The map above shows Iowa and Minnesota side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Iowa vs Minnesota Geography
Land area: Iowa has a land area of 55,854 square miles (144,660 km²), while Minnesota has 79,632 square miles (206,245 km²). Minnesota's land area is 1.4 times (43%) larger than Iowa's.
Total area: Iowa: 56,273 square miles (145,746 km²) vs Minnesota: 86,943 square miles (225,182 km²), including inland and coastal water. Minnesota's total area is 1.5 times (55%) larger than Iowa's.
Length: Iowa is 216 miles (347 km) long from north to south; Minnesota is 408 miles (657 km). Minnesota's north-south length is 1.9 times (89%) longer than Iowa's.
Width: Iowa spans 335 miles (539 km) east to west; Minnesota spans 360 miles (580 km). Minnesota's east-west width is 1.1 times (7%) wider than Iowa's.
Highest point: Iowa's highest point is Hawkeye Point at 1,669 feet (509 m); Minnesota's is Eagle Mountain at 2,292 feet (699 m). Eagle Mountain is 623 feet higher than Hawkeye Point.
Lowest point: Iowa's lowest point is Mississippi River at 480 feet; Minnesota's is Lake Superior at 601 feet. Iowa's lowest point is 121 feet lower.
Iowa vs Minnesota Population and History
Population: Iowa has a population of 3,241,488 (2024), while Minnesota has 5,793,151 (2024). Minnesota's population is 1.8 times (79%) larger than Iowa's.
Population density: Iowa: 58.0 people per square mile vs Minnesota: 72.7. Minnesota's population density is 1.3 times (25%) higher than Iowa's.
Biggest city: Iowa's biggest city is Des Moines with 213,096 people; Minnesota's is Minneapolis with 428,579. Minneapolis' population is 2.0 times (101%) larger than Des Moines'.
Largest metro area: Iowa's largest metropolitan area is Omaha, NE-IA metro area (1,001,010 people) vs Minnesota's Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI metro area (3,757,952). Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI metro area's population is 3.8 times (275%) larger than Omaha, NE-IA metro area's.
History: Iowa: Admitted to the Union on December 28, 1846, as the 29th state. Minnesota: Admitted to the Union on May 11, 1858, as the 32nd state. In its current form, Iowa is the older of the two by 12 years.
Iowa vs Minnesota Economy
GDP: Iowa's GDP is $265.8 billion (2024) vs Minnesota's $507.7 billion. Minnesota's economic output is 1.9 times (91%) larger than Iowa's.
GDP per capita: Iowa: $81,998 per person vs Minnesota: $87,636. Minnesota's GDP per capita is 1.1 times (7%) higher than Iowa's.
Average income: Iowa: $65,225 vs Minnesota: $75,603 average income per person (per capita personal income). Minnesota's average income is 1.2 times (16%) higher than Iowa's.
Iowa vs Minnesota Counties
Number of counties: Iowa has 99 counties, while Minnesota has 87. Iowa's county count is 1.1 times (14%) higher than Minnesota's.
Biggest county by area: Iowa's largest county is Kossuth County at 973 square miles; Minnesota's is St. Louis County at 6,248 square miles. St. Louis County's land area is 6.4 times (542%) larger than Kossuth County's.
Smallest county by area: Iowa: Dickinson County (381 sq mi) vs Minnesota: Ramsey County (152 sq mi). Dickinson County's land area is 2.5 times (150%) larger than Ramsey County's.
Most populous county: Iowa: Polk County (516,185 people) vs Minnesota: Hennepin County (1,273,334 people). Hennepin County's population is 2.5 times (147%) larger than Polk County's.
Least populous county: Iowa: Adams County (3,606 people) vs Minnesota: Traverse County (3,134 people). Adams County's population is 1.2 times (15%) larger than Traverse County's.
Richest county: Iowa: Mitchell County ($98,211 per capita income) vs Minnesota: Hennepin County ($100,352). Mitchell County and Hennepin County have about the same income.
Poorest county: Iowa: Decatur County ($46,134 per capita income) vs Minnesota: Pine County ($48,677). Pine County's income is 1.1 times (6%) richer than Decatur County's.
Iowa vs Minnesota Taxes
State income tax: Iowa has a top income tax rate of 3.8%, while Minnesota has a top income tax rate of 9.85%. Minnesota's top rate is 6.05 percentage points higher.
Property tax: Iowa: 1.29% effective rate vs Minnesota: 1.02% of home value per year. Iowa's rate is 0.27 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: Iowa: 6.94% combined state and average local rate vs Minnesota: 8.14%. Minnesota's combined rate is 1.2 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Iowa official website · Minnesota official website
More Size Comparisons
All Iowa size comparisons · All Minnesota 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.