The map above shows Iowa and Pennsylvania side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Iowa vs Pennsylvania Geography
Land area: Iowa has a land area of 55,854 square miles (144,660 km²), while Pennsylvania has 44,742 square miles (115,882 km²). Iowa's land area is 1.2 times (25%) larger than Pennsylvania's.
Total area: Iowa: 56,273 square miles (145,746 km²) vs Pennsylvania: 46,054 square miles (119,279 km²), including inland and coastal water. Iowa's total area is 1.2 times (22%) larger than Pennsylvania's.
Length: Iowa is 216 miles (347 km) long from north to south; Pennsylvania is 284 miles (458 km). Pennsylvania's north-south length is 1.3 times (31%) longer than Iowa's.
Width: Iowa spans 335 miles (539 km) east to west; Pennsylvania spans 307 miles (495 km). Iowa's east-west width is 1.1 times (9%) wider than Pennsylvania's.
Highest point: Iowa's highest point is Hawkeye Point at 1,669 feet (509 m); Pennsylvania's is Mount Davis at 3,210 feet (978 m). Mount Davis is 1,541 feet higher than Hawkeye Point.
Lowest point: Iowa's lowest point is Mississippi River at 480 feet; Pennsylvania's is Delaware River at 0 feet. Pennsylvania's lowest point is 480 feet lower.
Iowa vs Pennsylvania Population and History
Population: Iowa has a population of 3,241,488 (2024), while Pennsylvania has 13,078,751 (2024). Pennsylvania's population is 4.0 times (303%) larger than Iowa's.
Population density: Iowa: 58.0 people per square mile vs Pennsylvania: 292.3. Pennsylvania's population density is 5.0 times (404%) higher than Iowa's.
Biggest city: Iowa's biggest city is Des Moines with 213,096 people; Pennsylvania's is Philadelphia with 1,573,916. Philadelphia's population is 7.4 times (639%) larger than Des Moines'.
Largest metro area: Iowa's largest metropolitan area is Omaha, NE-IA metro area (1,001,010 people) vs Pennsylvania's Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area (6,330,422). Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area's population is 6.3 times (532%) larger than Omaha, NE-IA metro area's.
History: Iowa: Admitted to the Union on December 28, 1846, as the 29th state. Pennsylvania: Admitted to the Union on December 12, 1787, as the 2nd state. In its current form, Pennsylvania is the older of the two by 59 years.
Iowa vs Pennsylvania Economy
GDP: Iowa's GDP is $265.8 billion (2024) vs Pennsylvania's $1,007.9 billion. Pennsylvania's economic output is 3.8 times (279%) larger than Iowa's.
GDP per capita: Iowa: $81,998 per person vs Pennsylvania: $77,062. Iowa's GDP per capita is 1.1 times (6%) higher than Pennsylvania's.
Average income: Iowa: $65,225 vs Pennsylvania: $70,678 average income per person (per capita personal income). Pennsylvania's average income is 1.1 times (8%) higher than Iowa's.
Iowa vs Pennsylvania Counties
Number of counties: Iowa has 99 counties, while Pennsylvania has 67. Iowa's county count is 1.5 times (48%) higher than Pennsylvania's.
Biggest county by area: Iowa's largest county is Kossuth County at 973 square miles; Pennsylvania's is Lycoming County at 1,229 square miles. Lycoming County's land area is 1.3 times (26%) larger than Kossuth County's.
Smallest county by area: Iowa: Dickinson County (381 sq mi) vs Pennsylvania: Montour County (130 sq mi). Dickinson County's land area is 2.9 times (192%) larger than Montour County's.
Most populous county: Iowa: Polk County (516,185 people) vs Pennsylvania: Philadelphia County (1,573,916 people). Philadelphia County's population is 3.0 times (205%) larger than Polk County's.
Least populous county: Iowa: Adams County (3,606 people) vs Pennsylvania: Cameron County (4,348 people). Cameron County's population is 1.2 times (21%) larger than Adams County's.
Richest county: Iowa: Mitchell County ($98,211 per capita income) vs Pennsylvania: Chester County ($110,883). Chester County's income is 1.1 times (13%) richer than Mitchell County's.
Poorest county: Iowa: Decatur County ($46,134 per capita income) vs Pennsylvania: Forest County ($30,234). Decatur County's income is 1.5 times (53%) richer than Forest County's.
Iowa vs Pennsylvania Taxes
State income tax: Iowa has a top income tax rate of 3.8%, while Pennsylvania has a top income tax rate of 3.07%. Iowa's top rate is 0.73 percentage points higher.
Property tax: Iowa: 1.29% effective rate vs Pennsylvania: 1.16% of home value per year. Iowa's rate is 0.13 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: Iowa: 6.94% combined state and average local rate vs Pennsylvania: 6.34%. Iowa's combined rate is 0.6 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Iowa official website · Pennsylvania official website
More Size Comparisons
All Iowa size comparisons · All Pennsylvania 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.