The map above shows Idaho and Michigan side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Idaho vs Michigan Geography
Land area: Idaho has a land area of 82,645 square miles (214,051 km²), while Michigan has 56,611 square miles (146,622 km²). Idaho's land area is 1.5 times (46%) larger than Michigan's.
Total area: Idaho: 83,569 square miles (216,441 km²) vs Michigan: 96,713 square miles (250,486 km²), including inland and coastal water. Michigan's total area is 1.2 times (16%) larger than Idaho's.
Length: Idaho is 483 miles (778 km) long from north to south; Michigan is 489 miles (786 km). Idaho and Michigan have about the same north-south length.
Width: Idaho spans 352 miles (566 km) east to west; Michigan spans 453 miles (728 km). Michigan's east-west width is 1.3 times (29%) wider than Idaho's.
Highest point: Idaho's highest point is Borah Peak at 12,631 feet (3,850 m); Michigan's is Mount Arvon at 2,014 feet (614 m). Borah Peak is 10,617 feet higher than Mount Arvon.
Lowest point: Idaho's lowest point is Snake River at 718 feet; Michigan's is Lake Erie at 571 feet. Michigan's lowest point is 147 feet lower.
Idaho vs Michigan Population and History
Population: Idaho has a population of 2,001,619 (2024), while Michigan has 10,140,459 (2024). Michigan's population is 5.1 times (407%) larger than Idaho's.
Population density: Idaho: 24.2 people per square mile vs Michigan: 179.1. Michigan's population density is 7.4 times (640%) higher than Idaho's.
Biggest city: Idaho's biggest city is Boise with 237,963 people; Michigan's is Detroit with 645,705. Detroit's population is 2.7 times (171%) larger than Boise's.
Largest metro area: Idaho's largest metropolitan area is Boise City, ID metro area (845,877 people) vs Michigan's Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI metro area (4,400,578). Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI metro area's population is 5.2 times (420%) larger than Boise City, ID metro area's.
History: Idaho: Admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd 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 53 years.
Idaho vs Michigan Economy
GDP: Idaho's GDP is $129.0 billion (2024) vs Michigan's $702.5 billion. Michigan's economic output is 5.4 times (445%) larger than Idaho's.
GDP per capita: Idaho: $64,457 per person vs Michigan: $69,274. Michigan's GDP per capita is 1.1 times (7%) higher than Idaho's.
Average income: Idaho: $62,323 vs Michigan: $63,690 average income per person (per capita personal income). Idaho and Michigan have about the same average income.
Idaho vs Michigan Counties
Number of counties: Idaho has 44 counties, while Michigan has 83. Michigan's county count is 1.9 times (89%) higher than Idaho's.
Biggest county by area: Idaho's largest county is Idaho County at 8,478 square miles; Michigan's is Marquette County at 1,809 square miles. Idaho County's land area is 4.7 times (369%) larger than Marquette County's.
Smallest county by area: Idaho: Payette County (407 sq mi) vs Michigan: Benzie County (320 sq mi). Payette County's land area is 1.3 times (27%) larger than Benzie County's.
Most populous county: Idaho: Ada County (535,799 people) vs Michigan: Wayne County (1,771,063 people). Wayne County's population is 3.3 times (231%) larger than Ada County's.
Least populous county: Idaho: Clark County (794 people) vs Michigan: Keweenaw County (2,161 people). Keweenaw County's population is 2.7 times (172%) larger than Clark County's.
Richest county: Idaho: Blaine County ($202,612 per capita income) vs Michigan: Oakland County ($93,579). Blaine County's income is 2.2 times (117%) richer than Oakland County's.
Poorest county: Idaho: Madison County ($29,485 per capita income) vs Michigan: Lake County ($39,505). Lake County's income is 1.3 times (34%) richer than Madison County's.
Idaho vs Michigan Taxes
State income tax: Idaho has a top income tax rate of 5.3%, while Michigan has a top income tax rate of 4.25%. Idaho's top rate is 1.05 percentage points higher.
Property tax: Idaho: 0.43% effective rate vs Michigan: 1.18% of home value per year. Michigan's rate is 0.75 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: Idaho: 6.03% combined state and average local rate vs Michigan: 6%. Idaho's combined rate is 0.03 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Idaho official website · Michigan official website
More Size Comparisons
All Idaho 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.