The map above shows Kentucky and Louisiana side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Kentucky vs Louisiana Geography
Land area: Kentucky has a land area of 39,485 square miles (102,267 km²), while Louisiana has 43,213 square miles (111,921 km²). Louisiana's land area is 1.1 times (9%) larger than Kentucky's.
Total area: Kentucky: 40,406 square miles (104,651 km²) vs Louisiana: 52,375 square miles (135,652 km²), including inland and coastal water. Louisiana's total area is 1.3 times (30%) larger than Kentucky's.
Length: Kentucky is 257 miles (414 km) long from north to south; Louisiana is 301 miles (484 km). Louisiana's north-south length is 1.2 times (17%) longer than Kentucky's.
Width: Kentucky spans 418 miles (672 km) east to west; Louisiana spans 356 miles (574 km). Kentucky's east-west width is 1.2 times (17%) wider than Louisiana's.
Highest point: Kentucky's highest point is Black Mountain at 4,134 feet (1,260 m); Louisiana's is Driskill Mountain at 533 feet (162 m). Black Mountain is 3,601 feet higher than Driskill Mountain.
Lowest point: Kentucky's lowest point is Mississippi River at 270 feet; Louisiana's is New Orleans at -8 feet. Louisiana's lowest point is 278 feet lower.
Kentucky vs Louisiana Population and History
Population: Kentucky has a population of 4,588,372 (2024), while Louisiana has 4,597,740 (2024). Kentucky and Louisiana have about the same population.
Population density: Kentucky: 116.2 people per square mile vs Louisiana: 106.4. Kentucky's population density is 1.1 times (9%) higher than Louisiana's.
Biggest city: Kentucky's biggest city is Louisville with 640,796 people; Louisiana's is New Orleans with 362,701. Louisville's population is 1.8 times (77%) larger than New Orleans'.
Largest metro area: Kentucky's largest metropolitan area is Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN metro area (2,302,815 people) vs Louisiana's New Orleans-Metairie, LA metro area (966,230). Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN metro area's population is 2.4 times (138%) larger than New Orleans-Metairie, LA metro area's.
History: Kentucky: Admitted to the Union on June 1, 1792, as the 15th state. Louisiana: Admitted to the Union on April 30, 1812, as the 18th state. In its current form, Kentucky is the older of the two by 20 years.
Kentucky vs Louisiana Economy
GDP: Kentucky's GDP is $295.4 billion (2024) vs Louisiana's $329.2 billion. Louisiana's economic output is 1.1 times (11%) larger than Kentucky's.
GDP per capita: Kentucky: $64,375 per person vs Louisiana: $71,594. Louisiana's GDP per capita is 1.1 times (11%) higher than Kentucky's.
Average income: Kentucky: $58,256 vs Louisiana: $61,897 average income per person (per capita personal income). Louisiana's average income is 1.1 times (6%) higher than Kentucky's.
Kentucky vs Louisiana Counties
Number of counties: Kentucky has 120 counties, while Louisiana has 64. Kentucky's county count is 1.9 times (88%) higher than Louisiana's.
Biggest county by area: Kentucky's largest county is Pike County at 786 square miles; Louisiana's is Vernon Parish at 1,327 square miles. Vernon Parish's land area is 1.7 times (69%) larger than Pike County's.
Smallest county by area: Kentucky: Gallatin County (98 sq mi) vs Louisiana: Orleans Parish (170 sq mi). Orleans Parish's land area is 1.7 times (72%) larger than Gallatin County's.
Most populous county: Kentucky: Jefferson County (793,881 people) vs Louisiana: East Baton Rouge Parish (453,022 people). Jefferson County's population is 1.8 times (75%) larger than East Baton Rouge Parish's.
Least populous county: Kentucky: Robertson County (2,382 people) vs Louisiana: Tensas Parish (3,844 people). Tensas Parish's population is 1.6 times (61%) larger than Robertson County's.
Richest county: Kentucky: Oldham County ($87,137 per capita income) vs Louisiana: St. Tammany Parish ($82,398). Oldham County's income is 1.1 times (6%) richer than St. Tammany Parish's.
Poorest county: Kentucky: Elliott County ($31,817 per capita income) vs Louisiana: East Carroll Parish ($36,751). East Carroll Parish's income is 1.2 times (16%) richer than Elliott County's.
Kentucky vs Louisiana Taxes
State income tax: Kentucky has a top income tax rate of 3.5%, while Louisiana has a top income tax rate of 3%. Kentucky's top rate is 0.5 percentage points higher.
Property tax: Kentucky: 0.71% effective rate vs Louisiana: 0.53% of home value per year. Kentucky's rate is 0.18 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: Kentucky: 6% combined state and average local rate vs Louisiana: 10.13%. Louisiana's combined rate is 4.13 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Kentucky official website · Louisiana official website
More Size Comparisons
All Kentucky size comparisons · All Louisiana 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.