The map above shows New Jersey and West Virginia side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
New Jersey vs West Virginia Geography
Land area: New Jersey has a land area of 7,355 square miles (19,049 km²), while West Virginia has 24,041 square miles (62,266 km²). West Virginia's land area is 3.3 times (227%) larger than New Jersey's.
Total area: New Jersey: 8,719 square miles (22,583 km²) vs West Virginia: 24,230 square miles (62,755 km²), including inland and coastal water. West Virginia's total area is 2.8 times (178%) larger than New Jersey's.
Length: New Jersey is 169 miles (271 km) long from north to south; West Virginia is 245 miles (394 km). West Virginia's north-south length is 1.4 times (45%) longer than New Jersey's.
Width: New Jersey spans 129 miles (207 km) east to west; West Virginia spans 276 miles (444 km). West Virginia's east-west width is 2.1 times (114%) wider than New Jersey's.
Highest point: New Jersey's highest point is High Point at 1,798 feet (548 m); West Virginia's is Spruce Knob at 4,863 feet (1,482 m). Spruce Knob is 3,065 feet higher than High Point.
Lowest point: New Jersey's lowest point is Atlantic Ocean at 0 feet; West Virginia's is Potomac River at 240 feet. New Jersey's lowest point is 240 feet lower.
New Jersey vs West Virginia Population and History
Population: New Jersey has a population of 9,500,851 (2024), while West Virginia has 1,769,979 (2024). New Jersey's population is 5.4 times (437%) larger than West Virginia's.
Population density: New Jersey: 1,291.8 people per square mile vs West Virginia: 73.6. New Jersey's population density is 17.6 times higher than West Virginia's.
Biggest city: New Jersey's biggest city is Newark with 317,303 people; West Virginia's is Charleston with 46,482. Newark's population is 6.8 times (583%) larger than Charleston's.
Largest metro area: New Jersey's largest metropolitan area is New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro area (19,940,274 people) vs West Virginia's Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area (6,436,489). New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro area's population is 3.1 times (210%) larger than Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area's.
History: New Jersey: Admitted to the Union on December 18, 1787, as the 3rd state. West Virginia: Admitted to the Union on June 20, 1863, as the 35th state. In its current form, New Jersey is the older of the two by 76 years.
New Jersey vs West Virginia Economy
GDP: New Jersey's GDP is $846.0 billion (2024) vs West Virginia's $106.5 billion. New Jersey's economic output is 7.9 times (694%) larger than West Virginia's.
GDP per capita: New Jersey: $89,045 per person vs West Virginia: $60,156. New Jersey's GDP per capita is 1.5 times (48%) higher than West Virginia's.
Average income: New Jersey: $84,893 vs West Virginia: $55,351 average income per person (per capita personal income). New Jersey's average income is 1.5 times (53%) higher than West Virginia's.
New Jersey vs West Virginia Counties
Number of counties: New Jersey has 21 counties, while West Virginia has 55. West Virginia's county count is 2.6 times (162%) higher than New Jersey's.
Biggest county by area: New Jersey's largest county is Burlington County at 799 square miles; West Virginia's is Randolph County at 1,040 square miles. Randolph County's land area is 1.3 times (30%) larger than Burlington County's.
Smallest county by area: New Jersey: Hudson County (46 sq mi) vs West Virginia: Hancock County (83 sq mi). Hancock County's land area is 1.8 times (79%) larger than Hudson County's.
Most populous county: New Jersey: Bergen County (978,641 people) vs West Virginia: Kanawha County (173,906 people). Bergen County's population is 5.6 times (463%) larger than Kanawha County's.
Least populous county: New Jersey: Salem County (65,874 people) vs West Virginia: Wirt County (4,924 people). Salem County's population is 13.4 times larger than Wirt County's.
Richest county: New Jersey: Somerset County ($121,042 per capita income) vs West Virginia: Jefferson County ($70,542). Somerset County's income is 1.7 times (72%) richer than Jefferson County's.
Poorest county: New Jersey: Cumberland County ($50,843 per capita income) vs West Virginia: Webster County ($35,039). Cumberland County's income is 1.5 times (45%) richer than Webster County's.
New Jersey vs West Virginia Taxes
State income tax: New Jersey has a top income tax rate of 10.75%, while West Virginia has a top income tax rate of 4.82%. New Jersey's top rate is 5.93 percentage points higher.
Property tax: New Jersey: 1.89% effective rate vs West Virginia: 0.52% of home value per year. New Jersey's rate is 1.37 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: New Jersey: 6.6% combined state and average local rate vs West Virginia: 6.6%. The two are essentially equal.
Official Websites
New Jersey official website · West Virginia official website
More Size Comparisons
All New Jersey size comparisons · All West 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.