The map above shows Kentucky and Texas side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Kentucky vs Texas Geography
Land area: Kentucky has a land area of 39,485 square miles (102,267 km²), while Texas has 261,259 square miles (676,657 km²). Texas' land area is 6.6 times (562%) larger than Kentucky's.
Total area: Kentucky: 40,406 square miles (104,651 km²) vs Texas: 268,599 square miles (695,668 km²), including inland and coastal water. Texas' total area is 6.6 times (565%) larger than Kentucky's.
Length: Kentucky is 257 miles (414 km) long from north to south; Texas is 808 miles (1,300 km). Texas' north-south length is 3.1 times (214%) longer than Kentucky's.
Width: Kentucky spans 418 miles (672 km) east to west; Texas spans 777 miles (1,250 km). Texas' east-west width is 1.9 times (86%) wider than Kentucky's.
Highest point: Kentucky's highest point is Black Mountain at 4,134 feet (1,260 m); Texas's is Guadalupe Peak at 8,730 feet (2,661 m). Guadalupe Peak is 4,596 feet higher than Black Mountain.
Lowest point: Kentucky's lowest point is Mississippi River at 270 feet; Texas's is Gulf of Mexico at 0 feet. Texas's lowest point is 270 feet lower.
Kentucky vs Texas Population and History
Population: Kentucky has a population of 4,588,372 (2024), while Texas has 31,290,831 (2024). Texas' population is 6.8 times (582%) larger than Kentucky's.
Population density: Kentucky: 116.2 people per square mile vs Texas: 119.8. Kentucky and Texas have about the same population density.
Biggest city: Kentucky's biggest city is Louisville with 640,796 people; Texas's is Houston with 2,390,125. Houston's population is 3.7 times (273%) larger than Louisville's.
Largest metro area: Kentucky's largest metropolitan area is Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN metro area (2,302,815 people) vs Texas's Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX metro area (8,344,032). Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX metro area's population is 3.6 times (262%) larger than Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN metro area's.
History: Kentucky: Admitted to the Union on June 1, 1792, as the 15th state. Texas: Admitted to the Union on December 29, 1845, as the 28th state. In its current form, Kentucky is the older of the two by 53 years.
Kentucky vs Texas Economy
GDP: Kentucky's GDP is $295.4 billion (2024) vs Texas's $2,769.8 billion. Texas' economic output is 9.4 times (838%) larger than Kentucky's.
GDP per capita: Kentucky: $64,375 per person vs Texas: $88,517. Texas' GDP per capita is 1.4 times (38%) higher than Kentucky's.
Average income: Kentucky: $58,256 vs Texas: $69,823 average income per person (per capita personal income). Texas' average income is 1.2 times (20%) higher than Kentucky's.
Kentucky vs Texas Counties
Number of counties: Kentucky has 120 counties, while Texas has 254. Texas' county count is 2.1 times (112%) higher than Kentucky's.
Biggest county by area: Kentucky's largest county is Pike County at 786 square miles; Texas's is Brewster County at 6,184 square miles. Brewster County's land area is 7.9 times (687%) larger than Pike County's.
Smallest county by area: Kentucky: Gallatin County (98 sq mi) vs Texas: Rockwall County (127 sq mi). Rockwall County's land area is 1.3 times (29%) larger than Gallatin County's.
Most populous county: Kentucky: Jefferson County (793,881 people) vs Texas: Harris County (5,009,302 people). Harris County's population is 6.3 times (531%) larger than Jefferson County's.
Least populous county: Kentucky: Robertson County (2,382 people) vs Texas: Loving County (48 people). Robertson County's population is 49.6 times larger than Loving County's.
Richest county: Kentucky: Oldham County ($87,137 per capita income) vs Texas: Loving County ($220,625). Loving County's income is 2.5 times (153%) richer than Oldham County's.
Poorest county: Kentucky: Elliott County ($31,817 per capita income) vs Texas: Starr County ($34,180). Starr County's income is 1.1 times (7%) richer than Elliott County's.
Kentucky vs Texas Taxes
State income tax: Kentucky has a top income tax rate of 3.5%, while Texas has no state income tax. Kentucky's top rate is 3.5 percentage points higher.
Property tax: Kentucky: 0.71% effective rate vs Texas: 1.31% of home value per year. Texas's rate is 0.6 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: Kentucky: 6% combined state and average local rate vs Texas: 8.2%. Texas's combined rate is 2.2 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Kentucky official website · Texas official website
More Size Comparisons
All Kentucky size comparisons · All Texas 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.