The map above shows Arkansas and Louisiana side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Arkansas vs Louisiana Geography
Land area
- Arkansas has a land area of 51,992 square miles (134,658 km²), while Louisiana has 43,213 square miles (111,921 km²).
- Arkansas' land area is 1.2 times (20%) larger than Louisiana's.
Total area
- Arkansas: 53,198 square miles (137,781 km²) vs Louisiana: 52,375 square miles (135,652 km²), including inland and coastal water.
- Arkansas and Louisiana have about the same total area.
Length
- Arkansas is 243 miles (392 km) long from north to south; Louisiana is 301 miles (484 km).
- Louisiana's north-south length is 1.2 times (24%) longer than Arkansas'.
Width
- Arkansas spans 279 miles (449 km) east to west; Louisiana spans 356 miles (574 km).
- Louisiana's east-west width is 1.3 times (28%) wider than Arkansas'.
Highest point
- Arkansas's highest point is Mount Magazine at 2,752 feet (839 m); Louisiana's is Driskill Mountain at 533 feet (162 m).
- Mount Magazine is 2,219 feet higher than Driskill Mountain.
Lowest point
- Arkansas's lowest point is Ouachita River at 55 feet; Louisiana's is New Orleans at -8 feet.
- Louisiana's lowest point is 63 feet lower.
Arkansas vs Louisiana Population and History
Population
- Arkansas has a population of 3,088,354 (2024), while Louisiana has 4,597,740 (2024).
- Louisiana's population is 1.5 times (49%) larger than Arkansas'.
Population density
- Arkansas: 59.4 people per square mile vs Louisiana: 106.4.
- Louisiana's population density is 1.8 times (79%) higher than Arkansas'.
Biggest city
- Arkansas's biggest city is Little Rock with 204,774 people; Louisiana's is New Orleans with 362,701.
- New Orleans' population is 1.8 times (77%) 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 Louisiana's New Orleans-Metairie, LA metro area (966,230).
- Memphis, TN-MS-AR metro area's population is 1.4 times (39%) larger than New Orleans-Metairie, LA metro area's.
History
- Arkansas: Admitted to the Union on June 15, 1836, as the 25th state.
- Louisiana: Admitted to the Union on April 30, 1812, as the 18th state.
- In its current form, Louisiana is the older of the two by 24 years.
Arkansas vs Louisiana Economy
GDP
- Arkansas's GDP is $188.3 billion (2024) vs Louisiana's $329.2 billion.
- Louisiana's economic output is 1.7 times (75%) larger than Arkansas'.
GDP per capita
- Arkansas: $60,984 per person vs Louisiana: $71,594.
- Louisiana's GDP per capita is 1.2 times (17%) higher than Arkansas'.
Average income
- Arkansas: $59,320 vs Louisiana: $61,897 average income per person (per capita personal income).
- Arkansas and Louisiana have about the same average income.
Arkansas vs Louisiana Counties
Number of counties
- Arkansas has 75 counties, while Louisiana has 64.
- Arkansas' county count is 1.2 times (17%) higher than Louisiana's.
Biggest county by area
- Arkansas's largest county is Union County at 1,039 square miles; Louisiana's is Vernon Parish at 1,327 square miles.
- Vernon Parish's land area is 1.3 times (28%) larger than Union County's.
Smallest county by area
- Arkansas: Lafayette County (530 sq mi) vs Louisiana: Orleans Parish (170 sq mi).
- Lafayette County's land area is 3.1 times (212%) larger than Orleans Parish's.
Most populous county
- Arkansas: Pulaski County (401,209 people) vs Louisiana: East Baton Rouge Parish (453,022 people).
- East Baton Rouge Parish's population is 1.1 times (13%) larger than Pulaski County's.
Least populous county
- Arkansas: Calhoun County (4,690 people) vs Louisiana: Tensas Parish (3,844 people).
- Calhoun County's population is 1.2 times (22%) larger than Tensas Parish's.
Richest county
- Arkansas: Benton County ($120,594 per capita income) vs Louisiana: St. Tammany Parish ($82,398).
- Benton County's income is 1.5 times (46%) richer than St. Tammany Parish's.
Poorest county
- Arkansas: Lincoln County ($36,032 per capita income) vs Louisiana: East Carroll Parish ($36,751).
- Lincoln County and East Carroll Parish have about the same income.
Arkansas vs Louisiana Taxes
State income tax
- Arkansas has a top income tax rate of 3.9%, while Louisiana has a top income tax rate of 3%.
- Arkansas's top rate is 0.9 percentage points higher.
Property tax
- Arkansas: 0.52% effective rate vs Louisiana: 0.53% of home value per year.
- The two are essentially equal.
Sales tax
- Arkansas: 9.48% combined state and average local rate vs Louisiana: 10.13%.
- Louisiana's combined rate is 0.65 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Arkansas official website · Louisiana official website
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More Size Comparisons
All Arkansas size comparisons · All Louisiana 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.