The map above shows Iowa and Maine side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Iowa vs Maine Geography
Land area: Iowa has a land area of 55,854 square miles (144,660 km²), while Maine has 30,845 square miles (79,888 km²). Iowa's land area is 1.8 times (81%) larger than Maine's.
Total area: Iowa: 56,273 square miles (145,746 km²) vs Maine: 35,380 square miles (91,634 km²), including inland and coastal water. Iowa's total area is 1.6 times (59%) larger than Maine's.
Length: Iowa is 216 miles (347 km) long from north to south; Maine is 311 miles (501 km). Maine's north-south length is 1.4 times (44%) longer than Iowa's.
Width: Iowa spans 335 miles (539 km) east to west; Maine spans 203 miles (327 km). Iowa's east-west width is 1.7 times (65%) wider than Maine's.
Highest point: Iowa's highest point is Hawkeye Point at 1,669 feet (509 m); Maine's is Mount Katahdin at 5,253 feet (1,601 m). Mount Katahdin is 3,584 feet higher than Hawkeye Point.
Lowest point: Iowa's lowest point is Mississippi River at 480 feet; Maine's is Atlantic Ocean at 0 feet. Maine's lowest point is 480 feet lower.
Iowa vs Maine Population and History
Population: Iowa has a population of 3,241,488 (2024), while Maine has 1,405,012 (2024). Iowa's population is 2.3 times (131%) larger than Maine's.
Population density: Iowa: 58.0 people per square mile vs Maine: 45.6. Iowa's population density is 1.3 times (27%) higher than Maine's.
Biggest city: Iowa's biggest city is Des Moines with 213,096 people; Maine's is Portland with 69,568. Des Moines' population is 3.1 times (206%) larger than Portland's.
Largest metro area: Iowa's largest metropolitan area is Omaha, NE-IA metro area (1,001,010 people) vs Maine's Portland-South Portland, ME metro area (571,534). Omaha, NE-IA metro area's population is 1.8 times (75%) larger than Portland-South Portland, ME metro area's.
History: Iowa: Admitted to the Union on December 28, 1846, as the 29th state. Maine: Admitted to the Union on March 15, 1820, as the 23rd state. In its current form, Maine is the older of the two by 26 years.
Iowa vs Maine Economy
GDP: Iowa's GDP is $265.8 billion (2024) vs Maine's $99.2 billion. Iowa's economic output is 2.7 times (168%) larger than Maine's.
GDP per capita: Iowa: $81,998 per person vs Maine: $70,586. Iowa's GDP per capita is 1.2 times (16%) higher than Maine's.
Average income: Iowa: $65,225 vs Maine: $68,932 average income per person (per capita personal income). Maine's average income is 1.1 times (6%) higher than Iowa's.
Iowa vs Maine Counties
Number of counties: Iowa has 99 counties, while Maine has 16. Iowa's county count is 6.2 times (519%) higher than Maine's.
Biggest county by area: Iowa's largest county is Kossuth County at 973 square miles; Maine's is Aroostook County at 6,671 square miles. Aroostook County's land area is 6.9 times (586%) larger than Kossuth County's.
Smallest county by area: Iowa: Dickinson County (381 sq mi) vs Maine: Sagadahoc County (254 sq mi). Dickinson County's land area is 1.5 times (50%) larger than Sagadahoc County's.
Most populous county: Iowa: Polk County (516,185 people) vs Maine: Cumberland County (313,809 people). Polk County's population is 1.6 times (64%) larger than Cumberland County's.
Least populous county: Iowa: Adams County (3,606 people) vs Maine: Piscataquis County (17,432 people). Piscataquis County's population is 4.8 times (383%) larger than Adams County's.
Richest county: Iowa: Mitchell County ($98,211 per capita income) vs Maine: Cumberland County ($90,142). Mitchell County's income is 1.1 times (9%) richer than Cumberland County's.
Poorest county: Iowa: Decatur County ($46,134 per capita income) vs Maine: Franklin County ($52,725). Franklin County's income is 1.1 times (14%) richer than Decatur County's.
Iowa vs Maine Taxes
State income tax: Iowa has a top income tax rate of 3.8%, while Maine has a top income tax rate of 7.15%. Maine's top rate is 3.35 percentage points higher.
Property tax: Iowa: 1.29% effective rate vs Maine: 0.91% of home value per year. Iowa's rate is 0.38 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: Iowa: 6.94% combined state and average local rate vs Maine: 5.5%. Iowa's combined rate is 1.44 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Iowa official website · Maine official website
More Size Comparisons
All Iowa size comparisons · All Maine 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.