The map above shows Arkansas and West Virginia side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Arkansas vs West Virginia Geography
Land area
- Arkansas has a land area of 51,992 square miles (134,658 km²), while West Virginia has 24,041 square miles (62,266 km²).
- Arkansas' land area is 2.2 times (116%) larger than West Virginia's.
Total area
- Arkansas: 53,198 square miles (137,781 km²) vs West Virginia: 24,230 square miles (62,755 km²), including inland and coastal water.
- Arkansas' total area is 2.2 times (120%) larger than West Virginia's.
Length
- Arkansas is 243 miles (392 km) long from north to south; West Virginia is 245 miles (394 km).
- Arkansas and West Virginia have about the same north-south length.
Width
- Arkansas spans 279 miles (449 km) east to west; West Virginia spans 276 miles (444 km).
- Arkansas and West Virginia have about the same east-west width.
Highest point
- Arkansas's highest point is Mount Magazine at 2,752 feet (839 m); West Virginia's is Spruce Knob at 4,863 feet (1,482 m).
- Spruce Knob is 2,111 feet higher than Mount Magazine.
Lowest point
- Arkansas's lowest point is Ouachita River at 55 feet; West Virginia's is Potomac River at 240 feet.
- Arkansas's lowest point is 185 feet lower.
Arkansas vs West Virginia Population and History
Population
- Arkansas has a population of 3,088,354 (2024), while West Virginia has 1,769,979 (2024).
- Arkansas' population is 1.7 times (74%) larger than West Virginia's.
Population density
- Arkansas: 59.4 people per square mile vs West Virginia: 73.6.
- West Virginia's population density is 1.2 times (24%) higher than Arkansas'.
Biggest city
- Arkansas's biggest city is Little Rock with 204,774 people; West Virginia's is Charleston with 46,482.
- Little Rock's population is 4.4 times (341%) larger than Charleston's.
Largest metro area
- Arkansas's largest metropolitan area is Memphis, TN-MS-AR metro area (1,339,345 people) vs West Virginia's Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area (6,436,489).
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area's population is 4.8 times (381%) larger than Memphis, TN-MS-AR metro area's.
History
- Arkansas: Admitted to the Union on June 15, 1836, as the 25th state.
- West Virginia: Admitted to the Union on June 20, 1863, as the 35th state.
- In its current form, Arkansas is the older of the two by 27 years.
Arkansas vs West Virginia Economy
GDP
- Arkansas's GDP is $188.3 billion (2024) vs West Virginia's $106.5 billion.
- Arkansas' economic output is 1.8 times (77%) larger than West Virginia's.
GDP per capita
- Arkansas: $60,984 per person vs West Virginia: $60,156.
- Arkansas and West Virginia have about the same GDP per capita.
Average income
- Arkansas: $59,320 vs West Virginia: $55,351 average income per person (per capita personal income).
- Arkansas' average income is 1.1 times (7%) higher than West Virginia's.
Arkansas vs West Virginia Counties
Number of counties
- Arkansas has 75 counties, while West Virginia has 55.
- Arkansas' county count is 1.4 times (36%) higher than West Virginia's.
Biggest county by area
- Arkansas's largest county is Union County at 1,039 square miles; West Virginia's is Randolph County at 1,040 square miles.
- Union County and Randolph County have about the same land area.
Smallest county by area
- Arkansas: Lafayette County (530 sq mi) vs West Virginia: Hancock County (83 sq mi).
- Lafayette County's land area is 6.4 times (541%) larger than Hancock County's.
Most populous county
- Arkansas: Pulaski County (401,209 people) vs West Virginia: Kanawha County (173,906 people).
- Pulaski County's population is 2.3 times (131%) larger than Kanawha County's.
Least populous county
- Arkansas: Calhoun County (4,690 people) vs West Virginia: Wirt County (4,924 people).
- Wirt County's population is 1.0 times (5%) larger than Calhoun County's.
Richest county
- Arkansas: Benton County ($120,594 per capita income) vs West Virginia: Jefferson County ($70,542).
- Benton County's income is 1.7 times (71%) richer than Jefferson County's.
Poorest county
- Arkansas: Lincoln County ($36,032 per capita income) vs West Virginia: Webster County ($35,039).
- Lincoln County and Webster County have about the same income.
Arkansas vs West Virginia Taxes
State income tax
- Arkansas has a top income tax rate of 3.9%, while West Virginia has a top income tax rate of 4.82%.
- West Virginia's top rate is 0.92 percentage points higher.
Property tax
- Arkansas: 0.52% effective rate vs West Virginia: 0.52% of home value per year.
- The two are essentially equal.
Sales tax
- Arkansas: 9.48% combined state and average local rate vs West Virginia: 6.6%.
- Arkansas's combined rate is 2.88 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Arkansas official website · West Virginia official website
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More Size Comparisons
All Arkansas size comparisons · All West Virginia 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.