The map above shows Iowa and Maryland side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Iowa vs Maryland Geography
Land area: Iowa has a land area of 55,854 square miles (144,660 km²), while Maryland has 9,711 square miles (25,151 km²). Iowa's land area is 5.8 times (475%) larger than Maryland's.
Total area: Iowa: 56,273 square miles (145,746 km²) vs Maryland: 12,406 square miles (32,131 km²), including inland and coastal water. Iowa's total area is 4.5 times (354%) larger than Maryland's.
Length: Iowa is 216 miles (347 km) long from north to south; Maryland is 231 miles (371 km). Maryland's north-south length is 1.1 times (7%) longer than Iowa's.
Width: Iowa spans 335 miles (539 km) east to west; Maryland spans 243 miles (391 km). Iowa's east-west width is 1.4 times (38%) wider than Maryland's.
Highest point: Iowa's highest point is Hawkeye Point at 1,669 feet (509 m); Maryland's is Hoye-Crest at 3,362 feet (1,025 m). Hoye-Crest is 1,693 feet higher than Hawkeye Point.
Lowest point: Iowa's lowest point is Mississippi River at 480 feet; Maryland's is Atlantic Ocean at 0 feet. Maryland's lowest point is 480 feet lower.
Iowa vs Maryland Population and History
Population: Iowa has a population of 3,241,488 (2024), while Maryland has 6,263,220 (2024). Maryland's population is 1.9 times (93%) larger than Iowa's.
Population density: Iowa: 58.0 people per square mile vs Maryland: 645.0. Maryland's population density is 11.1 times higher than Iowa's.
Biggest city: Iowa's biggest city is Des Moines with 213,096 people; Maryland's is Baltimore with 568,271. Baltimore's population is 2.7 times (167%) larger than Des Moines'.
Largest metro area: Iowa's largest metropolitan area is Omaha, NE-IA metro area (1,001,010 people) vs Maryland's Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area (6,436,489). Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area's population is 6.4 times (543%) larger than Omaha, NE-IA metro area's.
History: Iowa: Admitted to the Union on December 28, 1846, as the 29th state. Maryland: Admitted to the Union on April 28, 1788, as the 7th state. In its current form, Maryland is the older of the two by 58 years.
Iowa vs Maryland Economy
GDP: Iowa's GDP is $265.8 billion (2024) vs Maryland's $546.0 billion. Maryland's economic output is 2.1 times (105%) larger than Iowa's.
GDP per capita: Iowa: $81,998 per person vs Maryland: $87,180. Maryland's GDP per capita is 1.1 times (6%) higher than Iowa's.
Average income: Iowa: $65,225 vs Maryland: $79,259 average income per person (per capita personal income). Maryland's average income is 1.2 times (22%) higher than Iowa's.
Iowa vs Maryland Counties
Number of counties: Iowa has 99 counties, while Maryland has 24. Iowa's county count is 4.1 times (313%) higher than Maryland's.
Biggest county by area: Iowa's largest county is Kossuth County at 973 square miles; Maryland's is Frederick County at 661 square miles. Kossuth County's land area is 1.5 times (47%) larger than Frederick County's.
Smallest county by area: Iowa: Dickinson County (381 sq mi) vs Maryland: Baltimore city (81 sq mi). Dickinson County's land area is 4.7 times (370%) larger than Baltimore city's.
Most populous county: Iowa: Polk County (516,185 people) vs Maryland: Montgomery County (1,082,273 people). Montgomery County's population is 2.1 times (110%) larger than Polk County's.
Least populous county: Iowa: Adams County (3,606 people) vs Maryland: Kent County (19,557 people). Kent County's population is 5.4 times (442%) larger than Adams County's.
Richest county: Iowa: Mitchell County ($98,211 per capita income) vs Maryland: Montgomery County ($104,882). Montgomery County's income is 1.1 times (7%) richer than Mitchell County's.
Poorest county: Iowa: Decatur County ($46,134 per capita income) vs Maryland: Somerset County ($41,421). Decatur County's income is 1.1 times (11%) richer than Somerset County's.
Iowa vs Maryland Taxes
State income tax: Iowa has a top income tax rate of 3.8%, while Maryland has a top income tax rate of 6.5%. Maryland's top rate is 2.7 percentage points higher.
Property tax: Iowa: 1.29% effective rate vs Maryland: 0.95% of home value per year. Iowa's rate is 0.34 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: Iowa: 6.94% combined state and average local rate vs Maryland: 6%. Iowa's combined rate is 0.94 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Iowa official website · Maryland official website
More Size Comparisons
All Iowa size comparisons · All Maryland 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.