The map above shows Arkansas and Kentucky side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Arkansas vs Kentucky Geography
Land area
- Arkansas has a land area of 51,992 square miles (134,658 km²), while Kentucky has 39,485 square miles (102,267 km²).
- Arkansas' land area is 1.3 times (32%) larger than Kentucky's.
Total area
- Arkansas: 53,198 square miles (137,781 km²) vs Kentucky: 40,406 square miles (104,651 km²), including inland and coastal water.
- Arkansas' total area is 1.3 times (32%) larger than Kentucky's.
Length
- Arkansas is 243 miles (392 km) long from north to south; Kentucky is 257 miles (414 km).
- Kentucky's north-south length is 1.1 times (6%) longer than Arkansas'.
Width
- Arkansas spans 279 miles (449 km) east to west; Kentucky spans 418 miles (672 km).
- Kentucky's east-west width is 1.5 times (50%) wider than Arkansas'.
Highest point
- Arkansas's highest point is Mount Magazine at 2,752 feet (839 m); Kentucky's is Black Mountain at 4,134 feet (1,260 m).
- Black Mountain is 1,382 feet higher than Mount Magazine.
Lowest point
- Arkansas's lowest point is Ouachita River at 55 feet; Kentucky's is Mississippi River at 270 feet.
- Arkansas's lowest point is 215 feet lower.
Arkansas vs Kentucky Population and History
Population
- Arkansas has a population of 3,088,354 (2024), while Kentucky has 4,588,372 (2024).
- Kentucky's population is 1.5 times (49%) larger than Arkansas'.
Population density
- Arkansas: 59.4 people per square mile vs Kentucky: 116.2.
- Kentucky's population density is 2.0 times (96%) higher than Arkansas'.
Biggest city
- Arkansas's biggest city is Little Rock with 204,774 people; Kentucky's is Louisville with 640,796.
- Louisville's population is 3.1 times (213%) larger than Little Rock's.
Largest metro area
- Arkansas's largest metropolitan area is Memphis, TN-MS-AR metro area (1,339,345 people) vs Kentucky's Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN metro area (2,302,815).
- Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN metro area's population is 1.7 times (72%) larger than Memphis, TN-MS-AR metro area's.
History
- Arkansas: Admitted to the Union on June 15, 1836, as the 25th 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 44 years.
Arkansas vs Kentucky Economy
GDP
- Arkansas's GDP is $188.3 billion (2024) vs Kentucky's $295.4 billion.
- Kentucky's economic output is 1.6 times (57%) larger than Arkansas'.
GDP per capita
- Arkansas: $60,984 per person vs Kentucky: $64,375.
- Kentucky's GDP per capita is 1.1 times (6%) higher than Arkansas'.
Average income
- Arkansas: $59,320 vs Kentucky: $58,256 average income per person (per capita personal income).
- Arkansas and Kentucky have about the same average income.
Arkansas vs Kentucky Counties
Number of counties
- Arkansas has 75 counties, while Kentucky has 120.
- Kentucky's county count is 1.6 times (60%) higher than Arkansas'.
Biggest county by area
- Arkansas's largest county is Union County at 1,039 square miles; Kentucky's is Pike County at 786 square miles.
- Union County's land area is 1.3 times (32%) larger than Pike County's.
Smallest county by area
- Arkansas: Lafayette County (530 sq mi) vs Kentucky: Gallatin County (98 sq mi).
- Lafayette County's land area is 5.4 times (439%) larger than Gallatin County's.
Most populous county
- Arkansas: Pulaski County (401,209 people) vs Kentucky: Jefferson County (793,881 people).
- Jefferson County's population is 2.0 times (98%) larger than Pulaski County's.
Least populous county
- Arkansas: Calhoun County (4,690 people) vs Kentucky: Robertson County (2,382 people).
- Calhoun County's population is 2.0 times (97%) larger than Robertson County's.
Richest county
- Arkansas: Benton County ($120,594 per capita income) vs Kentucky: Oldham County ($87,137).
- Benton County's income is 1.4 times (38%) richer than Oldham County's.
Poorest county
- Arkansas: Lincoln County ($36,032 per capita income) vs Kentucky: Elliott County ($31,817).
- Lincoln County's income is 1.1 times (13%) richer than Elliott County's.
Arkansas vs Kentucky Taxes
State income tax
- Arkansas has a top income tax rate of 3.9%, while Kentucky has a top income tax rate of 3.5%.
- Arkansas's top rate is 0.4 percentage points higher.
Property tax
- Arkansas: 0.52% effective rate vs Kentucky: 0.71% of home value per year.
- Kentucky's rate is 0.19 percentage points higher.
Sales tax
- Arkansas: 9.48% combined state and average local rate vs Kentucky: 6%.
- Arkansas's combined rate is 3.48 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Arkansas official website · Kentucky official website
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More Size Comparisons
All Arkansas 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.