The map above shows Mississippi and Tennessee side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Mississippi vs Tennessee Geography
Land area: Mississippi has a land area of 46,925 square miles (121,534 km²), while Tennessee has 41,224 square miles (106,770 km²). Mississippi's land area is 1.1 times (14%) larger than Tennessee's.
Total area: Mississippi: 48,436 square miles (125,448 km²) vs Tennessee: 42,130 square miles (109,116 km²), including inland and coastal water. Mississippi's total area is 1.1 times (15%) larger than Tennessee's.
Length: Mississippi is 337 miles (542 km) long from north to south; Tennessee is 191 miles (308 km). Mississippi's north-south length is 1.8 times (76%) longer than Tennessee's.
Width: Mississippi spans 340 miles (547 km) east to west; Tennessee spans 497 miles (800 km). Tennessee's east-west width is 1.5 times (46%) wider than Mississippi's.
Highest point: Mississippi's highest point is Woodall Mountain at 805 feet (245 m); Tennessee's is Clingmans Dome at 6,624 feet (2,019 m). Clingmans Dome is 5,819 feet higher than Woodall Mountain.
Lowest point: Mississippi's lowest point is Gulf of Mexico at 0 feet; Tennessee's is Mississippi River at 178 feet. Mississippi's lowest point is 178 feet lower.
Mississippi vs Tennessee Population and History
Population: Mississippi has a population of 2,943,045 (2024), while Tennessee has 7,227,750 (2024). Tennessee's population is 2.5 times (146%) larger than Mississippi's.
Population density: Mississippi: 62.7 people per square mile vs Tennessee: 175.3. Tennessee's population density is 2.8 times (180%) higher than Mississippi's.
Biggest city: Mississippi's biggest city is Jackson with 141,449 people; Tennessee's is Nashville with 704,963. Nashville's population is 5.0 times (398%) larger than Jackson's.
Largest metro area: Mississippi's largest metropolitan area is Memphis, TN-MS-AR metro area (1,339,345 people) vs Tennessee's Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN metro area (2,150,553). Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN metro area's population is 1.6 times (61%) larger than Memphis, TN-MS-AR metro area's.
History: Mississippi: Admitted to the Union on December 10, 1817, as the 20th state. Tennessee: Admitted to the Union on June 1, 1796, as the 16th state. In its current form, Tennessee is the older of the two by 21 years.
Mississippi vs Tennessee Economy
GDP: Mississippi's GDP is $158.2 billion (2024) vs Tennessee's $561.2 billion. Tennessee's economic output is 3.5 times (255%) larger than Mississippi's.
GDP per capita: Mississippi: $53,751 per person vs Tennessee: $77,645. Tennessee's GDP per capita is 1.4 times (44%) higher than Mississippi's.
Average income: Mississippi: $52,074 vs Tennessee: $66,504 average income per person (per capita personal income). Tennessee's average income is 1.3 times (28%) higher than Mississippi's.
Mississippi vs Tennessee Counties
Number of counties: Mississippi has 82 counties, while Tennessee has 95. Tennessee's county count is 1.2 times (16%) higher than Mississippi's.
Biggest county by area: Mississippi's largest county is Yazoo County at 922 square miles; Tennessee's is Shelby County at 753 square miles. Yazoo County's land area is 1.2 times (23%) larger than Shelby County's.
Smallest county by area: Mississippi: Alcorn County (400 sq mi) vs Tennessee: Trousdale County (114 sq mi). Alcorn County's land area is 3.5 times (250%) larger than Trousdale County's.
Most populous county: Mississippi: Harrison County (213,730 people) vs Tennessee: Shelby County (910,530 people). Shelby County's population is 4.3 times (326%) larger than Harrison County's.
Least populous county: Mississippi: Issaquena County (1,295 people) vs Tennessee: Pickett County (5,108 people). Pickett County's population is 3.9 times (294%) larger than Issaquena County's.
Richest county: Mississippi: Madison County ($90,668 per capita income) vs Tennessee: Williamson County ($139,704). Williamson County's income is 1.5 times (54%) richer than Madison County's.
Poorest county: Mississippi: Issaquena County ($27,264 per capita income) vs Tennessee: Lake County ($31,572). Lake County's income is 1.2 times (16%) richer than Issaquena County's.
Mississippi vs Tennessee Taxes
State income tax: Mississippi has a top income tax rate of 4%, while Tennessee has no state income tax. Mississippi's top rate is 4 percentage points higher.
Property tax: Mississippi: 0.65% effective rate vs Tennessee: 0.45% of home value per year. Mississippi's rate is 0.2 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: Mississippi: 7.06% combined state and average local rate vs Tennessee: 9.61%. Tennessee's combined rate is 2.55 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Mississippi official website · Tennessee official website
More Size Comparisons
All Mississippi size comparisons · All Tennessee 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.