The map above shows Ohio and West Virginia side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Ohio vs West Virginia Geography
Land area: Ohio has a land area of 40,859 square miles (105,824 km²), while West Virginia has 24,041 square miles (62,266 km²). Ohio's land area is 1.7 times (70%) larger than West Virginia's.
Total area: Ohio: 44,826 square miles (116,098 km²) vs West Virginia: 24,230 square miles (62,755 km²), including inland and coastal water. Ohio's total area is 1.9 times (85%) larger than West Virginia's.
Length: Ohio is 291 miles (468 km) long from north to south; West Virginia is 245 miles (394 km). Ohio's north-south length is 1.2 times (19%) longer than West Virginia's.
Width: Ohio spans 317 miles (510 km) east to west; West Virginia spans 276 miles (444 km). Ohio's east-west width is 1.1 times (15%) wider than West Virginia's.
Highest point: Ohio's highest point is Campbell Hill at 1,547 feet (472 m); West Virginia's is Spruce Knob at 4,863 feet (1,482 m). Spruce Knob is 3,316 feet higher than Campbell Hill.
Lowest point: Ohio's lowest point is Ohio River at 455 feet; West Virginia's is Potomac River at 240 feet. West Virginia's lowest point is 215 feet lower.
Ohio vs West Virginia Population and History
Population: Ohio has a population of 11,883,304 (2024), while West Virginia has 1,769,979 (2024). Ohio's population is 6.7 times (571%) larger than West Virginia's.
Population density: Ohio: 290.8 people per square mile vs West Virginia: 73.6. Ohio's population density is 4.0 times (295%) higher than West Virginia's.
Biggest city: Ohio's biggest city is Columbus with 933,263 people; West Virginia's is Charleston with 46,482. Columbus' population is 20.1 times larger than Charleston's.
Largest metro area: Ohio's largest metropolitan area is Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN metro area (2,302,815 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 2.8 times (180%) larger than Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN metro area's.
History: Ohio: Admitted to the Union on March 1, 1803, as the 17th state. West Virginia: Admitted to the Union on June 20, 1863, as the 35th state. In its current form, Ohio is the older of the two by 60 years.
Ohio vs West Virginia Economy
GDP: Ohio's GDP is $923.1 billion (2024) vs West Virginia's $106.5 billion. Ohio's economic output is 8.7 times (767%) larger than West Virginia's.
GDP per capita: Ohio: $77,684 per person vs West Virginia: $60,156. Ohio's GDP per capita is 1.3 times (29%) higher than West Virginia's.
Average income: Ohio: $64,464 vs West Virginia: $55,351 average income per person (per capita personal income). Ohio's average income is 1.2 times (16%) higher than West Virginia's.
Ohio vs West Virginia Counties
Number of counties: Ohio has 88 counties, while West Virginia has 55. Ohio's county count is 1.6 times (60%) higher than West Virginia's.
Biggest county by area: Ohio's largest county is Ashtabula County at 702 square miles; West Virginia's is Randolph County at 1,040 square miles. Randolph County's land area is 1.5 times (48%) larger than Ashtabula County's.
Smallest county by area: Ohio: Lake County (229 sq mi) vs West Virginia: Hancock County (83 sq mi). Lake County's land area is 2.8 times (178%) larger than Hancock County's.
Most populous county: Ohio: Franklin County (1,356,303 people) vs West Virginia: Kanawha County (173,906 people). Franklin County's population is 7.8 times (680%) larger than Kanawha County's.
Least populous county: Ohio: Vinton County (12,545 people) vs West Virginia: Wirt County (4,924 people). Vinton County's population is 2.5 times (155%) larger than Wirt County's.
Richest county: Ohio: Delaware County ($96,573 per capita income) vs West Virginia: Jefferson County ($70,542). Delaware County's income is 1.4 times (37%) richer than Jefferson County's.
Poorest county: Ohio: Noble County ($34,940 per capita income) vs West Virginia: Webster County ($35,039). Noble County and Webster County have about the same income.
Ohio vs West Virginia Taxes
State income tax: Ohio has a top income tax rate of 2.75%, while West Virginia has a top income tax rate of 4.82%. West Virginia's top rate is 2.07 percentage points higher.
Property tax: Ohio: 1.22% effective rate vs West Virginia: 0.52% of home value per year. Ohio's rate is 0.7 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: Ohio: 7.29% combined state and average local rate vs West Virginia: 6.6%. Ohio's combined rate is 0.69 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Ohio official website · West Virginia official website
More Size Comparisons
All Ohio 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.