The map above shows District of Columbia and Rhode Island side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
District of Columbia vs Rhode Island Geography
Land area: District of Columbia has a land area of 61 square miles (158 km²), while Rhode Island has 1,034 square miles (2,678 km²). Rhode Island's land area is 16.9 times larger than District of Columbia's.
Total area: District of Columbia: 68 square miles (177 km²) vs Rhode Island: 1,545 square miles (4,002 km²), including inland and coastal water. Rhode Island's total area is 22.6 times larger than District of Columbia's.
Length: District of Columbia is 13 miles (22 km) long from north to south; Rhode Island is 61 miles (98 km). Rhode Island's north-south length is 4.7 times (369%) longer than District of Columbia's.
Width: District of Columbia spans 12 miles (19 km) east to west; Rhode Island spans 42 miles (67 km). Rhode Island's east-west width is 3.5 times (250%) wider than District of Columbia's.
Highest point: District of Columbia's highest point is Fort Reno at 429 feet (131 m); Rhode Island's is Jerimoth Hill at 811 feet (247 m). Jerimoth Hill is 382 feet higher than Fort Reno.
Lowest point: District of Columbia's lowest point is Potomac River at 0 feet; Rhode Island's is Atlantic Ocean at 0 feet. Both lowest points are at or near sea level.
District of Columbia vs Rhode Island Population and History
Population: District of Columbia has a population of 702,250 (2024), while Rhode Island has 1,112,308 (2024). Rhode Island's population is 1.6 times (58%) larger than District of Columbia's.
Population density: District of Columbia: 11,493.5 people per square mile vs Rhode Island: 1,075.8. District of Columbia's population density is 10.7 times higher than Rhode Island's.
Biggest city: District of Columbia's biggest city is Washington with 702,250 people; Rhode Island's is Providence with 194,706. Washington's population is 3.6 times (261%) larger than Providence's.
Largest metro area: District of Columbia's largest metropolitan area is Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area (6,436,489 people) vs Rhode Island's Providence-Warwick, RI-MA metro area (1,700,901). Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area's population is 3.8 times (278%) larger than Providence-Warwick, RI-MA metro area's.
History: District of Columbia: The federal district, established by the Residence Act on July 16, 1790; not a state. Rhode Island: Admitted to the Union on May 29, 1790, as the 13th state.
District of Columbia vs Rhode Island Economy
GDP: District of Columbia's GDP is $184.3 billion (2024) vs Rhode Island's $80.4 billion. District of Columbia's economic output is 2.3 times (129%) larger than Rhode Island's.
GDP per capita: District of Columbia: $262,439 per person vs Rhode Island: $72,265. District of Columbia's GDP per capita is 3.6 times (263%) higher than Rhode Island's.
Average income: District of Columbia: $111,185 vs Rhode Island: $70,622 average income per person (per capita personal income). District of Columbia's average income is 1.6 times (57%) higher than Rhode Island's.
District of Columbia vs Rhode Island Counties
Number of counties: District of Columbia has 1 counties, while Rhode Island has 5. Rhode Island's county count is 5.0 times (400%) higher than District of Columbia's.
Biggest county by area: District of Columbia's largest county is District of Columbia at 61 square miles; Rhode Island's is Providence County at 410 square miles. Providence County's land area is 6.7 times (570%) larger than District of Columbia's.
Smallest county by area: District of Columbia: District of Columbia (61 sq mi) vs Rhode Island: Bristol County (24 sq mi). District of Columbia's land area is 2.5 times (154%) larger than Bristol County's.
Most populous county: District of Columbia: District of Columbia (702,250 people) vs Rhode Island: Providence County (675,912 people). District of Columbia and Providence County have about the same population.
Least populous county: District of Columbia: District of Columbia (702,250 people) vs Rhode Island: Bristol County (50,145 people). District of Columbia's population is 14.0 times larger than Bristol County's.
Richest county: District of Columbia: District of Columbia ($111,185 per capita income) vs Rhode Island: Bristol County ($99,923). District of Columbia's income is 1.1 times (11%) richer than Bristol County's.
Poorest county: District of Columbia: District of Columbia ($111,185 per capita income) vs Rhode Island: Providence County ($61,040). District of Columbia's income is 1.8 times (82%) richer than Providence County's.
District of Columbia vs Rhode Island Taxes
State income tax: District of Columbia has a top income tax rate of 10.75%, while Rhode Island has a top income tax rate of 5.99%. District of Columbia's top rate is 4.76 percentage points higher.
Property tax: District of Columbia: 0.63% effective rate vs Rhode Island: 1.07% of home value per year. Rhode Island's rate is 0.44 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: District of Columbia: 6% combined state and average local rate vs Rhode Island: 7%. Rhode Island's combined rate is 1 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
District of Columbia official website · Rhode Island official website
More Size Comparisons
All District of Columbia size comparisons · All Rhode Island 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.