The map above shows North Dakota and West Virginia side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
North Dakota vs West Virginia Geography
Land area: North Dakota has a land area of 68,994 square miles (178,694 km²), while West Virginia has 24,041 square miles (62,266 km²). North Dakota's land area is 2.9 times (187%) larger than West Virginia's.
Total area: North Dakota: 70,699 square miles (183,109 km²) vs West Virginia: 24,230 square miles (62,755 km²), including inland and coastal water. North Dakota's total area is 2.9 times (192%) larger than West Virginia's.
Length: North Dakota is 338 miles (544 km) long from north to south; West Virginia is 245 miles (394 km). North Dakota's north-south length is 1.4 times (38%) longer than West Virginia's.
Width: North Dakota spans 408 miles (657 km) east to west; West Virginia spans 276 miles (444 km). North Dakota's east-west width is 1.5 times (48%) wider than West Virginia's.
Highest point: North Dakota's highest point is White Butte at 3,500 feet (1,067 m); West Virginia's is Spruce Knob at 4,863 feet (1,482 m). Spruce Knob is 1,363 feet higher than White Butte.
Lowest point: North Dakota's lowest point is Red River of the North at 754 feet; West Virginia's is Potomac River at 240 feet. West Virginia's lowest point is 514 feet lower.
North Dakota vs West Virginia Population and History
Population: North Dakota has a population of 796,568 (2024), while West Virginia has 1,769,979 (2024). West Virginia's population is 2.2 times (122%) larger than North Dakota's.
Population density: North Dakota: 11.5 people per square mile vs West Virginia: 73.6. West Virginia's population density is 6.4 times (540%) higher than North Dakota's.
Biggest city: North Dakota's biggest city is Fargo with 136,285 people; West Virginia's is Charleston with 46,482. Fargo's population is 2.9 times (193%) larger than Charleston's.
Largest metro area: North Dakota's largest metropolitan area is Fargo, ND-MN metro area (267,793 people) vs West 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 24.0 times larger than Fargo, ND-MN metro area's.
History: North Dakota: Admitted to the Union on November 2, 1889, as the 39th state. West Virginia: Admitted to the Union on June 20, 1863, as the 35th state. In its current form, West Virginia is the older of the two by 26 years.
North Dakota vs West Virginia Economy
GDP: North Dakota's GDP is $80.1 billion (2024) vs West Virginia's $106.5 billion. West Virginia's economic output is 1.3 times (33%) larger than North Dakota's.
GDP per capita: North Dakota: $100,504 per person vs West Virginia: $60,156. North Dakota's GDP per capita is 1.7 times (67%) higher than West Virginia's.
Average income: North Dakota: $71,749 vs West Virginia: $55,351 average income per person (per capita personal income). North Dakota's average income is 1.3 times (30%) higher than West Virginia's.
North Dakota vs West Virginia Counties
Number of counties: North Dakota has 53 counties, while West Virginia has 55. North Dakota and West Virginia have about the same county count.
Biggest county by area: North Dakota's largest county is McKenzie County at 2,760 square miles; West Virginia's is Randolph County at 1,040 square miles. McKenzie County's land area is 2.7 times (165%) larger than Randolph County's.
Smallest county by area: North Dakota: Eddy County (630 sq mi) vs West Virginia: Hancock County (83 sq mi). Eddy County's land area is 7.6 times (663%) larger than Hancock County's.
Most populous county: North Dakota: Cass County (200,945 people) vs West Virginia: Kanawha County (173,906 people). Cass County's population is 1.2 times (16%) larger than Kanawha County's.
Least populous county: North Dakota: Slope County (660 people) vs West Virginia: Wirt County (4,924 people). Wirt County's population is 7.5 times (646%) larger than Slope County's.
Richest county: North Dakota: Dunn County ($99,793 per capita income) vs West Virginia: Jefferson County ($70,542). Dunn County's income is 1.4 times (41%) richer than Jefferson County's.
Poorest county: North Dakota: Sioux County ($33,782 per capita income) vs West Virginia: Webster County ($35,039). Sioux County and Webster County have about the same income.
North Dakota vs West Virginia Taxes
State income tax: North Dakota has a top income tax rate of 2.5%, while West Virginia has a top income tax rate of 4.82%. West Virginia's top rate is 2.32 percentage points higher.
Property tax: North Dakota: 0.96% effective rate vs West Virginia: 0.52% of home value per year. North Dakota's rate is 0.44 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: North Dakota: 7.09% combined state and average local rate vs West Virginia: 6.6%. North Dakota's combined rate is 0.49 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
North Dakota official website · West Virginia official website
More Size Comparisons
All North Dakota 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.