louisiana Taxes
State income tax: Iowa has a top income tax rate of 3.8%, while Louisiana has a top income tax rate of 3%. Iowa's top rate is 0.8 percentage points higher.
Property tax: Iowa: 1.29% effective rate vs Louisiana: 0.53% of home value per year. Iowa's rate is 0.76 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: Iowa: 6.94% combined state and average local rate vs Louisiana: 10.13%. Louisiana's combined rate is 3.19 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Iowa official website · Louisiana official website
More Size Comparisons
All Iowa size comparisons · All Louisiana 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.