The map above shows Kentucky and New Jersey side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Kentucky vs New Jersey Geography
Land area: Kentucky has a land area of 39,485 square miles (102,267 km²), while New Jersey has 7,355 square miles (19,049 km²). Kentucky's land area is 5.4 times (437%) larger than New Jersey's.
Total area: Kentucky: 40,406 square miles (104,651 km²) vs New Jersey: 8,719 square miles (22,583 km²), including inland and coastal water. Kentucky's total area is 4.6 times (363%) larger than New Jersey's.
Length: Kentucky is 257 miles (414 km) long from north to south; New Jersey is 169 miles (271 km). Kentucky's north-south length is 1.5 times (52%) longer than New Jersey's.
Width: Kentucky spans 418 miles (672 km) east to west; New Jersey spans 129 miles (207 km). Kentucky's east-west width is 3.2 times (224%) wider than New Jersey's.
Highest point: Kentucky's highest point is Black Mountain at 4,134 feet (1,260 m); New Jersey's is High Point at 1,798 feet (548 m). Black Mountain is 2,336 feet higher than High Point.
Lowest point: Kentucky's lowest point is Mississippi River at 270 feet; New Jersey's is Atlantic Ocean at 0 feet. New Jersey's lowest point is 270 feet lower.
Kentucky vs New Jersey Population and History
Population: Kentucky has a population of 4,588,372 (2024), while New Jersey has 9,500,851 (2024). New Jersey's population is 2.1 times (107%) larger than Kentucky's.
Population density: Kentucky: 116.2 people per square mile vs New Jersey: 1,291.8. New Jersey's population density is 11.1 times higher than Kentucky's.
Biggest city: Kentucky's biggest city is Louisville with 640,796 people; New Jersey's is Newark with 317,303. Louisville's population is 2.0 times (102%) larger than Newark's.
Largest metro area: Kentucky's largest metropolitan area is Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN metro area (2,302,815 people) vs New Jersey's New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro area (19,940,274). New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro area's population is 8.7 times (766%) larger than Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN metro area's.
History: Kentucky: Admitted to the Union on June 1, 1792, as the 15th state. New Jersey: Admitted to the Union on December 18, 1787, as the 3rd state. In its current form, New Jersey is the older of the two by 5 years.
Kentucky vs New Jersey Economy
GDP: Kentucky's GDP is $295.4 billion (2024) vs New Jersey's $846.0 billion. New Jersey's economic output is 2.9 times (186%) larger than Kentucky's.
GDP per capita: Kentucky: $64,375 per person vs New Jersey: $89,045. New Jersey's GDP per capita is 1.4 times (38%) higher than Kentucky's.
Average income: Kentucky: $58,256 vs New Jersey: $84,893 average income per person (per capita personal income). New Jersey's average income is 1.5 times (46%) higher than Kentucky's.
Kentucky vs New Jersey Counties
Number of counties: Kentucky has 120 counties, while New Jersey has 21. Kentucky's county count is 5.7 times (471%) higher than New Jersey's.
Biggest county by area: Kentucky's largest county is Pike County at 786 square miles; New Jersey's is Burlington County at 799 square miles. Pike County and Burlington County have about the same land area.
Smallest county by area: Kentucky: Gallatin County (98 sq mi) vs New Jersey: Hudson County (46 sq mi). Gallatin County's land area is 2.1 times (113%) larger than Hudson County's.
Most populous county: Kentucky: Jefferson County (793,881 people) vs New Jersey: Bergen County (978,641 people). Bergen County's population is 1.2 times (23%) larger than Jefferson County's.
Least populous county: Kentucky: Robertson County (2,382 people) vs New Jersey: Salem County (65,874 people). Salem County's population is 27.7 times larger than Robertson County's.
Richest county: Kentucky: Oldham County ($87,137 per capita income) vs New Jersey: Somerset County ($121,042). Somerset County's income is 1.4 times (39%) richer than Oldham County's.
Poorest county: Kentucky: Elliott County ($31,817 per capita income) vs New Jersey: Cumberland County ($50,843). Cumberland County's income is 1.6 times (60%) richer than Elliott County's.
Kentucky vs New Jersey Taxes
State income tax: Kentucky has a top income tax rate of 3.5%, while New Jersey has a top income tax rate of 10.75%. New Jersey's top rate is 7.25 percentage points higher.
Property tax: Kentucky: 0.71% effective rate vs New Jersey: 1.89% of home value per year. New Jersey's rate is 1.18 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: Kentucky: 6% combined state and average local rate vs New Jersey: 6.6%. New Jersey's combined rate is 0.6 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Kentucky official website · New Jersey official website
More Size Comparisons
All Kentucky size comparisons · All New Jersey 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.