The map above shows Michigan and New Jersey side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Michigan vs New Jersey Geography
Land area: Michigan has a land area of 56,611 square miles (146,622 km²), while New Jersey has 7,355 square miles (19,049 km²). Michigan's land area is 7.7 times (670%) larger than New Jersey's.
Total area: Michigan: 96,713 square miles (250,486 km²) vs New Jersey: 8,719 square miles (22,583 km²), including inland and coastal water. Michigan's total area is 11.1 times larger than New Jersey's.
Length: Michigan is 489 miles (786 km) long from north to south; New Jersey is 169 miles (271 km). Michigan's north-south length is 2.9 times (189%) longer than New Jersey's.
Width: Michigan spans 453 miles (728 km) east to west; New Jersey spans 129 miles (207 km). Michigan's east-west width is 3.5 times (251%) wider than New Jersey's.
Highest point: Michigan's highest point is Mount Arvon at 2,014 feet (614 m); New Jersey's is High Point at 1,798 feet (548 m). Mount Arvon is 216 feet higher than High Point.
Lowest point: Michigan's lowest point is Lake Erie at 571 feet; New Jersey's is Atlantic Ocean at 0 feet. New Jersey's lowest point is 571 feet lower.
Michigan vs New Jersey Population and History
Population: Michigan has a population of 10,140,459 (2024), while New Jersey has 9,500,851 (2024). Michigan's population is 1.1 times (7%) larger than New Jersey's.
Population density: Michigan: 179.1 people per square mile vs New Jersey: 1,291.8. New Jersey's population density is 7.2 times (621%) higher than Michigan's.
Biggest city: Michigan's biggest city is Detroit with 645,705 people; New Jersey's is Newark with 317,303. Detroit's population is 2.0 times (103%) larger than Newark's.
Largest metro area: Michigan's largest metropolitan area is Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI metro area (4,400,578 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 4.5 times (353%) larger than Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI metro area's.
History: Michigan: Admitted to the Union on January 26, 1837, as the 26th 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 50 years.
Michigan vs New Jersey Economy
GDP: Michigan's GDP is $702.5 billion (2024) vs New Jersey's $846.0 billion. New Jersey's economic output is 1.2 times (20%) larger than Michigan's.
GDP per capita: Michigan: $69,274 per person vs New Jersey: $89,045. New Jersey's GDP per capita is 1.3 times (29%) higher than Michigan's.
Average income: Michigan: $63,690 vs New Jersey: $84,893 average income per person (per capita personal income). New Jersey's average income is 1.3 times (33%) higher than Michigan's.
Michigan vs New Jersey Counties
Number of counties: Michigan has 83 counties, while New Jersey has 21. Michigan's county count is 4.0 times (295%) higher than New Jersey's.
Biggest county by area: Michigan's largest county is Marquette County at 1,809 square miles; New Jersey's is Burlington County at 799 square miles. Marquette County's land area is 2.3 times (126%) larger than Burlington County's.
Smallest county by area: Michigan: Benzie County (320 sq mi) vs New Jersey: Hudson County (46 sq mi). Benzie County's land area is 6.9 times (592%) larger than Hudson County's.
Most populous county: Michigan: Wayne County (1,771,063 people) vs New Jersey: Bergen County (978,641 people). Wayne County's population is 1.8 times (81%) larger than Bergen County's.
Least populous county: Michigan: Keweenaw County (2,161 people) vs New Jersey: Salem County (65,874 people). Salem County's population is 30.5 times larger than Keweenaw County's.
Richest county: Michigan: Oakland County ($93,579 per capita income) vs New Jersey: Somerset County ($121,042). Somerset County's income is 1.3 times (29%) richer than Oakland County's.
Poorest county: Michigan: Lake County ($39,505 per capita income) vs New Jersey: Cumberland County ($50,843). Cumberland County's income is 1.3 times (29%) richer than Lake County's.
Michigan vs New Jersey Taxes
State income tax: Michigan has a top income tax rate of 4.25%, while New Jersey has a top income tax rate of 10.75%. New Jersey's top rate is 6.5 percentage points higher.
Property tax: Michigan: 1.18% effective rate vs New Jersey: 1.89% of home value per year. New Jersey's rate is 0.71 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: Michigan: 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
Michigan official website · New Jersey official website
More Size Comparisons
All Michigan 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.