The map above shows Colorado and Michigan side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Colorado vs Michigan Geography
Land area: Colorado has a land area of 103,637 square miles (268,419 km²), while Michigan has 56,611 square miles (146,622 km²). Colorado's land area is 1.8 times (83%) larger than Michigan's.
Total area: Colorado: 104,095 square miles (269,605 km²) vs Michigan: 96,713 square miles (250,486 km²), including inland and coastal water. Colorado's total area is 1.1 times (8%) larger than Michigan's.
Length: Colorado is 467 miles (751 km) long from north to south; Michigan is 489 miles (786 km). Colorado and Michigan have about the same north-south length.
Width: Colorado spans 387 miles (622 km) east to west; Michigan spans 453 miles (728 km). Michigan's east-west width is 1.2 times (17%) wider than Colorado's.
Highest point: Colorado's highest point is Mount Elbert at 14,422 feet (4,396 m); Michigan's is Mount Arvon at 2,014 feet (614 m). Mount Elbert is 12,408 feet higher than Mount Arvon.
Lowest point: Colorado's lowest point is Arikaree River at 3,326 feet; Michigan's is Lake Erie at 571 feet. Michigan's lowest point is 2,755 feet lower.
Colorado vs Michigan Population and History
Population: Colorado has a population of 5,957,493 (2024), while Michigan has 10,140,459 (2024). Michigan's population is 1.7 times (70%) larger than Colorado's.
Population density: Colorado: 57.5 people per square mile vs Michigan: 179.1. Michigan's population density is 3.1 times (211%) higher than Colorado's.
Biggest city: Colorado's biggest city is Denver with 729,019 people; Michigan's is Detroit with 645,705. Denver's population is 1.1 times (13%) larger than Detroit's.
Largest metro area: Colorado's largest metropolitan area is Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO metro area (3,052,498 people) vs Michigan's Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI metro area (4,400,578). Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI metro area's population is 1.4 times (44%) larger than Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO metro area's.
History: Colorado: Admitted to the Union on August 1, 1876, as the 38th state. Michigan: Admitted to the Union on January 26, 1837, as the 26th state. In its current form, Michigan is the older of the two by 39 years.
Colorado vs Michigan Economy
GDP: Colorado's GDP is $557.6 billion (2024) vs Michigan's $702.5 billion. Michigan's economic output is 1.3 times (26%) larger than Colorado's.
GDP per capita: Colorado: $93,602 per person vs Michigan: $69,274. Colorado's GDP per capita is 1.4 times (35%) higher than Michigan's.
Average income: Colorado: $83,055 vs Michigan: $63,690 average income per person (per capita personal income). Colorado's average income is 1.3 times (30%) higher than Michigan's.
Colorado vs Michigan Counties
Number of counties: Colorado has 64 counties, while Michigan has 83. Michigan's county count is 1.3 times (30%) higher than Colorado's.
Biggest county by area: Colorado's largest county is Las Animas County at 4,773 square miles; Michigan's is Marquette County at 1,809 square miles. Las Animas County's land area is 2.6 times (164%) larger than Marquette County's.
Smallest county by area: Colorado: Broomfield County (33 sq mi) vs Michigan: Benzie County (320 sq mi). Benzie County's land area is 9.7 times (869%) larger than Broomfield County's.
Most populous county: Colorado: El Paso County (752,772 people) vs Michigan: Wayne County (1,771,063 people). Wayne County's population is 2.4 times (135%) larger than El Paso County's.
Least populous county: Colorado: Hinsdale County (747 people) vs Michigan: Keweenaw County (2,161 people). Keweenaw County's population is 2.9 times (189%) larger than Hinsdale County's.
Richest county: Colorado: Pitkin County ($275,044 per capita income) vs Michigan: Oakland County ($93,579). Pitkin County's income is 2.9 times (194%) richer than Oakland County's.
Poorest county: Colorado: Crowley County ($27,232 per capita income) vs Michigan: Lake County ($39,505). Lake County's income is 1.5 times (45%) richer than Crowley County's.
Colorado vs Michigan Taxes
State income tax: Colorado has a top income tax rate of 4.4%, while Michigan has a top income tax rate of 4.25%. Colorado's top rate is 0.15 percentage points higher.
Property tax: Colorado: 0.49% effective rate vs Michigan: 1.18% of home value per year. Michigan's rate is 0.69 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: Colorado: 7.89% combined state and average local rate vs Michigan: 6%. Colorado's combined rate is 1.89 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Colorado official website · Michigan official website
More Size Comparisons
All Colorado size comparisons · All Michigan 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.