The map above shows West Virginia and Wisconsin side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
West Virginia vs Wisconsin Geography
Land area: West Virginia has a land area of 24,041 square miles (62,266 km²), while Wisconsin has 54,168 square miles (140,294 km²). Wisconsin's land area is 2.3 times (125%) larger than West Virginia's.
Total area: West Virginia: 24,230 square miles (62,755 km²) vs Wisconsin: 65,497 square miles (169,636 km²), including inland and coastal water. Wisconsin's total area is 2.7 times (170%) larger than West Virginia's.
Length: West Virginia is 245 miles (394 km) long from north to south; Wisconsin is 368 miles (593 km). Wisconsin's north-south length is 1.5 times (50%) longer than West Virginia's.
Width: West Virginia spans 276 miles (444 km) east to west; Wisconsin spans 323 miles (521 km). Wisconsin's east-west width is 1.2 times (17%) wider than West Virginia's.
Highest point: West Virginia's highest point is Spruce Knob at 4,863 feet (1,482 m); Wisconsin's is Timms Hill at 1,946 feet (593 m). Spruce Knob is 2,917 feet higher than Timms Hill.
Lowest point: West Virginia's lowest point is Potomac River at 240 feet; Wisconsin's is Lake Michigan at 577 feet. West Virginia's lowest point is 337 feet lower.
West Virginia vs Wisconsin Population and History
Population: West Virginia has a population of 1,769,979 (2024), while Wisconsin has 5,960,975 (2024). Wisconsin's population is 3.4 times (237%) larger than West Virginia's.
Population density: West Virginia: 73.6 people per square mile vs Wisconsin: 110.0. Wisconsin's population density is 1.5 times (49%) higher than West Virginia's.
Biggest city: West Virginia's biggest city is Charleston with 46,482 people; Wisconsin's is Milwaukee with 563,531. Milwaukee's population is 12.1 times larger than Charleston's.
Largest metro area: West Virginia's largest metropolitan area is Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area (6,436,489 people) vs Wisconsin's Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI metro area (3,757,952). Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area's population is 1.7 times (71%) larger than Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI metro area's.
History: West Virginia: Admitted to the Union on June 20, 1863, as the 35th state. Wisconsin: Admitted to the Union on May 29, 1848, as the 30th state. In its current form, Wisconsin is the older of the two by 15 years.
West Virginia vs Wisconsin Economy
GDP: West Virginia's GDP is $106.5 billion (2024) vs Wisconsin's $453.3 billion. Wisconsin's economic output is 4.3 times (326%) larger than West Virginia's.
GDP per capita: West Virginia: $60,156 per person vs Wisconsin: $76,044. Wisconsin's GDP per capita is 1.3 times (26%) higher than West Virginia's.
Average income: West Virginia: $55,351 vs Wisconsin: $67,755 average income per person (per capita personal income). Wisconsin's average income is 1.2 times (22%) higher than West Virginia's.
West Virginia vs Wisconsin Counties
Number of counties: West Virginia has 55 counties, while Wisconsin has 72. Wisconsin's county count is 1.3 times (31%) higher than West Virginia's.
Biggest county by area: West Virginia's largest county is Randolph County at 1,040 square miles; Wisconsin's is Marathon County at 1,545 square miles. Marathon County's land area is 1.5 times (49%) larger than Randolph County's.
Smallest county by area: West Virginia: Hancock County (83 sq mi) vs Wisconsin: Pepin County (232 sq mi). Pepin County's land area is 2.8 times (181%) larger than Hancock County's.
Most populous county: West Virginia: Kanawha County (173,906 people) vs Wisconsin: Milwaukee County (924,740 people). Milwaukee County's population is 5.3 times (432%) larger than Kanawha County's.
Least populous county: West Virginia: Wirt County (4,924 people) vs Wisconsin: Menominee County (4,286 people). Wirt County's population is 1.1 times (15%) larger than Menominee County's.
Richest county: West Virginia: Jefferson County ($70,542 per capita income) vs Wisconsin: Ozaukee County ($109,947). Ozaukee County's income is 1.6 times (56%) richer than Jefferson County's.
Poorest county: West Virginia: Webster County ($35,039 per capita income) vs Wisconsin: Menominee County ($43,696). Menominee County's income is 1.2 times (25%) richer than Webster County's.
West Virginia vs Wisconsin Taxes
State income tax: West Virginia has a top income tax rate of 4.82%, while Wisconsin has a top income tax rate of 7.65%. Wisconsin's top rate is 2.83 percentage points higher.
Property tax: West Virginia: 0.52% effective rate vs Wisconsin: 1.25% of home value per year. Wisconsin's rate is 0.73 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: West Virginia: 6.6% combined state and average local rate vs Wisconsin: 5.72%. West Virginia's combined rate is 0.88 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
West Virginia official website · Wisconsin official website
More Size Comparisons
All West Virginia 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.