The map above shows Iowa and Montana side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Iowa vs Montana Geography
Land area: Iowa has a land area of 55,854 square miles (144,660 km²), while Montana has 145,550 square miles (376,973 km²). Montana's land area is 2.6 times (161%) larger than Iowa's.
Total area: Iowa: 56,273 square miles (145,746 km²) vs Montana: 147,043 square miles (380,840 km²), including inland and coastal water. Montana's total area is 2.6 times (161%) larger than Iowa's.
Length: Iowa is 216 miles (347 km) long from north to south; Montana is 319 miles (514 km). Montana's north-south length is 1.5 times (48%) longer than Iowa's.
Width: Iowa spans 335 miles (539 km) east to west; Montana spans 607 miles (976 km). Montana's east-west width is 1.8 times (81%) wider than Iowa's.
Highest point: Iowa's highest point is Hawkeye Point at 1,669 feet (509 m); Montana's is Granite Peak at 12,767 feet (3,891 m). Granite Peak is 11,098 feet higher than Hawkeye Point.
Lowest point: Iowa's lowest point is Mississippi River at 480 feet; Montana's is Kootenai River at 1,805 feet. Iowa's lowest point is 1,325 feet lower.
Iowa vs Montana Population and History
Population: Iowa has a population of 3,241,488 (2024), while Montana has 1,137,233 (2024). Iowa's population is 2.9 times (185%) larger than Montana's.
Population density: Iowa: 58.0 people per square mile vs Montana: 7.8. Iowa's population density is 7.4 times (644%) higher than Montana's.
Biggest city: Iowa's biggest city is Des Moines with 213,096 people; Montana's is Billings with 121,483. Des Moines' population is 1.8 times (75%) larger than Billings'.
Largest metro area: Iowa's largest metropolitan area is Omaha, NE-IA metro area (1,001,010 people) vs Montana's Billings, MT metro area (192,531). Omaha, NE-IA metro area's population is 5.2 times (420%) larger than Billings, MT metro area's.
History: Iowa: Admitted to the Union on December 28, 1846, as the 29th state. Montana: Admitted to the Union on November 8, 1889, as the 41st state. In its current form, Iowa is the older of the two by 43 years.
Iowa vs Montana Economy
GDP: Iowa's GDP is $265.8 billion (2024) vs Montana's $78.4 billion. Iowa's economic output is 3.4 times (239%) larger than Montana's.
GDP per capita: Iowa: $81,998 per person vs Montana: $68,975. Iowa's GDP per capita is 1.2 times (19%) higher than Montana's.
Average income: Iowa: $65,225 vs Montana: $69,240 average income per person (per capita personal income). Montana's average income is 1.1 times (6%) higher than Iowa's.
Iowa vs Montana Counties
Number of counties: Iowa has 99 counties, while Montana has 56. Iowa's county count is 1.8 times (77%) higher than Montana's.
Biggest county by area: Iowa's largest county is Kossuth County at 973 square miles; Montana's is Beaverhead County at 5,543 square miles. Beaverhead County's land area is 5.7 times (470%) larger than Kossuth County's.
Smallest county by area: Iowa: Dickinson County (381 sq mi) vs Montana: Silver Bow County (718 sq mi). Silver Bow County's land area is 1.9 times (89%) larger than Dickinson County's.
Most populous county: Iowa: Polk County (516,185 people) vs Montana: Yellowstone County (171,583 people). Polk County's population is 3.0 times (201%) larger than Yellowstone County's.
Least populous county: Iowa: Adams County (3,606 people) vs Montana: Petroleum County (525 people). Adams County's population is 6.9 times (587%) larger than Petroleum County's.
Richest county: Iowa: Mitchell County ($98,211 per capita income) vs Montana: Gallatin County ($94,573). Mitchell County and Gallatin County have about the same income.
Poorest county: Iowa: Decatur County ($46,134 per capita income) vs Montana: Blaine County ($37,554). Decatur County's income is 1.2 times (23%) richer than Blaine County's.
Iowa vs Montana Taxes
State income tax: Iowa has a top income tax rate of 3.8%, while Montana has a top income tax rate of 5.65%. Montana's top rate is 1.85 percentage points higher.
Property tax: Iowa: 1.29% effective rate vs Montana: 0.69% of home value per year. Iowa's rate is 0.6 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: Iowa: 6.94% combined state and average local rate vs Montana: 0%. Iowa's combined rate is 6.94 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Iowa official website · Montana official website
More Size Comparisons
All Iowa size comparisons · All Montana 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.