The map above shows Alaska and Michigan side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Alaska vs Michigan Geography
Land area: Alaska has a land area of 571,242 square miles (1,479,509 km²), while Michigan has 56,611 square miles (146,622 km²). Alaska's land area is 10.1 times larger than Michigan's.
Total area: Alaska: 665,725 square miles (1,724,220 km²) vs Michigan: 96,713 square miles (250,486 km²), including inland and coastal water. Alaska's total area is 6.9 times (588%) larger than Michigan's.
Length: Alaska is 1,201 miles (1,933 km) long from north to south; Michigan is 489 miles (786 km). Alaska's north-south length is 2.5 times (146%) longer than Michigan's.
Width: Alaska spans 1,544 miles (2,485 km) east to west; Michigan spans 453 miles (728 km). Alaska's east-west width is 3.4 times (241%) wider than Michigan's.
Highest point: Alaska's highest point is Denali at 20,235 feet (6,168 m); Michigan's is Mount Arvon at 2,014 feet (614 m). Denali is 18,221 feet higher than Mount Arvon.
Lowest point: Alaska's lowest point is Pacific Ocean at 0 feet; Michigan's is Lake Erie at 571 feet. Alaska's lowest point is 571 feet lower.
Alaska vs Michigan Population and History
Population: Alaska has a population of 740,133 (2024), while Michigan has 10,140,459 (2024). Michigan's population is 13.7 times larger than Alaska's.
Population density: Alaska: 1.3 people per square mile vs Michigan: 179.1. Michigan's population density is 137.8 times higher than Alaska's.
Biggest city: Alaska's biggest city is Anchorage with 289,600 people; Michigan's is Detroit with 645,705. Detroit's population is 2.2 times (123%) larger than Anchorage's.
Largest metro area: Alaska's largest metropolitan area is Anchorage, AK metro area (407,213 people) vs Michigan's Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI metro area (4,400,578). Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI metro area's population is 10.8 times larger than Anchorage, AK metro area's.
History: Alaska: Admitted to the Union on January 3, 1959, as the 49th state. Michigan: Admitted to the Union on January 26, 1837, as the 26th state. In its current form, Michigan is the older of the two by 122 years.
Alaska vs Michigan Economy
GDP: Alaska's GDP is $71.6 billion (2024) vs Michigan's $702.5 billion. Michigan's economic output is 9.8 times (881%) larger than Alaska's.
GDP per capita: Alaska: $96,695 per person vs Michigan: $69,274. Alaska's GDP per capita is 1.4 times (40%) higher than Michigan's.
Average income: Alaska: $76,234 vs Michigan: $63,690 average income per person (per capita personal income). Alaska's average income is 1.2 times (20%) higher than Michigan's.
Alaska vs Michigan Counties
Number of counties: Alaska has 30 counties, while Michigan has 83. Michigan's county count is 2.8 times (177%) higher than Alaska's.
Biggest county by area: Alaska's largest county is Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area at 145,769 square miles; Michigan's is Marquette County at 1,809 square miles. Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area's land area is 80.6 times larger than Marquette County's.
Smallest county by area: Alaska: Skagway Municipality (443 sq mi) vs Michigan: Benzie County (320 sq mi). Skagway Municipality's land area is 1.4 times (39%) larger than Benzie County's.
Most populous county: Alaska: Anchorage Municipality (289,600 people) vs Michigan: Wayne County (1,771,063 people). Wayne County's population is 6.1 times (512%) larger than Anchorage Municipality's.
Least populous county: Alaska: Yakutat City and Borough (690 people) vs Michigan: Keweenaw County (2,161 people). Keweenaw County's population is 3.1 times (213%) larger than Yakutat City and Borough's.
Richest county: Alaska: Bristol Bay Borough ($158,406 per capita income) vs Michigan: Oakland County ($93,579). Bristol Bay Borough's income is 1.7 times (69%) richer than Oakland County's.
Poorest county: Alaska: Kusilvak Census Area ($37,765 per capita income) vs Michigan: Lake County ($39,505). Kusilvak Census Area and Lake County have about the same income.
Alaska vs Michigan Taxes
State income tax: Alaska has no state income tax, while Michigan has a top income tax rate of 4.25%. Michigan's top rate is 4.25 percentage points higher.
Property tax: Alaska: 1.06% effective rate vs Michigan: 1.18% of home value per year. Michigan's rate is 0.12 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: Alaska: 1.82% combined state and average local rate vs Michigan: 6%. Michigan's combined rate is 4.18 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Alaska official website · Michigan official website
More Size Comparisons
All Alaska size comparisons · All Michigan 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.