The map above shows District of Columbia and Tennessee side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
District of Columbia vs Tennessee Geography
Land area: District of Columbia has a land area of 61 square miles (158 km²), while Tennessee has 41,224 square miles (106,770 km²). Tennessee's land area is 675.8 times larger than District of Columbia's.
Total area: District of Columbia: 68 square miles (177 km²) vs Tennessee: 42,130 square miles (109,116 km²), including inland and coastal water. Tennessee's total area is 616.5 times larger than District of Columbia's.
Length: District of Columbia is 13 miles (22 km) long from north to south; Tennessee is 191 miles (308 km). Tennessee's north-south length is 14.7 times longer than District of Columbia's.
Width: District of Columbia spans 12 miles (19 km) east to west; Tennessee spans 497 miles (800 km). Tennessee's east-west width is 41.4 times wider than District of Columbia's.
Highest point: District of Columbia's highest point is Fort Reno at 429 feet (131 m); Tennessee's is Clingmans Dome at 6,624 feet (2,019 m). Clingmans Dome is 6,195 feet higher than Fort Reno.
Lowest point: District of Columbia's lowest point is Potomac River at 0 feet; Tennessee's is Mississippi River at 178 feet. District of Columbia's lowest point is 178 feet lower.
District of Columbia vs Tennessee Population and History
Population: District of Columbia has a population of 702,250 (2024), while Tennessee has 7,227,750 (2024). Tennessee's population is 10.3 times larger than District of Columbia's.
Population density: District of Columbia: 11,493.5 people per square mile vs Tennessee: 175.3. District of Columbia's population density is 65.6 times higher than Tennessee's.
Biggest city: District of Columbia's biggest city is Washington with 702,250 people; Tennessee's is Nashville with 704,963. Washington and Nashville have about the same population.
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 Tennessee's Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN metro area (2,150,553). Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area's population is 3.0 times (199%) larger than Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN metro area's.
History: District of Columbia: The federal district, established by the Residence Act on July 16, 1790; not a state. Tennessee: Admitted to the Union on June 1, 1796, as the 16th state. In its current form, District of Columbia is the older of the two by 6 years.
District of Columbia vs Tennessee Economy
GDP: District of Columbia's GDP is $184.3 billion (2024) vs Tennessee's $561.2 billion. Tennessee's economic output is 3.0 times (205%) larger than District of Columbia's.
GDP per capita: District of Columbia: $262,439 per person vs Tennessee: $77,645. District of Columbia's GDP per capita is 3.4 times (238%) higher than Tennessee's.
Average income: District of Columbia: $111,185 vs Tennessee: $66,504 average income per person (per capita personal income). District of Columbia's average income is 1.7 times (67%) higher than Tennessee's.
District of Columbia vs Tennessee Counties
Number of counties: District of Columbia has 1 counties, while Tennessee has 95. Tennessee's county count is 95.0 times higher than District of Columbia's.
Biggest county by area: District of Columbia's largest county is District of Columbia at 61 square miles; Tennessee's is Shelby County at 753 square miles. Shelby County's land area is 12.3 times larger than District of Columbia's.
Smallest county by area: District of Columbia: District of Columbia (61 sq mi) vs Tennessee: Trousdale County (114 sq mi). Trousdale County's land area is 1.9 times (87%) larger than District of Columbia's.
Most populous county: District of Columbia: District of Columbia (702,250 people) vs Tennessee: Shelby County (910,530 people). Shelby County's population is 1.3 times (30%) larger than District of Columbia's.
Least populous county: District of Columbia: District of Columbia (702,250 people) vs Tennessee: Pickett County (5,108 people). District of Columbia's population is 137.5 times larger than Pickett County's.
Richest county: District of Columbia: District of Columbia ($111,185 per capita income) vs Tennessee: Williamson County ($139,704). Williamson County's income is 1.3 times (26%) richer than District of Columbia's.
Poorest county: District of Columbia: District of Columbia ($111,185 per capita income) vs Tennessee: Lake County ($31,572). District of Columbia's income is 3.5 times (252%) richer than Lake County's.
District of Columbia vs Tennessee Taxes
State income tax: District of Columbia has a top income tax rate of 10.75%, while Tennessee has no state income tax. District of Columbia's top rate is 10.75 percentage points higher.
Property tax: District of Columbia: 0.63% effective rate vs Tennessee: 0.45% of home value per year. District of Columbia's rate is 0.18 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: District of Columbia: 6% combined state and average local rate vs Tennessee: 9.61%. Tennessee's combined rate is 3.61 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
District of Columbia official website · Tennessee official website
More Size Comparisons
All District of Columbia size comparisons · All Tennessee 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.