The map above shows Colorado and Kentucky side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Colorado vs Kentucky Geography
Land area: Colorado has a land area of 103,637 square miles (268,419 km²), while Kentucky has 39,485 square miles (102,267 km²). Colorado's land area is 2.6 times (162%) larger than Kentucky's.
Total area: Colorado: 104,095 square miles (269,605 km²) vs Kentucky: 40,406 square miles (104,651 km²), including inland and coastal water. Colorado's total area is 2.6 times (158%) larger than Kentucky's.
Length: Colorado is 467 miles (751 km) long from north to south; Kentucky is 257 miles (414 km). Colorado's north-south length is 1.8 times (82%) longer than Kentucky's.
Width: Colorado spans 387 miles (622 km) east to west; Kentucky spans 418 miles (672 km). Kentucky's east-west width is 1.1 times (8%) wider than Colorado's.
Highest point: Colorado's highest point is Mount Elbert at 14,422 feet (4,396 m); Kentucky's is Black Mountain at 4,134 feet (1,260 m). Mount Elbert is 10,288 feet higher than Black Mountain.
Lowest point: Colorado's lowest point is Arikaree River at 3,326 feet; Kentucky's is Mississippi River at 270 feet. Kentucky's lowest point is 3,056 feet lower.
Colorado vs Kentucky Population and History
Population: Colorado has a population of 5,957,493 (2024), while Kentucky has 4,588,372 (2024). Colorado's population is 1.3 times (30%) larger than Kentucky's.
Population density: Colorado: 57.5 people per square mile vs Kentucky: 116.2. Kentucky's population density is 2.0 times (102%) higher than Colorado's.
Biggest city: Colorado's biggest city is Denver with 729,019 people; Kentucky's is Louisville with 640,796. Denver's population is 1.1 times (14%) larger than Louisville's.
Largest metro area: Colorado's largest metropolitan area is Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO metro area (3,052,498 people) vs Kentucky's Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN metro area (2,302,815). Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO metro area's population is 1.3 times (33%) larger than Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN metro area's.
History: Colorado: Admitted to the Union on August 1, 1876, as the 38th 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 84 years.
Colorado vs Kentucky Economy
GDP: Colorado's GDP is $557.6 billion (2024) vs Kentucky's $295.4 billion. Colorado's economic output is 1.9 times (89%) larger than Kentucky's.
GDP per capita: Colorado: $93,602 per person vs Kentucky: $64,375. Colorado's GDP per capita is 1.5 times (45%) higher than Kentucky's.
Average income: Colorado: $83,055 vs Kentucky: $58,256 average income per person (per capita personal income). Colorado's average income is 1.4 times (43%) higher than Kentucky's.
Colorado vs Kentucky Counties
Number of counties: Colorado has 64 counties, while Kentucky has 120. Kentucky's county count is 1.9 times (88%) higher than Colorado's.
Biggest county by area: Colorado's largest county is Las Animas County at 4,773 square miles; Kentucky's is Pike County at 786 square miles. Las Animas County's land area is 6.1 times (507%) larger than Pike County's.
Smallest county by area: Colorado: Broomfield County (33 sq mi) vs Kentucky: Gallatin County (98 sq mi). Gallatin County's land area is 3.0 times (198%) larger than Broomfield County's.
Most populous county: Colorado: El Paso County (752,772 people) vs Kentucky: Jefferson County (793,881 people). Jefferson County's population is 1.1 times (5%) larger than El Paso County's.
Least populous county: Colorado: Hinsdale County (747 people) vs Kentucky: Robertson County (2,382 people). Robertson County's population is 3.2 times (219%) larger than Hinsdale County's.
Richest county: Colorado: Pitkin County ($275,044 per capita income) vs Kentucky: Oldham County ($87,137). Pitkin County's income is 3.2 times (216%) richer than Oldham County's.
Poorest county: Colorado: Crowley County ($27,232 per capita income) vs Kentucky: Elliott County ($31,817). Elliott County's income is 1.2 times (17%) richer than Crowley County's.
Colorado vs Kentucky Taxes
State income tax: Colorado has a top income tax rate of 4.4%, while Kentucky has a top income tax rate of 3.5%. Colorado's top rate is 0.9 percentage points higher.
Property tax: Colorado: 0.49% effective rate vs Kentucky: 0.71% of home value per year. Kentucky's rate is 0.22 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: Colorado: 7.89% combined state and average local rate vs Kentucky: 6%. Colorado's combined rate is 1.89 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Colorado official website · Kentucky official website
More Size Comparisons
All Colorado 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.