The map above shows Michigan and Montana side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Michigan vs Montana Geography
Land area: Michigan has a land area of 56,611 square miles (146,622 km²), while Montana has 145,550 square miles (376,973 km²). Montana's land area is 2.6 times (157%) larger than Michigan's.
Total area: Michigan: 96,713 square miles (250,486 km²) vs Montana: 147,043 square miles (380,840 km²), including inland and coastal water. Montana's total area is 1.5 times (52%) larger than Michigan's.
Length: Michigan is 489 miles (786 km) long from north to south; Montana is 319 miles (514 km). Michigan's north-south length is 1.5 times (53%) longer than Montana's.
Width: Michigan spans 453 miles (728 km) east to west; Montana spans 607 miles (976 km). Montana's east-west width is 1.3 times (34%) wider than Michigan's.
Highest point: Michigan's highest point is Mount Arvon at 2,014 feet (614 m); Montana's is Granite Peak at 12,767 feet (3,891 m). Granite Peak is 10,753 feet higher than Mount Arvon.
Lowest point: Michigan's lowest point is Lake Erie at 571 feet; Montana's is Kootenai River at 1,805 feet. Michigan's lowest point is 1,234 feet lower.
Michigan vs Montana Population and History
Population: Michigan has a population of 10,140,459 (2024), while Montana has 1,137,233 (2024). Michigan's population is 8.9 times (792%) larger than Montana's.
Population density: Michigan: 179.1 people per square mile vs Montana: 7.8. Michigan's population density is 23.0 times higher than Montana's.
Biggest city: Michigan's biggest city is Detroit with 645,705 people; Montana's is Billings with 121,483. Detroit's population is 5.3 times (432%) larger than Billings'.
Largest metro area: Michigan's largest metropolitan area is Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI metro area (4,400,578 people) vs Montana's Billings, MT metro area (192,531). Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI metro area's population is 22.9 times larger than Billings, MT metro area's.
History: Michigan: Admitted to the Union on January 26, 1837, as the 26th state. Montana: Admitted to the Union on November 8, 1889, as the 41st state. In its current form, Michigan is the older of the two by 52 years.
Michigan vs Montana Economy
GDP: Michigan's GDP is $702.5 billion (2024) vs Montana's $78.4 billion. Michigan's economic output is 9.0 times (796%) larger than Montana's.
GDP per capita: Michigan: $69,274 per person vs Montana: $68,975. Michigan and Montana have about the same GDP per capita.
Average income: Michigan: $63,690 vs Montana: $69,240 average income per person (per capita personal income). Montana's average income is 1.1 times (9%) higher than Michigan's.
Michigan vs Montana Counties
Number of counties: Michigan has 83 counties, while Montana has 56. Michigan's county count is 1.5 times (48%) higher than Montana's.
Biggest county by area: Michigan's largest county is Marquette County at 1,809 square miles; Montana's is Beaverhead County at 5,543 square miles. Beaverhead County's land area is 3.1 times (206%) larger than Marquette County's.
Smallest county by area: Michigan: Benzie County (320 sq mi) vs Montana: Silver Bow County (718 sq mi). Silver Bow County's land area is 2.2 times (125%) larger than Benzie County's.
Most populous county: Michigan: Wayne County (1,771,063 people) vs Montana: Yellowstone County (171,583 people). Wayne County's population is 10.3 times larger than Yellowstone County's.
Least populous county: Michigan: Keweenaw County (2,161 people) vs Montana: Petroleum County (525 people). Keweenaw County's population is 4.1 times (312%) larger than Petroleum County's.
Richest county: Michigan: Oakland County ($93,579 per capita income) vs Montana: Gallatin County ($94,573). Oakland County and Gallatin County have about the same income.
Poorest county: Michigan: Lake County ($39,505 per capita income) vs Montana: Blaine County ($37,554). Lake County's income is 1.1 times (5%) richer than Blaine County's.
Michigan vs Montana Taxes
State income tax: Michigan has a top income tax rate of 4.25%, while Montana has a top income tax rate of 5.65%. Montana's top rate is 1.4 percentage points higher.
Property tax: Michigan: 1.18% effective rate vs Montana: 0.69% of home value per year. Michigan's rate is 0.49 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: Michigan: 6% combined state and average local rate vs Montana: 0%. Michigan's combined rate is 6 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Michigan official website · Montana official website
More Size Comparisons
All Michigan size comparisons · All Montana 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.