The map above shows Illinois and Wisconsin side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Illinois vs Wisconsin Geography
Land area
- Illinois has a land area of 55,513 square miles (143,778 km²), while Wisconsin has 54,168 square miles (140,294 km²).
- Illinois and Wisconsin have about the same land area.
Total area
- Illinois: 57,913 square miles (149,995 km²) vs Wisconsin: 65,497 square miles (169,636 km²), including inland and coastal water.
- Wisconsin's total area is 1.1 times (13%) larger than Illinois'.
Length
- Illinois is 390 miles (628 km) long from north to south; Wisconsin is 368 miles (593 km).
- Illinois' north-south length is 1.1 times (6%) longer than Wisconsin's.
Width
- Illinois spans 283 miles (456 km) east to west; Wisconsin spans 323 miles (521 km).
- Wisconsin's east-west width is 1.1 times (14%) wider than Illinois'.
Highest point
- Illinois's highest point is Charles Mound at 1,232 feet (376 m); Wisconsin's is Timms Hill at 1,946 feet (593 m).
- Timms Hill is 714 feet higher than Charles Mound.
Lowest point
- Illinois's lowest point is Mississippi River at 292 feet; Wisconsin's is Lake Michigan at 577 feet.
- Illinois's lowest point is 285 feet lower.
Illinois vs Wisconsin Population and History
Population
- Illinois has a population of 12,710,158 (2024), while Wisconsin has 5,960,975 (2024).
- Illinois' population is 2.1 times (113%) larger than Wisconsin's.
Population density
- Illinois: 229.0 people per square mile vs Wisconsin: 110.0.
- Illinois' population density is 2.1 times (108%) higher than Wisconsin's.
Biggest city
- Illinois's biggest city is Chicago with 2,721,308 people; Wisconsin's is Milwaukee with 563,531.
- Chicago's population is 4.8 times (383%) larger than Milwaukee's.
Largest metro area
- Illinois's largest metropolitan area is Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area (9,408,576 people) vs Wisconsin's Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI metro area (3,757,952).
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area's population is 2.5 times (150%) larger than Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI metro area's.
History
- Illinois: Admitted to the Union on December 3, 1818, as the 21st state.
- Wisconsin: Admitted to the Union on May 29, 1848, as the 30th state.
- In its current form, Illinois is the older of the two by 30 years.
Illinois vs Wisconsin Economy
GDP
- Illinois's GDP is $1,148.1 billion (2024) vs Wisconsin's $453.3 billion.
- Illinois' economic output is 2.5 times (153%) larger than Wisconsin's.
GDP per capita
- Illinois: $90,330 per person vs Wisconsin: $76,044.
- Illinois' GDP per capita is 1.2 times (19%) higher than Wisconsin's.
Average income
- Illinois: $74,522 vs Wisconsin: $67,755 average income per person (per capita personal income).
- Illinois' average income is 1.1 times (10%) higher than Wisconsin's.
Illinois vs Wisconsin Counties
Number of counties
- Illinois has 102 counties, while Wisconsin has 72.
- Illinois' county count is 1.4 times (42%) higher than Wisconsin's.
Biggest county by area
- Illinois's largest county is McLean County at 1,183 square miles; Wisconsin's is Marathon County at 1,545 square miles.
- Marathon County's land area is 1.3 times (31%) larger than McLean County's.
Smallest county by area
- Illinois: Putnam County (160 sq mi) vs Wisconsin: Pepin County (232 sq mi).
- Pepin County's land area is 1.4 times (45%) larger than Putnam County's.
Most populous county
- Illinois: Cook County (5,182,617 people) vs Wisconsin: Milwaukee County (924,740 people).
- Cook County's population is 5.6 times (460%) larger than Milwaukee County's.
Least populous county
- Illinois: Hardin County (3,550 people) vs Wisconsin: Menominee County (4,286 people).
- Menominee County's population is 1.2 times (21%) larger than Hardin County's.
Richest county
- Illinois: Cumberland County ($104,890 per capita income) vs Wisconsin: Ozaukee County ($109,947).
- Ozaukee County's income is 1.0 times (5%) richer than Cumberland County's.
Poorest county
- Illinois: Lawrence County ($43,606 per capita income) vs Wisconsin: Menominee County ($43,696).
- Lawrence County and Menominee County have about the same income.
Illinois vs Wisconsin Taxes
State income tax
- Illinois has a top income tax rate of 4.95%, while Wisconsin has a top income tax rate of 7.65%.
- Wisconsin's top rate is 2.7 percentage points higher.
Property tax
- Illinois: 1.92% effective rate vs Wisconsin: 1.25% of home value per year.
- Illinois's rate is 0.67 percentage points higher.
Sales tax
- Illinois: 8.98% combined state and average local rate vs Wisconsin: 5.72%.
- Illinois's combined rate is 3.26 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Illinois official website · Wisconsin official website
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More Size Comparisons
All Illinois size comparisons · All Wisconsin 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.