The map above shows Iowa and Mississippi side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Iowa vs Mississippi Geography
Land area: Iowa has a land area of 55,854 square miles (144,660 km²), while Mississippi has 46,925 square miles (121,534 km²). Iowa's land area is 1.2 times (19%) larger than Mississippi's.
Total area: Iowa: 56,273 square miles (145,746 km²) vs Mississippi: 48,436 square miles (125,448 km²), including inland and coastal water. Iowa's total area is 1.2 times (16%) larger than Mississippi's.
Length: Iowa is 216 miles (347 km) long from north to south; Mississippi is 337 miles (542 km). Mississippi's north-south length is 1.6 times (56%) longer than Iowa's.
Width: Iowa spans 335 miles (539 km) east to west; Mississippi spans 340 miles (547 km). Iowa and Mississippi have about the same east-west width.
Highest point: Iowa's highest point is Hawkeye Point at 1,669 feet (509 m); Mississippi's is Woodall Mountain at 805 feet (245 m). Hawkeye Point is 864 feet higher than Woodall Mountain.
Lowest point: Iowa's lowest point is Mississippi River at 480 feet; Mississippi's is Gulf of Mexico at 0 feet. Mississippi's lowest point is 480 feet lower.
Iowa vs Mississippi Population and History
Population: Iowa has a population of 3,241,488 (2024), while Mississippi has 2,943,045 (2024). Iowa's population is 1.1 times (10%) larger than Mississippi's.
Population density: Iowa: 58.0 people per square mile vs Mississippi: 62.7. Mississippi's population density is 1.1 times (8%) higher than Iowa's.
Biggest city: Iowa's biggest city is Des Moines with 213,096 people; Mississippi's is Jackson with 141,449. Des Moines' population is 1.5 times (51%) larger than Jackson's.
Largest metro area: Iowa's largest metropolitan area is Omaha, NE-IA metro area (1,001,010 people) vs Mississippi's Memphis, TN-MS-AR metro area (1,339,345). Memphis, TN-MS-AR metro area's population is 1.3 times (34%) larger than Omaha, NE-IA metro area's.
History: Iowa: Admitted to the Union on December 28, 1846, as the 29th state. Mississippi: Admitted to the Union on December 10, 1817, as the 20th state. In its current form, Mississippi is the older of the two by 29 years.
Iowa vs Mississippi Economy
GDP: Iowa's GDP is $265.8 billion (2024) vs Mississippi's $158.2 billion. Iowa's economic output is 1.7 times (68%) larger than Mississippi's.
GDP per capita: Iowa: $81,998 per person vs Mississippi: $53,751. Iowa's GDP per capita is 1.5 times (53%) higher than Mississippi's.
Average income: Iowa: $65,225 vs Mississippi: $52,074 average income per person (per capita personal income). Iowa's average income is 1.3 times (25%) higher than Mississippi's.
Iowa vs Mississippi Counties
Number of counties: Iowa has 99 counties, while Mississippi has 82. Iowa's county count is 1.2 times (21%) higher than Mississippi's.
Biggest county by area: Iowa's largest county is Kossuth County at 973 square miles; Mississippi's is Yazoo County at 922 square miles. Kossuth County's land area is 1.1 times (5%) larger than Yazoo County's.
Smallest county by area: Iowa: Dickinson County (381 sq mi) vs Mississippi: Alcorn County (400 sq mi). Alcorn County's land area is 1.1 times (5%) larger than Dickinson County's.
Most populous county: Iowa: Polk County (516,185 people) vs Mississippi: Harrison County (213,730 people). Polk County's population is 2.4 times (142%) larger than Harrison County's.
Least populous county: Iowa: Adams County (3,606 people) vs Mississippi: Issaquena County (1,295 people). Adams County's population is 2.8 times (178%) larger than Issaquena County's.
Richest county: Iowa: Mitchell County ($98,211 per capita income) vs Mississippi: Madison County ($90,668). Mitchell County's income is 1.1 times (8%) richer than Madison County's.
Poorest county: Iowa: Decatur County ($46,134 per capita income) vs Mississippi: Issaquena County ($27,264). Decatur County's income is 1.7 times (69%) richer than Issaquena County's.
Iowa vs Mississippi Taxes
State income tax: Iowa has a top income tax rate of 3.8%, while Mississippi has a top income tax rate of 4%. Mississippi's top rate is 0.2 percentage points higher.
Property tax: Iowa: 1.29% effective rate vs Mississippi: 0.65% of home value per year. Iowa's rate is 0.64 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: Iowa: 6.94% combined state and average local rate vs Mississippi: 7.06%. Mississippi's combined rate is 0.12 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Iowa official website · Mississippi official website
More Size Comparisons
All Iowa size comparisons · All Mississippi 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.