The map above shows Alabama and Kentucky side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Alabama vs Kentucky Geography
Land area
- Alabama has a land area of 50,651 square miles (131,185 km²), while Kentucky has 39,485 square miles (102,267 km²).
- Alabama's land area is 1.3 times (28%) larger than Kentucky's.
Total area
- Alabama: 52,420 square miles (135,767 km²) vs Kentucky: 40,406 square miles (104,651 km²), including inland and coastal water.
- Alabama's total area is 1.3 times (30%) larger than Kentucky's.
Length
- Alabama is 331 miles (532 km) long from north to south; Kentucky is 257 miles (414 km).
- Alabama's north-south length is 1.3 times (29%) longer than Kentucky's.
Width
- Alabama spans 212 miles (341 km) east to west; Kentucky spans 418 miles (672 km).
- Kentucky's east-west width is 2.0 times (97%) wider than Alabama's.
Highest point
- Alabama's highest point is Cheaha Mountain at 2,405 feet (733 m); Kentucky's is Black Mountain at 4,134 feet (1,260 m).
- Black Mountain is 1,729 feet higher than Cheaha Mountain.
Lowest point
- Alabama's lowest point is Gulf of Mexico at 0 feet; Kentucky's is Mississippi River at 270 feet.
- Alabama's lowest point is 270 feet lower.
Alabama vs Kentucky Population and History
Population
- Alabama has a population of 5,157,699 (2024), while Kentucky has 4,588,372 (2024).
- Alabama's population is 1.1 times (12%) larger than Kentucky's.
Population density
- Alabama: 101.8 people per square mile vs Kentucky: 116.2.
- Kentucky's population density is 1.1 times (14%) higher than Alabama's.
Biggest city
- Alabama's biggest city is Huntsville with 230,402 people; Kentucky's is Louisville with 640,796.
- Louisville's population is 2.8 times (178%) larger than Huntsville's.
Largest metro area
- Alabama's largest metropolitan area is Birmingham, AL metro area (1,192,583 people) vs Kentucky's Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN metro area (2,302,815).
- Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN metro area's population is 1.9 times (93%) larger than Birmingham, AL metro area's.
History
- Alabama: Admitted to the Union on December 14, 1819, as the 22nd state.
- Kentucky: Admitted to the Union on June 1, 1792, as the 15th state.
- In its current form, Kentucky is the older of the two by 27 years.
Alabama vs Kentucky Economy
GDP
- Alabama's GDP is $325.3 billion (2024) vs Kentucky's $295.4 billion.
- Alabama's economic output is 1.1 times (10%) larger than Kentucky's.
GDP per capita
- Alabama: $63,080 per person vs Kentucky: $64,375.
- Alabama and Kentucky have about the same GDP per capita.
Average income
- Alabama: $57,311 vs Kentucky: $58,256 average income per person (per capita personal income).
- Alabama and Kentucky have about the same average income.
Alabama vs Kentucky Counties
Number of counties
- Alabama has 67 counties, while Kentucky has 120.
- Kentucky's county count is 1.8 times (79%) higher than Alabama's.
Biggest county by area
- Alabama's largest county is Baldwin County at 1,590 square miles; Kentucky's is Pike County at 786 square miles.
- Baldwin County's land area is 2.0 times (102%) larger than Pike County's.
Smallest county by area
- Alabama: Etowah County (535 sq mi) vs Kentucky: Gallatin County (98 sq mi).
- Etowah County's land area is 5.4 times (444%) larger than Gallatin County's.
Most populous county
- Alabama: Jefferson County (664,744 people) vs Kentucky: Jefferson County (793,881 people).
- Jefferson County's population is 1.2 times (19%) larger than Jefferson County's.
Least populous county
- Alabama: Greene County (7,127 people) vs Kentucky: Robertson County (2,382 people).
- Greene County's population is 3.0 times (199%) larger than Robertson County's.
Richest county
- Alabama: Jefferson County ($75,312 per capita income) vs Kentucky: Oldham County ($87,137).
- Oldham County's income is 1.2 times (16%) richer than Jefferson County's.
Poorest county
- Alabama: Bullock County ($39,403 per capita income) vs Kentucky: Elliott County ($31,817).
- Bullock County's income is 1.2 times (24%) richer than Elliott County's.
Alabama vs Kentucky Taxes
State income tax
- Alabama has a top income tax rate of 5%, while Kentucky has a top income tax rate of 3.5%.
- Alabama's top rate is 1.5 percentage points higher.
Property tax
- Alabama: 0.38% effective rate vs Kentucky: 0.71% of home value per year.
- Kentucky's rate is 0.33 percentage points higher.
Sales tax
- Alabama: 9.46% combined state and average local rate vs Kentucky: 6%.
- Alabama's combined rate is 3.46 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Alabama official website · Kentucky official website
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More Size Comparisons
All Alabama size comparisons · All Kentucky 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.