The map above shows Colorado and Kansas side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Colorado vs Kansas Geography
Land area: Colorado has a land area of 103,637 square miles (268,419 km²), while Kansas has 81,759 square miles (211,754 km²). Colorado's land area is 1.3 times (27%) larger than Kansas'.
Total area: Colorado: 104,095 square miles (269,605 km²) vs Kansas: 82,278 square miles (213,100 km²), including inland and coastal water. Colorado's total area is 1.3 times (27%) larger than Kansas'.
Length: Colorado is 467 miles (751 km) long from north to south; Kansas is 207 miles (334 km). Colorado's north-south length is 2.3 times (126%) longer than Kansas'.
Width: Colorado spans 387 miles (622 km) east to west; Kansas spans 401 miles (645 km). Colorado and Kansas have about the same east-west width.
Highest point: Colorado's highest point is Mount Elbert at 14,422 feet (4,396 m); Kansas's is Mount Sunflower at 4,040 feet (1,231 m). Mount Elbert is 10,382 feet higher than Mount Sunflower.
Lowest point: Colorado's lowest point is Arikaree River at 3,326 feet; Kansas's is Verdigris River at 679 feet. Kansas's lowest point is 2,647 feet lower.
Colorado vs Kansas Population and History
Population: Colorado has a population of 5,957,493 (2024), while Kansas has 2,970,606 (2024). Colorado's population is 2.0 times (101%) larger than Kansas'.
Population density: Colorado: 57.5 people per square mile vs Kansas: 36.3. Colorado's population density is 1.6 times (58%) higher than Kansas'.
Biggest city: Colorado's biggest city is Denver with 729,019 people; Kansas's is Wichita with 400,991. Denver's population is 1.8 times (82%) larger than Wichita's.
Largest metro area: Colorado's largest metropolitan area is Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO metro area (3,052,498 people) vs Kansas's Kansas City, MO-KS metro area (2,253,579). Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO metro area's population is 1.4 times (35%) larger than Kansas City, MO-KS metro area's.
History: Colorado: Admitted to the Union on August 1, 1876, as the 38th state. Kansas: Admitted to the Union on January 29, 1861, as the 34th state. In its current form, Kansas is the older of the two by 15 years.
Colorado vs Kansas Economy
GDP: Colorado's GDP is $557.6 billion (2024) vs Kansas's $230.5 billion. Colorado's economic output is 2.4 times (142%) larger than Kansas'.
GDP per capita: Colorado: $93,602 per person vs Kansas: $77,601. Colorado's GDP per capita is 1.2 times (21%) higher than Kansas'.
Average income: Colorado: $83,055 vs Kansas: $65,856 average income per person (per capita personal income). Colorado's average income is 1.3 times (26%) higher than Kansas'.
Colorado vs Kansas Counties
Number of counties: Colorado has 64 counties, while Kansas has 105. Kansas' county count is 1.6 times (64%) higher than Colorado's.
Biggest county by area: Colorado's largest county is Las Animas County at 4,773 square miles; Kansas's is Butler County at 1,430 square miles. Las Animas County's land area is 3.3 times (234%) larger than Butler County's.
Smallest county by area: Colorado: Broomfield County (33 sq mi) vs Kansas: Wyandotte County (152 sq mi). Wyandotte County's land area is 4.6 times (359%) larger than Broomfield County's.
Most populous county: Colorado: El Paso County (752,772 people) vs Kansas: Johnson County (632,276 people). El Paso County's population is 1.2 times (19%) larger than Johnson County's.
Least populous county: Colorado: Hinsdale County (747 people) vs Kansas: Greeley County (1,152 people). Greeley County's population is 1.5 times (54%) larger than Hinsdale County's.
Richest county: Colorado: Pitkin County ($275,044 per capita income) vs Kansas: Greeley County ($134,780). Pitkin County's income is 2.0 times (104%) richer than Greeley County's.
Poorest county: Colorado: Crowley County ($27,232 per capita income) vs Kansas: Wyandotte County ($42,878). Wyandotte County's income is 1.6 times (57%) richer than Crowley County's.
Colorado vs Kansas Taxes
State income tax: Colorado has a top income tax rate of 4.4%, while Kansas has a top income tax rate of 5.58%. Kansas's top rate is 1.18 percentage points higher.
Property tax: Colorado: 0.49% effective rate vs Kansas: 1.25% of home value per year. Kansas's rate is 0.76 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: Colorado: 7.89% combined state and average local rate vs Kansas: 8.71%. Kansas's combined rate is 0.82 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Colorado official website · Kansas official website
More Size Comparisons
All Colorado size comparisons · All Kansas 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.