The map above shows Alabama and Tennessee side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Alabama vs Tennessee Geography
Land area
- Alabama has a land area of 50,651 square miles (131,185 km²), while Tennessee has 41,224 square miles (106,770 km²).
- Alabama's land area is 1.2 times (23%) larger than Tennessee's.
Total area
- Alabama: 52,420 square miles (135,767 km²) vs Tennessee: 42,130 square miles (109,116 km²), including inland and coastal water.
- Alabama's total area is 1.2 times (24%) larger than Tennessee's.
Length
- Alabama is 331 miles (532 km) long from north to south; Tennessee is 191 miles (308 km).
- Alabama's north-south length is 1.7 times (73%) longer than Tennessee's.
Width
- Alabama spans 212 miles (341 km) east to west; Tennessee spans 497 miles (800 km).
- Tennessee's east-west width is 2.3 times (134%) wider than Alabama's.
Highest point
- Alabama's highest point is Cheaha Mountain at 2,405 feet (733 m); Tennessee's is Clingmans Dome at 6,624 feet (2,019 m).
- Clingmans Dome is 4,219 feet higher than Cheaha Mountain.
Lowest point
- Alabama's lowest point is Gulf of Mexico at 0 feet; Tennessee's is Mississippi River at 178 feet.
- Alabama's lowest point is 178 feet lower.
Alabama vs Tennessee Population and History
Population
- Alabama has a population of 5,157,699 (2024), while Tennessee has 7,227,750 (2024).
- Tennessee's population is 1.4 times (40%) larger than Alabama's.
Population density
- Alabama: 101.8 people per square mile vs Tennessee: 175.3.
- Tennessee's population density is 1.7 times (72%) higher than Alabama's.
Biggest city
- Alabama's biggest city is Huntsville with 230,402 people; Tennessee's is Nashville with 704,963.
- Nashville's population is 3.1 times (206%) larger than Huntsville's.
Largest metro area
- Alabama's largest metropolitan area is Birmingham, AL metro area (1,192,583 people) vs Tennessee's Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN metro area (2,150,553).
- Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN metro area's population is 1.8 times (80%) larger than Birmingham, AL metro area's.
History
- Alabama: Admitted to the Union on December 14, 1819, as the 22nd state.
- Tennessee: Admitted to the Union on June 1, 1796, as the 16th state.
- In its current form, Tennessee is the older of the two by 23 years.
Alabama vs Tennessee Economy
GDP
- Alabama's GDP is $325.3 billion (2024) vs Tennessee's $561.2 billion.
- Tennessee's economic output is 1.7 times (73%) larger than Alabama's.
GDP per capita
- Alabama: $63,080 per person vs Tennessee: $77,645.
- Tennessee's GDP per capita is 1.2 times (23%) higher than Alabama's.
Average income
- Alabama: $57,311 vs Tennessee: $66,504 average income per person (per capita personal income).
- Tennessee's average income is 1.2 times (16%) higher than Alabama's.
Alabama vs Tennessee Counties
Number of counties
- Alabama has 67 counties, while Tennessee has 95.
- Tennessee's county count is 1.4 times (42%) higher than Alabama's.
Biggest county by area
- Alabama's largest county is Baldwin County at 1,590 square miles; Tennessee's is Shelby County at 753 square miles.
- Baldwin County's land area is 2.1 times (111%) larger than Shelby County's.
Smallest county by area
- Alabama: Etowah County (535 sq mi) vs Tennessee: Trousdale County (114 sq mi).
- Etowah County's land area is 4.7 times (368%) larger than Trousdale County's.
Most populous county
- Alabama: Jefferson County (664,744 people) vs Tennessee: Shelby County (910,530 people).
- Shelby County's population is 1.4 times (37%) larger than Jefferson County's.
Least populous county
- Alabama: Greene County (7,127 people) vs Tennessee: Pickett County (5,108 people).
- Greene County's population is 1.4 times (40%) larger than Pickett County's.
Richest county
- Alabama: Jefferson County ($75,312 per capita income) vs Tennessee: Williamson County ($139,704).
- Williamson County's income is 1.9 times (86%) richer than Jefferson County's.
Poorest county
- Alabama: Bullock County ($39,403 per capita income) vs Tennessee: Lake County ($31,572).
- Bullock County's income is 1.2 times (25%) richer than Lake County's.
Alabama vs Tennessee Taxes
State income tax
- Alabama has a top income tax rate of 5%, while Tennessee has no state income tax.
- Alabama's top rate is 5 percentage points higher.
Property tax
- Alabama: 0.38% effective rate vs Tennessee: 0.45% of home value per year.
- Tennessee's rate is 0.07 percentage points higher.
Sales tax
- Alabama: 9.46% combined state and average local rate vs Tennessee: 9.61%.
- Tennessee's combined rate is 0.15 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Alabama official website · Tennessee official website
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More Size Comparisons
All Alabama size comparisons · All Tennessee 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.