The map above shows Iowa and Rhode Island side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Iowa vs Rhode Island Geography
Land area: Iowa has a land area of 55,854 square miles (144,660 km²), while Rhode Island has 1,034 square miles (2,678 km²). Iowa's land area is 54.0 times larger than Rhode Island's.
Total area: Iowa: 56,273 square miles (145,746 km²) vs Rhode Island: 1,545 square miles (4,002 km²), including inland and coastal water. Iowa's total area is 36.4 times larger than Rhode Island's.
Length: Iowa is 216 miles (347 km) long from north to south; Rhode Island is 61 miles (98 km). Iowa's north-south length is 3.5 times (254%) longer than Rhode Island's.
Width: Iowa spans 335 miles (539 km) east to west; Rhode Island spans 42 miles (67 km). Iowa's east-west width is 8.0 times (698%) wider than Rhode Island's.
Highest point: Iowa's highest point is Hawkeye Point at 1,669 feet (509 m); Rhode Island's is Jerimoth Hill at 811 feet (247 m). Hawkeye Point is 858 feet higher than Jerimoth Hill.
Lowest point: Iowa's lowest point is Mississippi River at 480 feet; Rhode Island's is Atlantic Ocean at 0 feet. Rhode Island's lowest point is 480 feet lower.
Iowa vs Rhode Island Population and History
Population: Iowa has a population of 3,241,488 (2024), while Rhode Island has 1,112,308 (2024). Iowa's population is 2.9 times (191%) larger than Rhode Island's.
Population density: Iowa: 58.0 people per square mile vs Rhode Island: 1,075.8. Rhode Island's population density is 18.5 times higher than Iowa's.
Biggest city: Iowa's biggest city is Des Moines with 213,096 people; Rhode Island's is Providence with 194,706. Des Moines' population is 1.1 times (9%) larger than Providence's.
Largest metro area: Iowa's largest metropolitan area is Omaha, NE-IA metro area (1,001,010 people) vs Rhode Island's Providence-Warwick, RI-MA metro area (1,700,901). Providence-Warwick, RI-MA metro area's population is 1.7 times (70%) larger than Omaha, NE-IA metro area's.
History: Iowa: Admitted to the Union on December 28, 1846, as the 29th state. Rhode Island: Admitted to the Union on May 29, 1790, as the 13th state. In its current form, Rhode Island is the older of the two by 56 years.
Iowa vs Rhode Island Economy
GDP: Iowa's GDP is $265.8 billion (2024) vs Rhode Island's $80.4 billion. Iowa's economic output is 3.3 times (231%) larger than Rhode Island's.
GDP per capita: Iowa: $81,998 per person vs Rhode Island: $72,265. Iowa's GDP per capita is 1.1 times (13%) higher than Rhode Island's.
Average income: Iowa: $65,225 vs Rhode Island: $70,622 average income per person (per capita personal income). Rhode Island's average income is 1.1 times (8%) higher than Iowa's.
Iowa vs Rhode Island Counties
Number of counties: Iowa has 99 counties, while Rhode Island has 5. Iowa's county count is 19.8 times higher than Rhode Island's.
Biggest county by area: Iowa's largest county is Kossuth County at 973 square miles; Rhode Island's is Providence County at 410 square miles. Kossuth County's land area is 2.4 times (138%) larger than Providence County's.
Smallest county by area: Iowa: Dickinson County (381 sq mi) vs Rhode Island: Bristol County (24 sq mi). Dickinson County's land area is 15.8 times larger than Bristol County's.
Most populous county: Iowa: Polk County (516,185 people) vs Rhode Island: Providence County (675,912 people). Providence County's population is 1.3 times (31%) larger than Polk County's.
Least populous county: Iowa: Adams County (3,606 people) vs Rhode Island: Bristol County (50,145 people). Bristol County's population is 13.9 times larger than Adams County's.
Richest county: Iowa: Mitchell County ($98,211 per capita income) vs Rhode Island: Bristol County ($99,923). Mitchell County and Bristol County have about the same income.
Poorest county: Iowa: Decatur County ($46,134 per capita income) vs Rhode Island: Providence County ($61,040). Providence County's income is 1.3 times (32%) richer than Decatur County's.
Iowa vs Rhode Island Taxes
State income tax: Iowa has a top income tax rate of 3.8%, while Rhode Island has a top income tax rate of 5.99%. Rhode Island's top rate is 2.19 percentage points higher.
Property tax: Iowa: 1.29% effective rate vs Rhode Island: 1.07% of home value per year. Iowa's rate is 0.22 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: Iowa: 6.94% combined state and average local rate vs Rhode Island: 7%. Rhode Island's combined rate is 0.06 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Iowa official website · Rhode Island official website
More Size Comparisons
All Iowa size comparisons · All Rhode Island 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.