The map above shows Rhode Island and Wisconsin side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Rhode Island vs Wisconsin Geography
Land area: Rhode Island has a land area of 1,034 square miles (2,678 km²), while Wisconsin has 54,168 square miles (140,294 km²). Wisconsin's land area is 52.4 times larger than Rhode Island's.
Total area: Rhode Island: 1,545 square miles (4,002 km²) vs Wisconsin: 65,497 square miles (169,636 km²), including inland and coastal water. Wisconsin's total area is 42.4 times larger than Rhode Island's.
Length: Rhode Island is 61 miles (98 km) long from north to south; Wisconsin is 368 miles (593 km). Wisconsin's north-south length is 6.0 times (503%) longer than Rhode Island's.
Width: Rhode Island spans 42 miles (67 km) east to west; Wisconsin spans 323 miles (521 km). Wisconsin's east-west width is 7.7 times (669%) wider than Rhode Island's.
Highest point: Rhode Island's highest point is Jerimoth Hill at 811 feet (247 m); Wisconsin's is Timms Hill at 1,946 feet (593 m). Timms Hill is 1,135 feet higher than Jerimoth Hill.
Lowest point: Rhode Island's lowest point is Atlantic Ocean at 0 feet; Wisconsin's is Lake Michigan at 577 feet. Rhode Island's lowest point is 577 feet lower.
Rhode Island vs Wisconsin Population and History
Population: Rhode Island has a population of 1,112,308 (2024), while Wisconsin has 5,960,975 (2024). Wisconsin's population is 5.4 times (436%) larger than Rhode Island's.
Population density: Rhode Island: 1,075.8 people per square mile vs Wisconsin: 110.0. Rhode Island's population density is 9.8 times (878%) higher than Wisconsin's.
Biggest city: Rhode Island's biggest city is Providence with 194,706 people; Wisconsin's is Milwaukee with 563,531. Milwaukee's population is 2.9 times (189%) larger than Providence's.
Largest metro area: Rhode Island's largest metropolitan area is Providence-Warwick, RI-MA metro area (1,700,901 people) vs Wisconsin's Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI metro area (3,757,952). Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI metro area's population is 2.2 times (121%) larger than Providence-Warwick, RI-MA metro area's.
History: Rhode Island: Admitted to the Union on May 29, 1790, as the 13th state. Wisconsin: Admitted to the Union on May 29, 1848, as the 30th state. In its current form, Rhode Island is the older of the two by 58 years.
Rhode Island vs Wisconsin Economy
GDP: Rhode Island's GDP is $80.4 billion (2024) vs Wisconsin's $453.3 billion. Wisconsin's economic output is 5.6 times (464%) larger than Rhode Island's.
GDP per capita: Rhode Island: $72,265 per person vs Wisconsin: $76,044. Wisconsin's GDP per capita is 1.1 times (5%) higher than Rhode Island's.
Average income: Rhode Island: $70,622 vs Wisconsin: $67,755 average income per person (per capita personal income). Rhode Island and Wisconsin have about the same average income.
Rhode Island vs Wisconsin Counties
Number of counties: Rhode Island has 5 counties, while Wisconsin has 72. Wisconsin's county count is 14.4 times higher than Rhode Island's.
Biggest county by area: Rhode Island's largest county is Providence County at 410 square miles; Wisconsin's is Marathon County at 1,545 square miles. Marathon County's land area is 3.8 times (277%) larger than Providence County's.
Smallest county by area: Rhode Island: Bristol County (24 sq mi) vs Wisconsin: Pepin County (232 sq mi). Pepin County's land area is 9.6 times (863%) larger than Bristol County's.
Most populous county: Rhode Island: Providence County (675,912 people) vs Wisconsin: Milwaukee County (924,740 people). Milwaukee County's population is 1.4 times (37%) larger than Providence County's.
Least populous county: Rhode Island: Bristol County (50,145 people) vs Wisconsin: Menominee County (4,286 people). Bristol County's population is 11.7 times larger than Menominee County's.
Richest county: Rhode Island: Bristol County ($99,923 per capita income) vs Wisconsin: Ozaukee County ($109,947). Ozaukee County's income is 1.1 times (10%) richer than Bristol County's.
Poorest county: Rhode Island: Providence County ($61,040 per capita income) vs Wisconsin: Menominee County ($43,696). Providence County's income is 1.4 times (40%) richer than Menominee County's.
Rhode Island vs Wisconsin Taxes
State income tax: Rhode Island has a top income tax rate of 5.99%, while Wisconsin has a top income tax rate of 7.65%. Wisconsin's top rate is 1.66 percentage points higher.
Property tax: Rhode Island: 1.07% effective rate vs Wisconsin: 1.25% of home value per year. Wisconsin's rate is 0.18 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: Rhode Island: 7% combined state and average local rate vs Wisconsin: 5.72%. Rhode Island's combined rate is 1.28 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Rhode Island official website · Wisconsin official website
More Size Comparisons
All Rhode Island size comparisons · All Wisconsin 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.