The map above shows Illinois and Massachusetts side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Illinois vs Massachusetts Geography
Land area
- Illinois has a land area of 55,513 square miles (143,778 km²), while Massachusetts has 7,801 square miles (20,204 km²).
- Illinois' land area is 7.1 times (612%) larger than Massachusetts'.
Total area
- Illinois: 57,913 square miles (149,995 km²) vs Massachusetts: 10,554 square miles (27,335 km²), including inland and coastal water.
- Illinois' total area is 5.5 times (449%) larger than Massachusetts'.
Length
- Illinois is 390 miles (628 km) long from north to south; Massachusetts is 123 miles (198 km).
- Illinois' north-south length is 3.2 times (217%) longer than Massachusetts'.
Width
- Illinois spans 283 miles (456 km) east to west; Massachusetts spans 185 miles (297 km).
- Illinois' east-west width is 1.5 times (53%) wider than Massachusetts'.
Highest point
- Illinois's highest point is Charles Mound at 1,232 feet (376 m); Massachusetts's is Mount Greylock at 3,489 feet (1,063 m).
- Mount Greylock is 2,257 feet higher than Charles Mound.
Lowest point
- Illinois's lowest point is Mississippi River at 292 feet; Massachusetts's is Atlantic Ocean at 0 feet.
- Massachusetts's lowest point is 292 feet lower.
Illinois vs Massachusetts Population and History
Population
- Illinois has a population of 12,710,158 (2024), while Massachusetts has 7,136,171 (2024).
- Illinois' population is 1.8 times (78%) larger than Massachusetts'.
Population density
- Illinois: 229.0 people per square mile vs Massachusetts: 914.8.
- Massachusetts' population density is 4.0 times (299%) higher than Illinois'.
Biggest city
- Illinois's biggest city is Chicago with 2,721,308 people; Massachusetts's is Boston with 673,458.
- Chicago's population is 4.0 times (304%) larger than Boston's.
Largest metro area
- Illinois's largest metropolitan area is Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area (9,408,576 people) vs Massachusetts's Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area (5,025,517).
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area's population is 1.9 times (87%) larger than Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area's.
History
- Illinois: Admitted to the Union on December 3, 1818, as the 21st state.
- Massachusetts: Admitted to the Union on February 6, 1788, as the 6th state.
- In its current form, Massachusetts is the older of the two by 30 years.
Illinois vs Massachusetts Economy
GDP
- Illinois's GDP is $1,148.1 billion (2024) vs Massachusetts's $778.5 billion.
- Illinois' economic output is 1.5 times (47%) larger than Massachusetts'.
GDP per capita
- Illinois: $90,330 per person vs Massachusetts: $109,095.
- Massachusetts' GDP per capita is 1.2 times (21%) higher than Illinois'.
Average income
- Illinois: $74,522 vs Massachusetts: $93,607 average income per person (per capita personal income).
- Massachusetts' average income is 1.3 times (26%) higher than Illinois'.
Illinois vs Massachusetts Counties
Number of counties
- Illinois has 102 counties, while Massachusetts has 14.
- Illinois' county count is 7.3 times (629%) higher than Massachusetts'.
Biggest county by area
- Illinois's largest county is McLean County at 1,183 square miles; Massachusetts's is Worcester County at 1,511 square miles.
- Worcester County's land area is 1.3 times (28%) larger than McLean County's.
Smallest county by area
- Illinois: Putnam County (160 sq mi) vs Massachusetts: Nantucket County (46 sq mi).
- Putnam County's land area is 3.5 times (247%) larger than Nantucket County's.
Most populous county
- Illinois: Cook County (5,182,617 people) vs Massachusetts: Middlesex County (1,668,956 people).
- Cook County's population is 3.1 times (211%) larger than Middlesex County's.
Least populous county
- Illinois: Hardin County (3,550 people) vs Massachusetts: Nantucket County (14,670 people).
- Nantucket County's population is 4.1 times (313%) larger than Hardin County's.
Richest county
- Illinois: Cumberland County ($104,890 per capita income) vs Massachusetts: Nantucket County ($129,250).
- Nantucket County's income is 1.2 times (23%) richer than Cumberland County's.
Poorest county
- Illinois: Lawrence County ($43,606 per capita income) vs Massachusetts: Hampshire County ($65,432).
- Hampshire County's income is 1.5 times (50%) richer than Lawrence County's.
Illinois vs Massachusetts Taxes
State income tax
- Illinois has a top income tax rate of 4.95%, while Massachusetts has a top income tax rate of 9%.
- Massachusetts's top rate is 4.05 percentage points higher.
Property tax
- Illinois: 1.92% effective rate vs Massachusetts: 1% of home value per year.
- Illinois's rate is 0.92 percentage points higher.
Sales tax
- Illinois: 8.98% combined state and average local rate vs Massachusetts: 6.25%.
- Illinois's combined rate is 2.73 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Illinois official website · Massachusetts official website
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More Size Comparisons
All Illinois size comparisons · All Massachusetts 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.