The map above shows Illinois and Nebraska side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Illinois vs Nebraska Geography
Land area
- Illinois has a land area of 55,513 square miles (143,778 km²), while Nebraska has 76,815 square miles (198,950 km²).
- Nebraska's land area is 1.4 times (38%) larger than Illinois'.
Total area
- Illinois: 57,913 square miles (149,995 km²) vs Nebraska: 77,347 square miles (200,329 km²), including inland and coastal water.
- Nebraska's total area is 1.3 times (34%) larger than Illinois'.
Length
- Illinois is 390 miles (628 km) long from north to south; Nebraska is 497 miles (800 km).
- Nebraska's north-south length is 1.3 times (27%) longer than Illinois'.
Width
- Illinois spans 283 miles (456 km) east to west; Nebraska spans 464 miles (747 km).
- Nebraska's east-west width is 1.6 times (64%) wider than Illinois'.
Highest point
- Illinois's highest point is Charles Mound at 1,232 feet (376 m); Nebraska's is Panorama Point at 5,428 feet (1,654 m).
- Panorama Point is 4,196 feet higher than Charles Mound.
Lowest point
- Illinois's lowest point is Mississippi River at 292 feet; Nebraska's is Missouri River at 840 feet.
- Illinois's lowest point is 548 feet lower.
Illinois vs Nebraska Population and History
Population
- Illinois has a population of 12,710,158 (2024), while Nebraska has 2,005,465 (2024).
- Illinois' population is 6.3 times (534%) larger than Nebraska's.
Population density
- Illinois: 229.0 people per square mile vs Nebraska: 26.1.
- Illinois' population density is 8.8 times (777%) higher than Nebraska's.
Biggest city
- Illinois's biggest city is Chicago with 2,721,308 people; Nebraska's is Omaha with 489,265.
- Chicago's population is 5.6 times (456%) larger than Omaha's.
Largest metro area
- Illinois's largest metropolitan area is Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area (9,408,576 people) vs Nebraska's Omaha, NE-IA metro area (1,001,010).
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area's population is 9.4 times (840%) larger than Omaha, NE-IA metro area's.
History
- Illinois: Admitted to the Union on December 3, 1818, as the 21st state.
- Nebraska: Admitted to the Union on March 1, 1867, as the 37th state.
- In its current form, Illinois is the older of the two by 49 years.
Illinois vs Nebraska Economy
GDP
- Illinois's GDP is $1,148.1 billion (2024) vs Nebraska's $189.2 billion.
- Illinois' economic output is 6.1 times (507%) larger than Nebraska's.
GDP per capita
- Illinois: $90,330 per person vs Nebraska: $94,363.
- Illinois and Nebraska have about the same GDP per capita.
Average income
- Illinois: $74,522 vs Nebraska: $72,701 average income per person (per capita personal income).
- Illinois and Nebraska have about the same average income.
Illinois vs Nebraska Counties
Number of counties
- Illinois has 102 counties, while Nebraska has 93.
- Illinois' county count is 1.1 times (10%) higher than Nebraska's.
Biggest county by area
- Illinois's largest county is McLean County at 1,183 square miles; Nebraska's is Cherry County at 5,960 square miles.
- Cherry County's land area is 5.0 times (404%) larger than McLean County's.
Smallest county by area
- Illinois: Putnam County (160 sq mi) vs Nebraska: Sarpy County (238 sq mi).
- Sarpy County's land area is 1.5 times (49%) larger than Putnam County's.
Most populous county
- Illinois: Cook County (5,182,617 people) vs Nebraska: Douglas County (601,158 people).
- Cook County's population is 8.6 times (762%) larger than Douglas County's.
Least populous county
- Illinois: Hardin County (3,550 people) vs Nebraska: McPherson County (376 people).
- Hardin County's population is 9.4 times (844%) larger than McPherson County's.
Richest county
- Illinois: Cumberland County ($104,890 per capita income) vs Nebraska: Pierce County ($112,729).
- Pierce County's income is 1.1 times (7%) richer than Cumberland County's.
Poorest county
- Illinois: Lawrence County ($43,606 per capita income) vs Nebraska: Johnson County ($45,756).
- Johnson County's income is 1.0 times (5%) richer than Lawrence County's.
Illinois vs Nebraska Taxes
State income tax
- Illinois has a top income tax rate of 4.95%, while Nebraska has a top income tax rate of 4.55%.
- Illinois's top rate is 0.4 percentage points higher.
Property tax
- Illinois: 1.92% effective rate vs Nebraska: 1.42% of home value per year.
- Illinois's rate is 0.5 percentage points higher.
Sales tax
- Illinois: 8.98% combined state and average local rate vs Nebraska: 6.98%.
- Illinois's combined rate is 2 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Illinois official website · Nebraska official website
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More Size Comparisons
All Illinois size comparisons · All Nebraska 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.