The map above shows Kentucky and Massachusetts side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Kentucky vs Massachusetts Geography
Land area: Kentucky has a land area of 39,485 square miles (102,267 km²), while Massachusetts has 7,801 square miles (20,204 km²). Kentucky's land area is 5.1 times (406%) larger than Massachusetts'.
Total area: Kentucky: 40,406 square miles (104,651 km²) vs Massachusetts: 10,554 square miles (27,335 km²), including inland and coastal water. Kentucky's total area is 3.8 times (283%) larger than Massachusetts'.
Length: Kentucky is 257 miles (414 km) long from north to south; Massachusetts is 123 miles (198 km). Kentucky's north-south length is 2.1 times (109%) longer than Massachusetts'.
Width: Kentucky spans 418 miles (672 km) east to west; Massachusetts spans 185 miles (297 km). Kentucky's east-west width is 2.3 times (126%) wider than Massachusetts'.
Highest point: Kentucky's highest point is Black Mountain at 4,134 feet (1,260 m); Massachusetts's is Mount Greylock at 3,489 feet (1,063 m). Black Mountain is 645 feet higher than Mount Greylock.
Lowest point: Kentucky's lowest point is Mississippi River at 270 feet; Massachusetts's is Atlantic Ocean at 0 feet. Massachusetts's lowest point is 270 feet lower.
Kentucky vs Massachusetts Population and History
Population: Kentucky has a population of 4,588,372 (2024), while Massachusetts has 7,136,171 (2024). Massachusetts' population is 1.6 times (56%) larger than Kentucky's.
Population density: Kentucky: 116.2 people per square mile vs Massachusetts: 914.8. Massachusetts' population density is 7.9 times (687%) higher than Kentucky's.
Biggest city: Kentucky's biggest city is Louisville with 640,796 people; Massachusetts's is Boston with 673,458. Boston's population is 1.1 times (5%) larger than Louisville's.
Largest metro area: Kentucky's largest metropolitan area is Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN metro area (2,302,815 people) vs Massachusetts's Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area (5,025,517). Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area's population is 2.2 times (118%) larger than Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN metro area's.
History: Kentucky: Admitted to the Union on June 1, 1792, as the 15th state. Massachusetts: Admitted to the Union on February 6, 1788, as the 6th state. In its current form, Massachusetts is the older of the two by 4 years.
Kentucky vs Massachusetts Economy
GDP: Kentucky's GDP is $295.4 billion (2024) vs Massachusetts's $778.5 billion. Massachusetts' economic output is 2.6 times (164%) larger than Kentucky's.
GDP per capita: Kentucky: $64,375 per person vs Massachusetts: $109,095. Massachusetts' GDP per capita is 1.7 times (69%) higher than Kentucky's.
Average income: Kentucky: $58,256 vs Massachusetts: $93,607 average income per person (per capita personal income). Massachusetts' average income is 1.6 times (61%) higher than Kentucky's.
Kentucky vs Massachusetts Counties
Number of counties: Kentucky has 120 counties, while Massachusetts has 14. Kentucky's county count is 8.6 times (757%) higher than Massachusetts'.
Biggest county by area: Kentucky's largest county is Pike County at 786 square miles; Massachusetts's is Worcester County at 1,511 square miles. Worcester County's land area is 1.9 times (92%) larger than Pike County's.
Smallest county by area: Kentucky: Gallatin County (98 sq mi) vs Massachusetts: Nantucket County (46 sq mi). Gallatin County's land area is 2.1 times (113%) larger than Nantucket County's.
Most populous county: Kentucky: Jefferson County (793,881 people) vs Massachusetts: Middlesex County (1,668,956 people). Middlesex County's population is 2.1 times (110%) larger than Jefferson County's.
Least populous county: Kentucky: Robertson County (2,382 people) vs Massachusetts: Nantucket County (14,670 people). Nantucket County's population is 6.2 times (516%) larger than Robertson County's.
Richest county: Kentucky: Oldham County ($87,137 per capita income) vs Massachusetts: Nantucket County ($129,250). Nantucket County's income is 1.5 times (48%) richer than Oldham County's.
Poorest county: Kentucky: Elliott County ($31,817 per capita income) vs Massachusetts: Hampshire County ($65,432). Hampshire County's income is 2.1 times (106%) richer than Elliott County's.
Kentucky vs Massachusetts Taxes
State income tax: Kentucky has a top income tax rate of 3.5%, while Massachusetts has a top income tax rate of 9%. Massachusetts's top rate is 5.5 percentage points higher.
Property tax: Kentucky: 0.71% effective rate vs Massachusetts: 1% of home value per year. Massachusetts's rate is 0.29 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: Kentucky: 6% combined state and average local rate vs Massachusetts: 6.25%. Massachusetts's combined rate is 0.25 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Kentucky official website · Massachusetts official website
More Size Comparisons
All Kentucky size comparisons · All Massachusetts 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.