The map above shows Iowa and Massachusetts side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Iowa vs Massachusetts Geography
Land area: Iowa has a land area of 55,854 square miles (144,660 km²), while Massachusetts has 7,801 square miles (20,204 km²). Iowa's land area is 7.2 times (616%) larger than Massachusetts'.
Total area: Iowa: 56,273 square miles (145,746 km²) vs Massachusetts: 10,554 square miles (27,335 km²), including inland and coastal water. Iowa's total area is 5.3 times (433%) larger than Massachusetts'.
Length: Iowa is 216 miles (347 km) long from north to south; Massachusetts is 123 miles (198 km). Iowa's north-south length is 1.8 times (76%) longer than Massachusetts'.
Width: Iowa spans 335 miles (539 km) east to west; Massachusetts spans 185 miles (297 km). Iowa's east-west width is 1.8 times (81%) wider than Massachusetts'.
Highest point: Iowa's highest point is Hawkeye Point at 1,669 feet (509 m); Massachusetts's is Mount Greylock at 3,489 feet (1,063 m). Mount Greylock is 1,820 feet higher than Hawkeye Point.
Lowest point: Iowa's lowest point is Mississippi River at 480 feet; Massachusetts's is Atlantic Ocean at 0 feet. Massachusetts's lowest point is 480 feet lower.
Iowa vs Massachusetts Population and History
Population: Iowa has a population of 3,241,488 (2024), while Massachusetts has 7,136,171 (2024). Massachusetts' population is 2.2 times (120%) larger than Iowa's.
Population density: Iowa: 58.0 people per square mile vs Massachusetts: 914.8. Massachusetts' population density is 15.8 times higher than Iowa's.
Biggest city: Iowa's biggest city is Des Moines with 213,096 people; Massachusetts's is Boston with 673,458. Boston's population is 3.2 times (216%) larger than Des Moines'.
Largest metro area: Iowa's largest metropolitan area is Omaha, NE-IA metro area (1,001,010 people) vs Massachusetts's Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area (5,025,517). Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area's population is 5.0 times (402%) larger than Omaha, NE-IA metro area's.
History: Iowa: Admitted to the Union on December 28, 1846, as the 29th 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 58 years.
Iowa vs Massachusetts Economy
GDP: Iowa's GDP is $265.8 billion (2024) vs Massachusetts's $778.5 billion. Massachusetts' economic output is 2.9 times (193%) larger than Iowa's.
GDP per capita: Iowa: $81,998 per person vs Massachusetts: $109,095. Massachusetts' GDP per capita is 1.3 times (33%) higher than Iowa's.
Average income: Iowa: $65,225 vs Massachusetts: $93,607 average income per person (per capita personal income). Massachusetts' average income is 1.4 times (44%) higher than Iowa's.
Iowa vs Massachusetts Counties
Number of counties: Iowa has 99 counties, while Massachusetts has 14. Iowa's county count is 7.1 times (607%) higher than Massachusetts'.
Biggest county by area: Iowa's largest county is Kossuth County at 973 square miles; Massachusetts's is Worcester County at 1,511 square miles. Worcester County's land area is 1.6 times (55%) larger than Kossuth County's.
Smallest county by area: Iowa: Dickinson County (381 sq mi) vs Massachusetts: Nantucket County (46 sq mi). Dickinson County's land area is 8.2 times (724%) larger than Nantucket County's.
Most populous county: Iowa: Polk County (516,185 people) vs Massachusetts: Middlesex County (1,668,956 people). Middlesex County's population is 3.2 times (223%) larger than Polk County's.
Least populous county: Iowa: Adams County (3,606 people) vs Massachusetts: Nantucket County (14,670 people). Nantucket County's population is 4.1 times (307%) larger than Adams County's.
Richest county: Iowa: Mitchell County ($98,211 per capita income) vs Massachusetts: Nantucket County ($129,250). Nantucket County's income is 1.3 times (32%) richer than Mitchell County's.
Poorest county: Iowa: Decatur County ($46,134 per capita income) vs Massachusetts: Hampshire County ($65,432). Hampshire County's income is 1.4 times (42%) richer than Decatur County's.
Iowa vs Massachusetts Taxes
State income tax: Iowa has a top income tax rate of 3.8%, while Massachusetts has a top income tax rate of 9%. Massachusetts's top rate is 5.2 percentage points higher.
Property tax: Iowa: 1.29% effective rate vs Massachusetts: 1% of home value per year. Iowa's rate is 0.29 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: Iowa: 6.94% combined state and average local rate vs Massachusetts: 6.25%. Iowa's combined rate is 0.69 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Iowa official website · Massachusetts official website
More Size Comparisons
All Iowa 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.