The map above shows Idaho and West Virginia side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Idaho vs West Virginia Geography
Land area
- Idaho has a land area of 82,645 square miles (214,051 km²), while West Virginia has 24,041 square miles (62,266 km²).
- Idaho's land area is 3.4 times (244%) larger than West Virginia's.
Total area
- Idaho: 83,569 square miles (216,441 km²) vs West Virginia: 24,230 square miles (62,755 km²), including inland and coastal water.
- Idaho's total area is 3.4 times (245%) larger than West Virginia's.
Length
- Idaho is 483 miles (778 km) long from north to south; West Virginia is 245 miles (394 km).
- Idaho's north-south length is 2.0 times (97%) longer than West Virginia's.
Width
- Idaho spans 352 miles (566 km) east to west; West Virginia spans 276 miles (444 km).
- Idaho's east-west width is 1.3 times (28%) wider than West Virginia's.
Highest point
- Idaho's highest point is Borah Peak at 12,631 feet (3,850 m); West Virginia's is Spruce Knob at 4,863 feet (1,482 m).
- Borah Peak is 7,768 feet higher than Spruce Knob.
Lowest point
- Idaho's lowest point is Snake River at 718 feet; West Virginia's is Potomac River at 240 feet.
- West Virginia's lowest point is 478 feet lower.
Idaho vs West Virginia Population and History
Population
- Idaho has a population of 2,001,619 (2024), while West Virginia has 1,769,979 (2024).
- Idaho's population is 1.1 times (13%) larger than West Virginia's.
Population density
- Idaho: 24.2 people per square mile vs West Virginia: 73.6.
- West Virginia's population density is 3.0 times (204%) higher than Idaho's.
Biggest city
- Idaho's biggest city is Boise with 237,963 people; West Virginia's is Charleston with 46,482.
- Boise's population is 5.1 times (412%) larger than Charleston's.
Largest metro area
- Idaho's largest metropolitan area is Boise City, ID metro area (845,877 people) vs West Virginia's Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area (6,436,489).
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area's population is 7.6 times (661%) larger than Boise City, ID metro area's.
History
- Idaho: Admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state.
- West Virginia: Admitted to the Union on June 20, 1863, as the 35th state.
- In its current form, West Virginia is the older of the two by 27 years.
Idaho vs West Virginia Economy
GDP
- Idaho's GDP is $129.0 billion (2024) vs West Virginia's $106.5 billion.
- Idaho's economic output is 1.2 times (21%) larger than West Virginia's.
GDP per capita
- Idaho: $64,457 per person vs West Virginia: $60,156.
- Idaho's GDP per capita is 1.1 times (7%) higher than West Virginia's.
Average income
- Idaho: $62,323 vs West Virginia: $55,351 average income per person (per capita personal income).
- Idaho's average income is 1.1 times (13%) higher than West Virginia's.
Idaho vs West Virginia Counties
Number of counties
- Idaho has 44 counties, while West Virginia has 55.
- West Virginia's county count is 1.3 times (25%) higher than Idaho's.
Biggest county by area
- Idaho's largest county is Idaho County at 8,478 square miles; West Virginia's is Randolph County at 1,040 square miles.
- Idaho County's land area is 8.2 times (715%) larger than Randolph County's.
Smallest county by area
- Idaho: Payette County (407 sq mi) vs West Virginia: Hancock County (83 sq mi).
- Payette County's land area is 4.9 times (393%) larger than Hancock County's.
Most populous county
- Idaho: Ada County (535,799 people) vs West Virginia: Kanawha County (173,906 people).
- Ada County's population is 3.1 times (208%) larger than Kanawha County's.
Least populous county
- Idaho: Clark County (794 people) vs West Virginia: Wirt County (4,924 people).
- Wirt County's population is 6.2 times (520%) larger than Clark County's.
Richest county
- Idaho: Blaine County ($202,612 per capita income) vs West Virginia: Jefferson County ($70,542).
- Blaine County's income is 2.9 times (187%) richer than Jefferson County's.
Poorest county
- Idaho: Madison County ($29,485 per capita income) vs West Virginia: Webster County ($35,039).
- Webster County's income is 1.2 times (19%) richer than Madison County's.
Idaho vs West Virginia Taxes
State income tax
- Idaho has a top income tax rate of 5.3%, while West Virginia has a top income tax rate of 4.82%.
- Idaho's top rate is 0.48 percentage points higher.
Property tax
- Idaho: 0.43% effective rate vs West Virginia: 0.52% of home value per year.
- West Virginia's rate is 0.09 percentage points higher.
Sales tax
- Idaho: 6.03% combined state and average local rate vs West Virginia: 6.6%.
- West Virginia's combined rate is 0.57 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Idaho official website · West Virginia official website
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More Size Comparisons
All Idaho size comparisons · All West Virginia 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.