The map above shows Iowa and Missouri side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Iowa vs Missouri Geography
Land area: Iowa has a land area of 55,854 square miles (144,660 km²), while Missouri has 68,746 square miles (178,052 km²). Missouri's land area is 1.2 times (23%) larger than Iowa's.
Total area: Iowa: 56,273 square miles (145,746 km²) vs Missouri: 69,707 square miles (180,540 km²), including inland and coastal water. Missouri's total area is 1.2 times (24%) larger than Iowa's.
Length: Iowa is 216 miles (347 km) long from north to south; Missouri is 328 miles (529 km). Missouri's north-south length is 1.5 times (52%) longer than Iowa's.
Width: Iowa spans 335 miles (539 km) east to west; Missouri spans 437 miles (703 km). Missouri's east-west width is 1.3 times (30%) wider than Iowa's.
Highest point: Iowa's highest point is Hawkeye Point at 1,669 feet (509 m); Missouri's is Taum Sauk Mountain at 1,771 feet (540 m). Taum Sauk Mountain is 102 feet higher than Hawkeye Point.
Lowest point: Iowa's lowest point is Mississippi River at 480 feet; Missouri's is St. Francis River at 230 feet. Missouri's lowest point is 250 feet lower.
Iowa vs Missouri Population and History
Population: Iowa has a population of 3,241,488 (2024), while Missouri has 6,245,466 (2024). Missouri's population is 1.9 times (93%) larger than Iowa's.
Population density: Iowa: 58.0 people per square mile vs Missouri: 90.8. Missouri's population density is 1.6 times (57%) higher than Iowa's.
Biggest city: Iowa's biggest city is Des Moines with 213,096 people; Missouri's is Kansas City with 516,032. Kansas City's population is 2.4 times (142%) larger than Des Moines'.
Largest metro area: Iowa's largest metropolitan area is Omaha, NE-IA metro area (1,001,010 people) vs Missouri's St. Louis, MO-IL metro area (2,811,927). St. Louis, MO-IL metro area's population is 2.8 times (181%) larger than Omaha, NE-IA metro area's.
History: Iowa: Admitted to the Union on December 28, 1846, as the 29th state. Missouri: Admitted to the Union on August 10, 1821, as the 24th state. In its current form, Missouri is the older of the two by 25 years.
Iowa vs Missouri Economy
GDP: Iowa's GDP is $265.8 billion (2024) vs Missouri's $448.7 billion. Missouri's economic output is 1.7 times (69%) larger than Iowa's.
GDP per capita: Iowa: $81,998 per person vs Missouri: $71,846. Iowa's GDP per capita is 1.1 times (14%) higher than Missouri's.
Average income: Iowa: $65,225 vs Missouri: $64,920 average income per person (per capita personal income). Iowa and Missouri have about the same average income.
Iowa vs Missouri Counties
Number of counties: Iowa has 99 counties, while Missouri has 115. Missouri's county count is 1.2 times (16%) higher than Iowa's.
Biggest county by area: Iowa's largest county is Kossuth County at 973 square miles; Missouri's is Texas County at 1,177 square miles. Texas County's land area is 1.2 times (21%) larger than Kossuth County's.
Smallest county by area: Iowa: Dickinson County (381 sq mi) vs Missouri: St. Louis city (62 sq mi). Dickinson County's land area is 6.2 times (517%) larger than St. Louis city's.
Most populous county: Iowa: Polk County (516,185 people) vs Missouri: St. Louis County (992,929 people). St. Louis County's population is 1.9 times (92%) larger than Polk County's.
Least populous county: Iowa: Adams County (3,606 people) vs Missouri: Worth County (1,872 people). Adams County's population is 1.9 times (93%) larger than Worth County's.
Richest county: Iowa: Mitchell County ($98,211 per capita income) vs Missouri: St. Louis County ($104,775). St. Louis County's income is 1.1 times (7%) richer than Mitchell County's.
Poorest county: Iowa: Decatur County ($46,134 per capita income) vs Missouri: Douglas County ($40,515). Decatur County's income is 1.1 times (14%) richer than Douglas County's.
Iowa vs Missouri Taxes
State income tax: Iowa has a top income tax rate of 3.8%, while Missouri has a top income tax rate of 4.7%. Missouri's top rate is 0.9 percentage points higher.
Property tax: Iowa: 1.29% effective rate vs Missouri: 0.79% of home value per year. Iowa's rate is 0.5 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: Iowa: 6.94% combined state and average local rate vs Missouri: 8.44%. Missouri's combined rate is 1.5 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Iowa official website · Missouri official website
More Size Comparisons
All Iowa size comparisons · All Missouri 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.