The map above shows Iowa and New Mexico side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Iowa vs New Mexico Geography
Land area: Iowa has a land area of 55,854 square miles (144,660 km²), while New Mexico has 121,313 square miles (314,198 km²). New Mexico's land area is 2.2 times (117%) larger than Iowa's.
Total area: Iowa: 56,273 square miles (145,746 km²) vs New Mexico: 121,593 square miles (314,925 km²), including inland and coastal water. New Mexico's total area is 2.2 times (116%) larger than Iowa's.
Length: Iowa is 216 miles (347 km) long from north to south; New Mexico is 395 miles (635 km). New Mexico's north-south length is 1.8 times (83%) longer than Iowa's.
Width: Iowa spans 335 miles (539 km) east to west; New Mexico spans 498 miles (801 km). New Mexico's east-west width is 1.5 times (49%) wider than Iowa's.
Highest point: Iowa's highest point is Hawkeye Point at 1,669 feet (509 m); New Mexico's is Wheeler Peak at 13,150 feet (4,008 m). Wheeler Peak is 11,481 feet higher than Hawkeye Point.
Lowest point: Iowa's lowest point is Mississippi River at 480 feet; New Mexico's is Red Bluff Reservoir at 2,842 feet. Iowa's lowest point is 2,362 feet lower.
Iowa vs New Mexico Population and History
Population: Iowa has a population of 3,241,488 (2024), while New Mexico has 2,130,256 (2024). Iowa's population is 1.5 times (52%) larger than New Mexico's.
Population density: Iowa: 58.0 people per square mile vs New Mexico: 17.6. Iowa's population density is 3.3 times (230%) higher than New Mexico's.
Biggest city: Iowa's biggest city is Des Moines with 213,096 people; New Mexico's is Albuquerque with 560,326. Albuquerque's population is 2.6 times (163%) larger than Des Moines'.
Largest metro area: Iowa's largest metropolitan area is Omaha, NE-IA metro area (1,001,010 people) vs New Mexico's Albuquerque, NM metro area (926,303). Omaha, NE-IA metro area's population is 1.1 times (8%) larger than Albuquerque, NM metro area's.
History: Iowa: Admitted to the Union on December 28, 1846, as the 29th state. New Mexico: Admitted to the Union on January 6, 1912, as the 47th state. In its current form, Iowa is the older of the two by 66 years.
Iowa vs New Mexico Economy
GDP: Iowa's GDP is $265.8 billion (2024) vs New Mexico's $147.1 billion. Iowa's economic output is 1.8 times (81%) larger than New Mexico's.
GDP per capita: Iowa: $81,998 per person vs New Mexico: $69,046. Iowa's GDP per capita is 1.2 times (19%) higher than New Mexico's.
Average income: Iowa: $65,225 vs New Mexico: $58,249 average income per person (per capita personal income). Iowa's average income is 1.1 times (12%) higher than New Mexico's.
Iowa vs New Mexico Counties
Number of counties: Iowa has 99 counties, while New Mexico has 33. Iowa's county count is 3.0 times (200%) higher than New Mexico's.
Biggest county by area: Iowa's largest county is Kossuth County at 973 square miles; New Mexico's is Catron County at 6,924 square miles. Catron County's land area is 7.1 times (612%) larger than Kossuth County's.
Smallest county by area: Iowa: Dickinson County (381 sq mi) vs New Mexico: Los Alamos County (109 sq mi). Dickinson County's land area is 3.5 times (249%) larger than Los Alamos County's.
Most populous county: Iowa: Polk County (516,185 people) vs New Mexico: Bernalillo County (671,747 people). Bernalillo County's population is 1.3 times (30%) larger than Polk County's.
Least populous county: Iowa: Adams County (3,606 people) vs New Mexico: Harding County (635 people). Adams County's population is 5.7 times (468%) larger than Harding County's.
Richest county: Iowa: Mitchell County ($98,211 per capita income) vs New Mexico: Los Alamos County ($98,378). Mitchell County and Los Alamos County have about the same income.
Poorest county: Iowa: Decatur County ($46,134 per capita income) vs New Mexico: Cibola County ($36,397). Decatur County's income is 1.3 times (27%) richer than Cibola County's.
Iowa vs New Mexico Taxes
State income tax: Iowa has a top income tax rate of 3.8%, while New Mexico has a top income tax rate of 5.9%. New Mexico's top rate is 2.1 percentage points higher.
Property tax: Iowa: 1.29% effective rate vs New Mexico: 0.63% of home value per year. Iowa's rate is 0.66 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: Iowa: 6.94% combined state and average local rate vs New Mexico: 7.68%. New Mexico's combined rate is 0.74 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Iowa official website · New Mexico official website
More Size Comparisons
All Iowa size comparisons · All New Mexico 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.