The map above shows Pennsylvania and Rhode Island side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Pennsylvania vs Rhode Island Geography
Land area: Pennsylvania has a land area of 44,742 square miles (115,882 km²), while Rhode Island has 1,034 square miles (2,678 km²). Pennsylvania's land area is 43.3 times larger than Rhode Island's.
Total area: Pennsylvania: 46,054 square miles (119,279 km²) vs Rhode Island: 1,545 square miles (4,002 km²), including inland and coastal water. Pennsylvania's total area is 29.8 times larger than Rhode Island's.
Length: Pennsylvania is 284 miles (458 km) long from north to south; Rhode Island is 61 miles (98 km). Pennsylvania's north-south length is 4.7 times (366%) longer than Rhode Island's.
Width: Pennsylvania spans 307 miles (495 km) east to west; Rhode Island spans 42 miles (67 km). Pennsylvania's east-west width is 7.3 times (631%) wider than Rhode Island's.
Highest point: Pennsylvania's highest point is Mount Davis at 3,210 feet (978 m); Rhode Island's is Jerimoth Hill at 811 feet (247 m). Mount Davis is 2,399 feet higher than Jerimoth Hill.
Lowest point: Pennsylvania's lowest point is Delaware River at 0 feet; Rhode Island's is Atlantic Ocean at 0 feet. Both lowest points are at or near sea level.
Pennsylvania vs Rhode Island Population and History
Population: Pennsylvania has a population of 13,078,751 (2024), while Rhode Island has 1,112,308 (2024). Pennsylvania's population is 11.8 times larger than Rhode Island's.
Population density: Pennsylvania: 292.3 people per square mile vs Rhode Island: 1,075.8. Rhode Island's population density is 3.7 times (268%) higher than Pennsylvania's.
Biggest city: Pennsylvania's biggest city is Philadelphia with 1,573,916 people; Rhode Island's is Providence with 194,706. Philadelphia's population is 8.1 times (708%) larger than Providence's.
Largest metro area: Pennsylvania's largest metropolitan area is Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area (6,330,422 people) vs Rhode Island's Providence-Warwick, RI-MA metro area (1,700,901). Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area's population is 3.7 times (272%) larger than Providence-Warwick, RI-MA metro area's.
History: Pennsylvania: Admitted to the Union on December 12, 1787, as the 2nd state. Rhode Island: Admitted to the Union on May 29, 1790, as the 13th state. In its current form, Pennsylvania is the older of the two by 3 years.
Pennsylvania vs Rhode Island Economy
GDP: Pennsylvania's GDP is $1,007.9 billion (2024) vs Rhode Island's $80.4 billion. Pennsylvania's economic output is 12.5 times larger than Rhode Island's.
GDP per capita: Pennsylvania: $77,062 per person vs Rhode Island: $72,265. Pennsylvania's GDP per capita is 1.1 times (7%) higher than Rhode Island's.
Average income: Pennsylvania: $70,678 vs Rhode Island: $70,622 average income per person (per capita personal income). Pennsylvania and Rhode Island have about the same average income.
Pennsylvania vs Rhode Island Counties
Number of counties: Pennsylvania has 67 counties, while Rhode Island has 5. Pennsylvania's county count is 13.4 times higher than Rhode Island's.
Biggest county by area: Pennsylvania's largest county is Lycoming County at 1,229 square miles; Rhode Island's is Providence County at 410 square miles. Lycoming County's land area is 3.0 times (200%) larger than Providence County's.
Smallest county by area: Pennsylvania: Montour County (130 sq mi) vs Rhode Island: Bristol County (24 sq mi). Montour County's land area is 5.4 times (441%) larger than Bristol County's.
Most populous county: Pennsylvania: Philadelphia County (1,573,916 people) vs Rhode Island: Providence County (675,912 people). Philadelphia County's population is 2.3 times (133%) larger than Providence County's.
Least populous county: Pennsylvania: Cameron County (4,348 people) vs Rhode Island: Bristol County (50,145 people). Bristol County's population is 11.5 times larger than Cameron County's.
Richest county: Pennsylvania: Chester County ($110,883 per capita income) vs Rhode Island: Bristol County ($99,923). Chester County's income is 1.1 times (11%) richer than Bristol County's.
Poorest county: Pennsylvania: Forest County ($30,234 per capita income) vs Rhode Island: Providence County ($61,040). Providence County's income is 2.0 times (102%) richer than Forest County's.
Pennsylvania vs Rhode Island Taxes
State income tax: Pennsylvania has a top income tax rate of 3.07%, while Rhode Island has a top income tax rate of 5.99%. Rhode Island's top rate is 2.92 percentage points higher.
Property tax: Pennsylvania: 1.16% effective rate vs Rhode Island: 1.07% of home value per year. Pennsylvania's rate is 0.09 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: Pennsylvania: 6.34% combined state and average local rate vs Rhode Island: 7%. Rhode Island's combined rate is 0.66 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Pennsylvania official website · Rhode Island official website
More Size Comparisons
All Pennsylvania size comparisons · All Rhode Island 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.