The map above shows Arkansas and Mississippi side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Arkansas vs Mississippi Geography
Land area
- Arkansas has a land area of 51,992 square miles (134,658 km²), while Mississippi has 46,925 square miles (121,534 km²).
- Arkansas' land area is 1.1 times (11%) larger than Mississippi's.
Total area
- Arkansas: 53,198 square miles (137,781 km²) vs Mississippi: 48,436 square miles (125,448 km²), including inland and coastal water.
- Arkansas' total area is 1.1 times (10%) larger than Mississippi's.
Length
- Arkansas is 243 miles (392 km) long from north to south; Mississippi is 337 miles (542 km).
- Mississippi's north-south length is 1.4 times (39%) longer than Arkansas'.
Width
- Arkansas spans 279 miles (449 km) east to west; Mississippi spans 340 miles (547 km).
- Mississippi's east-west width is 1.2 times (22%) wider than Arkansas'.
Highest point
- Arkansas's highest point is Mount Magazine at 2,752 feet (839 m); Mississippi's is Woodall Mountain at 805 feet (245 m).
- Mount Magazine is 1,947 feet higher than Woodall Mountain.
Lowest point
- Arkansas's lowest point is Ouachita River at 55 feet; Mississippi's is Gulf of Mexico at 0 feet.
- Mississippi's lowest point is 55 feet lower.
Arkansas vs Mississippi Population and History
Population
- Arkansas has a population of 3,088,354 (2024), while Mississippi has 2,943,045 (2024).
- Arkansas' population is 1.0 times (5%) larger than Mississippi's.
Population density
- Arkansas: 59.4 people per square mile vs Mississippi: 62.7.
- Mississippi's population density is 1.1 times (6%) higher than Arkansas'.
Biggest city
- Arkansas's biggest city is Little Rock with 204,774 people; Mississippi's is Jackson with 141,449.
- Little Rock's population is 1.4 times (45%) larger than Jackson's.
Largest metro area
- Arkansas's largest metropolitan area is Memphis, TN-MS-AR metro area (1,339,345 people) vs Mississippi's Memphis, TN-MS-AR metro area (1,339,345).
- Memphis, TN-MS-AR metro area and Memphis, TN-MS-AR metro area have about the same population.
History
- Arkansas: Admitted to the Union on June 15, 1836, as the 25th state.
- Mississippi: Admitted to the Union on December 10, 1817, as the 20th state.
- In its current form, Mississippi is the older of the two by 19 years.
Arkansas vs Mississippi Economy
GDP
- Arkansas's GDP is $188.3 billion (2024) vs Mississippi's $158.2 billion.
- Arkansas' economic output is 1.2 times (19%) larger than Mississippi's.
GDP per capita
- Arkansas: $60,984 per person vs Mississippi: $53,751.
- Arkansas' GDP per capita is 1.1 times (13%) higher than Mississippi's.
Average income
- Arkansas: $59,320 vs Mississippi: $52,074 average income per person (per capita personal income).
- Arkansas' average income is 1.1 times (14%) higher than Mississippi's.
Arkansas vs Mississippi Counties
Number of counties
- Arkansas has 75 counties, while Mississippi has 82.
- Mississippi's county count is 1.1 times (9%) higher than Arkansas'.
Biggest county by area
- Arkansas's largest county is Union County at 1,039 square miles; Mississippi's is Yazoo County at 922 square miles.
- Union County's land area is 1.1 times (13%) larger than Yazoo County's.
Smallest county by area
- Arkansas: Lafayette County (530 sq mi) vs Mississippi: Alcorn County (400 sq mi).
- Lafayette County's land area is 1.3 times (32%) larger than Alcorn County's.
Most populous county
- Arkansas: Pulaski County (401,209 people) vs Mississippi: Harrison County (213,730 people).
- Pulaski County's population is 1.9 times (88%) larger than Harrison County's.
Least populous county
- Arkansas: Calhoun County (4,690 people) vs Mississippi: Issaquena County (1,295 people).
- Calhoun County's population is 3.6 times (262%) larger than Issaquena County's.
Richest county
- Arkansas: Benton County ($120,594 per capita income) vs Mississippi: Madison County ($90,668).
- Benton County's income is 1.3 times (33%) richer than Madison County's.
Poorest county
- Arkansas: Lincoln County ($36,032 per capita income) vs Mississippi: Issaquena County ($27,264).
- Lincoln County's income is 1.3 times (32%) richer than Issaquena County's.
Arkansas vs Mississippi Taxes
State income tax
- Arkansas has a top income tax rate of 3.9%, while Mississippi has a top income tax rate of 4%.
- Mississippi's top rate is 0.1 percentage points higher.
Property tax
- Arkansas: 0.52% effective rate vs Mississippi: 0.65% of home value per year.
- Mississippi's rate is 0.13 percentage points higher.
Sales tax
- Arkansas: 9.48% combined state and average local rate vs Mississippi: 7.06%.
- Arkansas's combined rate is 2.42 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Arkansas official website · Mississippi official website
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More Size Comparisons
All Arkansas size comparisons · All Mississippi 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.