The map above shows Kentucky and Virginia side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Kentucky vs Virginia Geography
Land area
- Kentucky has a land area of 39,485 square miles (102,267 km²), while Virginia has 39,481 square miles (102,256 km²).
- Kentucky and Virginia have about the same land area.
Total area
- Kentucky: 40,406 square miles (104,651 km²) vs Virginia: 42,775 square miles (110,786 km²), including inland and coastal water.
- Virginia's total area is 1.1 times (6%) larger than Kentucky's.
Length
- Kentucky is 257 miles (414 km) long from north to south; Virginia is 223 miles (359 km).
- Kentucky's north-south length is 1.2 times (15%) longer than Virginia's.
Width
- Kentucky spans 418 miles (672 km) east to west; Virginia spans 466 miles (750 km).
- Virginia's east-west width is 1.1 times (11%) wider than Kentucky's.
Highest point
- Kentucky's highest point is Black Mountain at 4,134 feet (1,260 m); Virginia's is Mount Rogers at 5,729 feet (1,746 m).
- Mount Rogers is 1,595 feet higher than Black Mountain.
Lowest point
- Kentucky's lowest point is Mississippi River at 270 feet; Virginia's is Atlantic Ocean at 0 feet.
- Virginia's lowest point is 270 feet lower.
Kentucky vs Virginia Population and History
Population
- Kentucky has a population of 4,588,372 (2024), while Virginia has 8,811,195 (2024).
- Virginia's population is 1.9 times (92%) larger than Kentucky's.
Population density
- Kentucky: 116.2 people per square mile vs Virginia: 223.2.
- Virginia's population density is 1.9 times (92%) higher than Kentucky's.
Biggest city
- Kentucky's biggest city is Louisville with 640,796 people; Virginia's is Virginia Beach with 454,808.
- Louisville's population is 1.4 times (41%) larger than Virginia Beach's.
Largest metro area
- Kentucky's largest metropolitan area is Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN metro area (2,302,815 people) vs Virginia's Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area (6,436,489).
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area's population is 2.8 times (180%) larger than Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN metro area's.
History
- Kentucky: Admitted to the Union on June 1, 1792, as the 15th state.
- Virginia: Admitted to the Union on June 25, 1788, as the 10th state.
- In its current form, Virginia is the older of the two by 4 years.
Kentucky vs Virginia Economy
GDP
- Kentucky's GDP is $295.4 billion (2024) vs Virginia's $761.7 billion.
- Virginia's economic output is 2.6 times (158%) larger than Kentucky's.
GDP per capita
- Kentucky: $64,375 per person vs Virginia: $86,451.
- Virginia's GDP per capita is 1.3 times (34%) higher than Kentucky's.
Average income
- Kentucky: $58,256 vs Virginia: $77,351 average income per person (per capita personal income).
- Virginia's average income is 1.3 times (33%) higher than Kentucky's.
Kentucky vs Virginia Counties
Number of counties
- Kentucky has 120 counties, while Virginia has 133.
- Virginia's county count is 1.1 times (11%) higher than Kentucky's.
Biggest county by area
- Kentucky's largest county is Pike County at 786 square miles; Virginia's is Pittsylvania County at 969 square miles.
- Pittsylvania County's land area is 1.2 times (23%) larger than Pike County's.
Smallest county by area
- Kentucky: Gallatin County (98 sq mi) vs Virginia: Falls Church city (2 sq mi).
- Gallatin County's land area is 49.2 times larger than Falls Church city's.
Most populous county
- Kentucky: Jefferson County (793,881 people) vs Virginia: Fairfax County (1,160,925 people).
- Fairfax County's population is 1.5 times (46%) larger than Jefferson County's.
Least populous county
- Kentucky: Robertson County (2,382 people) vs Virginia: Highland County (2,348 people).
- Robertson County and Highland County have about the same population.
Richest county
- Kentucky: Oldham County ($87,137 per capita income) vs Virginia: Arlington County ($131,624).
- Arlington County's income is 1.5 times (51%) richer than Oldham County's.
Poorest county
- Kentucky: Elliott County ($31,817 per capita income) vs Virginia: Sussex County ($41,032).
- Sussex County's income is 1.3 times (29%) richer than Elliott County's.
Kentucky vs Virginia Taxes
State income tax
- Kentucky has a top income tax rate of 3.5%, while Virginia has a top income tax rate of 5.75%.
- Virginia's top rate is 2.25 percentage points higher.
Property tax
- Kentucky: 0.71% effective rate vs Virginia: 0.71% of home value per year.
- The two are essentially equal.
Sales tax
- Kentucky: 6% combined state and average local rate vs Virginia: 5.77%.
- Kentucky's combined rate is 0.23 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Kentucky official website · Virginia official website
Download the Kentucky vs Virginia Size Comparison Map for free
To download the map, right-click the image above (or press and hold on a phone or tablet) and choose Save image as. The map is free to use anywhere, including on your own website or in print, as long as you credit it with a link back to this page or to BrilliantMaps.com.
More Size Comparisons
All Kentucky size comparisons · All Virginia 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.