The map above shows Iowa and Nebraska side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Iowa vs Nebraska Geography
Land area: Iowa has a land area of 55,854 square miles (144,660 km²), while Nebraska has 76,815 square miles (198,950 km²). Nebraska's land area is 1.4 times (38%) larger than Iowa's.
Total area: Iowa: 56,273 square miles (145,746 km²) vs Nebraska: 77,347 square miles (200,329 km²), including inland and coastal water. Nebraska's total area is 1.4 times (37%) larger than Iowa's.
Length: Iowa is 216 miles (347 km) long from north to south; Nebraska is 497 miles (800 km). Nebraska's north-south length is 2.3 times (130%) longer than Iowa's.
Width: Iowa spans 335 miles (539 km) east to west; Nebraska spans 464 miles (747 km). Nebraska's east-west width is 1.4 times (39%) wider than Iowa's.
Highest point: Iowa's highest point is Hawkeye Point at 1,669 feet (509 m); Nebraska's is Panorama Point at 5,428 feet (1,654 m). Panorama Point is 3,759 feet higher than Hawkeye Point.
Lowest point: Iowa's lowest point is Mississippi River at 480 feet; Nebraska's is Missouri River at 840 feet. Iowa's lowest point is 360 feet lower.
Iowa vs Nebraska Population and History
Population: Iowa has a population of 3,241,488 (2024), while Nebraska has 2,005,465 (2024). Iowa's population is 1.6 times (62%) larger than Nebraska's.
Population density: Iowa: 58.0 people per square mile vs Nebraska: 26.1. Iowa's population density is 2.2 times (122%) higher than Nebraska's.
Biggest city: Iowa's biggest city is Des Moines with 213,096 people; Nebraska's is Omaha with 489,265. Omaha's population is 2.3 times (130%) larger than Des Moines'.
Largest metro area: Iowa's largest metropolitan area is Omaha, NE-IA metro area (1,001,010 people) vs Nebraska's Omaha, NE-IA metro area (1,001,010). Omaha, NE-IA metro area and Omaha, NE-IA metro area have about the same population.
History: Iowa: Admitted to the Union on December 28, 1846, as the 29th state. Nebraska: Admitted to the Union on March 1, 1867, as the 37th state. In its current form, Iowa is the older of the two by 21 years.
Iowa vs Nebraska Economy
GDP: Iowa's GDP is $265.8 billion (2024) vs Nebraska's $189.2 billion. Iowa's economic output is 1.4 times (40%) larger than Nebraska's.
GDP per capita: Iowa: $81,998 per person vs Nebraska: $94,363. Nebraska's GDP per capita is 1.2 times (15%) higher than Iowa's.
Average income: Iowa: $65,225 vs Nebraska: $72,701 average income per person (per capita personal income). Nebraska's average income is 1.1 times (11%) higher than Iowa's.
Iowa vs Nebraska Counties
Number of counties: Iowa has 99 counties, while Nebraska has 93. Iowa's county count is 1.1 times (6%) higher than Nebraska's.
Biggest county by area: Iowa's largest county is Kossuth County at 973 square miles; Nebraska's is Cherry County at 5,960 square miles. Cherry County's land area is 6.1 times (513%) larger than Kossuth County's.
Smallest county by area: Iowa: Dickinson County (381 sq mi) vs Nebraska: Sarpy County (238 sq mi). Dickinson County's land area is 1.6 times (60%) larger than Sarpy County's.
Most populous county: Iowa: Polk County (516,185 people) vs Nebraska: Douglas County (601,158 people). Douglas County's population is 1.2 times (16%) larger than Polk County's.
Least populous county: Iowa: Adams County (3,606 people) vs Nebraska: McPherson County (376 people). Adams County's population is 9.6 times (859%) larger than McPherson County's.
Richest county: Iowa: Mitchell County ($98,211 per capita income) vs Nebraska: Pierce County ($112,729). Pierce County's income is 1.1 times (15%) richer than Mitchell County's.
Poorest county: Iowa: Decatur County ($46,134 per capita income) vs Nebraska: Johnson County ($45,756). Decatur County and Johnson County have about the same income.
Iowa vs Nebraska Taxes
State income tax: Iowa has a top income tax rate of 3.8%, while Nebraska has a top income tax rate of 4.55%. Nebraska's top rate is 0.75 percentage points higher.
Property tax: Iowa: 1.29% effective rate vs Nebraska: 1.42% of home value per year. Nebraska's rate is 0.13 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: Iowa: 6.94% combined state and average local rate vs Nebraska: 6.98%. Nebraska's combined rate is 0.04 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Iowa official website · Nebraska official website
More Size Comparisons
All Iowa size comparisons · All Nebraska 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.