The map above shows Iowa and Ohio side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Iowa vs Ohio Geography
Land area: Iowa has a land area of 55,854 square miles (144,660 km²), while Ohio has 40,859 square miles (105,824 km²). Iowa's land area is 1.4 times (37%) larger than Ohio's.
Total area: Iowa: 56,273 square miles (145,746 km²) vs Ohio: 44,826 square miles (116,098 km²), including inland and coastal water. Iowa's total area is 1.3 times (26%) larger than Ohio's.
Length: Iowa is 216 miles (347 km) long from north to south; Ohio is 291 miles (468 km). Ohio's north-south length is 1.3 times (35%) longer than Iowa's.
Width: Iowa spans 335 miles (539 km) east to west; Ohio spans 317 miles (510 km). Iowa's east-west width is 1.1 times (6%) wider than Ohio's.
Highest point: Iowa's highest point is Hawkeye Point at 1,669 feet (509 m); Ohio's is Campbell Hill at 1,547 feet (472 m). Hawkeye Point is 122 feet higher than Campbell Hill.
Lowest point: Iowa's lowest point is Mississippi River at 480 feet; Ohio's is Ohio River at 455 feet. Ohio's lowest point is 25 feet lower.
Iowa vs Ohio Population and History
Population: Iowa has a population of 3,241,488 (2024), while Ohio has 11,883,304 (2024). Ohio's population is 3.7 times (267%) larger than Iowa's.
Population density: Iowa: 58.0 people per square mile vs Ohio: 290.8. Ohio's population density is 5.0 times (401%) higher than Iowa's.
Biggest city: Iowa's biggest city is Des Moines with 213,096 people; Ohio's is Columbus with 933,263. Columbus' population is 4.4 times (338%) larger than Des Moines'.
Largest metro area: Iowa's largest metropolitan area is Omaha, NE-IA metro area (1,001,010 people) vs Ohio's Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN metro area (2,302,815). Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN metro area's population is 2.3 times (130%) larger than Omaha, NE-IA metro area's.
History: Iowa: Admitted to the Union on December 28, 1846, as the 29th state. Ohio: Admitted to the Union on March 1, 1803, as the 17th state. In its current form, Ohio is the older of the two by 43 years.
Iowa vs Ohio Economy
GDP: Iowa's GDP is $265.8 billion (2024) vs Ohio's $923.1 billion. Ohio's economic output is 3.5 times (247%) larger than Iowa's.
GDP per capita: Iowa: $81,998 per person vs Ohio: $77,684. Iowa's GDP per capita is 1.1 times (6%) higher than Ohio's.
Average income: Iowa: $65,225 vs Ohio: $64,464 average income per person (per capita personal income). Iowa and Ohio have about the same average income.
Iowa vs Ohio Counties
Number of counties: Iowa has 99 counties, while Ohio has 88. Iowa's county count is 1.1 times (13%) higher than Ohio's.
Biggest county by area: Iowa's largest county is Kossuth County at 973 square miles; Ohio's is Ashtabula County at 702 square miles. Kossuth County's land area is 1.4 times (38%) larger than Ashtabula County's.
Smallest county by area: Iowa: Dickinson County (381 sq mi) vs Ohio: Lake County (229 sq mi). Dickinson County's land area is 1.7 times (66%) larger than Lake County's.
Most populous county: Iowa: Polk County (516,185 people) vs Ohio: Franklin County (1,356,303 people). Franklin County's population is 2.6 times (163%) larger than Polk County's.
Least populous county: Iowa: Adams County (3,606 people) vs Ohio: Vinton County (12,545 people). Vinton County's population is 3.5 times (248%) larger than Adams County's.
Richest county: Iowa: Mitchell County ($98,211 per capita income) vs Ohio: Delaware County ($96,573). Mitchell County and Delaware County have about the same income.
Poorest county: Iowa: Decatur County ($46,134 per capita income) vs Ohio: Noble County ($34,940). Decatur County's income is 1.3 times (32%) richer than Noble County's.
Iowa vs Ohio Taxes
State income tax: Iowa has a top income tax rate of 3.8%, while Ohio has a top income tax rate of 2.75%. Iowa's top rate is 1.05 percentage points higher.
Property tax: Iowa: 1.29% effective rate vs Ohio: 1.22% of home value per year. Iowa's rate is 0.07 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: Iowa: 6.94% combined state and average local rate vs Ohio: 7.29%. Ohio's combined rate is 0.35 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Iowa official website · Ohio official website
More Size Comparisons
All Iowa size comparisons · All Ohio 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.