The map above shows Tennessee and Virginia side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Tennessee vs Virginia Geography
Land area: Tennessee has a land area of 41,224 square miles (106,770 km²), while Virginia has 39,481 square miles (102,256 km²). Tennessee and Virginia have about the same land area.
Total area: Tennessee: 42,130 square miles (109,116 km²) vs Virginia: 42,775 square miles (110,786 km²), including inland and coastal water. Tennessee and Virginia have about the same total area.
Length: Tennessee is 191 miles (308 km) long from north to south; Virginia is 223 miles (359 km). Virginia's north-south length is 1.2 times (17%) longer than Tennessee's.
Width: Tennessee spans 497 miles (800 km) east to west; Virginia spans 466 miles (750 km). Tennessee's east-west width is 1.1 times (7%) wider than Virginia's.
Highest point: Tennessee's highest point is Clingmans Dome at 6,624 feet (2,019 m); Virginia's is Mount Rogers at 5,729 feet (1,746 m). Clingmans Dome is 895 feet higher than Mount Rogers.
Lowest point: Tennessee's lowest point is Mississippi River at 178 feet; Virginia's is Atlantic Ocean at 0 feet. Virginia's lowest point is 178 feet lower.
Tennessee vs Virginia Population and History
Population: Tennessee has a population of 7,227,750 (2024), while Virginia has 8,811,195 (2024). Virginia's population is 1.2 times (22%) larger than Tennessee's.
Population density: Tennessee: 175.3 people per square mile vs Virginia: 223.2. Virginia's population density is 1.3 times (27%) higher than Tennessee's.
Biggest city: Tennessee's biggest city is Nashville with 704,963 people; Virginia's is Virginia Beach with 454,808. Nashville's population is 1.6 times (55%) larger than Virginia Beach's.
Largest metro area: Tennessee's largest metropolitan area is Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN metro area (2,150,553 people) vs 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 3.0 times (199%) larger than Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN metro area's.
History: Tennessee: Admitted to the Union on June 1, 1796, as the 16th state. Virginia: Admitted to the Union on June 25, 1788, as the 10th state. In its current form, Virginia is the older of the two by 8 years.
Tennessee vs Virginia Economy
GDP: Tennessee's GDP is $561.2 billion (2024) vs Virginia's $761.7 billion. Virginia's economic output is 1.4 times (36%) larger than Tennessee's.
GDP per capita: Tennessee: $77,645 per person vs Virginia: $86,451. Virginia's GDP per capita is 1.1 times (11%) higher than Tennessee's.
Average income: Tennessee: $66,504 vs Virginia: $77,351 average income per person (per capita personal income). Virginia's average income is 1.2 times (16%) higher than Tennessee's.
Tennessee vs Virginia Counties
Number of counties: Tennessee has 95 counties, while Virginia has 133. Virginia's county count is 1.4 times (40%) higher than Tennessee's.
Biggest county by area: Tennessee's largest county is Shelby County at 753 square miles; Virginia's is Pittsylvania County at 969 square miles. Pittsylvania County's land area is 1.3 times (29%) larger than Shelby County's.
Smallest county by area: Tennessee: Trousdale County (114 sq mi) vs Virginia: Falls Church city (2 sq mi). Trousdale County's land area is 57.2 times larger than Falls Church city's.
Most populous county: Tennessee: Shelby County (910,530 people) vs Virginia: Fairfax County (1,160,925 people). Fairfax County's population is 1.3 times (27%) larger than Shelby County's.
Least populous county: Tennessee: Pickett County (5,108 people) vs Virginia: Highland County (2,348 people). Pickett County's population is 2.2 times (118%) larger than Highland County's.
Richest county: Tennessee: Williamson County ($139,704 per capita income) vs Virginia: Arlington County ($131,624). Williamson County's income is 1.1 times (6%) richer than Arlington County's.
Poorest county: Tennessee: Lake County ($31,572 per capita income) vs Virginia: Sussex County ($41,032). Sussex County's income is 1.3 times (30%) richer than Lake County's.
Tennessee vs Virginia Taxes
State income tax: Tennessee has no state income tax, while Virginia has a top income tax rate of 5.75%. Virginia's top rate is 5.75 percentage points higher.
Property tax: Tennessee: 0.45% effective rate vs Virginia: 0.71% of home value per year. Virginia's rate is 0.26 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: Tennessee: 9.61% combined state and average local rate vs Virginia: 5.77%. Tennessee's combined rate is 3.84 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Tennessee official website · Virginia official website
More Size Comparisons
All Tennessee size comparisons · All 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.