The map above shows Iowa and New Mexico side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Iowa vs New Mexico Geography
Land area
- Iowa has a land area of 55,854 square miles (144,660 km²), while New Mexico has 121,313 square miles (314,198 km²).
- New Mexico's land area is 2.2 times (117%) larger than Iowa's.
Total area
- Iowa: 56,273 square miles (145,746 km²) vs New Mexico: 121,593 square miles (314,925 km²), including inland and coastal water.
- New Mexico's total area is 2.2 times (116%) larger than Iowa's.
Length
- Iowa is 216 miles (347 km) long from north to south; New Mexico is 395 miles (635 km).
- New Mexico's north-south length is 1.8 times (83%) longer than Iowa's.
Width
- Iowa spans 335 miles (539 km) east to west; New Mexico spans 498 miles (801 km).
- New Mexico's east-west width is 1.5 times (49%) wider than Iowa's.
Highest point
- Iowa's highest point is Hawkeye Point at 1,669 feet (509 m); New Mexico's is Wheeler Peak at 13,150 feet (4,008 m).
- Wheeler Peak is 11,481 feet higher than Hawkeye Point.
Lowest point
- Iowa's lowest point is Mississippi River at 480 feet; New Mexico's is Red Bluff Reservoir at 2,842 feet.
- Iowa's lowest point is 2,362 feet lower.
Iowa vs New Mexico Population and History
Population
- Iowa has a population of 3,241,488 (2024), while New Mexico has 2,130,256 (2024).
- Iowa's population is 1.5 times (52%) larger than New Mexico's.
Population density
- Iowa: 58.0 people per square mile vs New Mexico: 17.6.
- Iowa's population density is 3.3 times (230%) higher than New Mexico's.
Biggest city
- Iowa's biggest city is Des Moines with 213,096 people; New Mexico's is Albuquerque with 560,326.
- Albuquerque's population is 2.6 times (163%) larger than Des Moines'.
Largest metro area
- Iowa's largest metropolitan area is Omaha, NE-IA metro area (1,001,010 people) vs New Mexico's Albuquerque, NM metro area (926,303).
- Omaha, NE-IA metro area's population is 1.1 times (8%) larger than Albuquerque, NM metro area's.
History
- Iowa: Admitted to the Union on December 28, 1846, as the 29th state.
- New Mexico: Admitted to the Union on January 6, 1912, as the 47th state.
- In its current form, Iowa is the older of the two by 66 years.
Iowa vs New Mexico Economy
GDP
- Iowa's GDP is $265.8 billion (2024) vs New Mexico's $147.1 billion.
- Iowa's economic output is 1.8 times (81%) larger than New Mexico's.
GDP per capita
- Iowa: $81,998 per person vs New Mexico: $69,046.
- Iowa's GDP per capita is 1.2 times (19%) higher than New Mexico's.
Average income
- Iowa: $65,225 vs New Mexico: $58,249 average income per person (per capita personal income).
- Iowa's average income is 1.1 times (12%) higher than New Mexico's.
Iowa vs New Mexico Counties
Number of counties
- Iowa has 99 counties, while New Mexico has 33.
- Iowa's county count is 3.0 times (200%) higher than New Mexico's.
Biggest county by area
- Iowa's largest county is Kossuth County at 973 square miles; New Mexico's is Catron County at 6,924 square miles.
- Catron County's land area is 7.1 times (612%) larger than Kossuth County's.
Smallest county by area
- Iowa: Dickinson County (381 sq mi) vs New Mexico: Los Alamos County (109 sq mi).
- Dickinson County's land area is 3.5 times (249%) larger than Los Alamos County's.
Most populous county
- Iowa: Polk County (516,185 people) vs New Mexico: Bernalillo County (671,747 people).
- Bernalillo County's population is 1.3 times (30%) larger than Polk County's.
Least populous county
- Iowa: Adams County (3,606 people) vs New Mexico: Harding County (635 people).
- Adams County's population is 5.7 times (468%) larger than Harding County's.
Richest county
- Iowa: Mitchell County ($98,211 per capita income) vs New Mexico: Los Alamos County ($98,378).
- Mitchell County and Los Alamos County have about the same income.
Poorest county
- Iowa: Decatur County ($46,134 per capita income) vs New Mexico: Cibola County ($36,397).
- Decatur County's income is 1.3 times (27%) richer than Cibola County's.
Iowa vs New Mexico Taxes
State income tax
- Iowa has a top income tax rate of 3.8%, while New Mexico has a top income tax rate of 5.9%.
- New Mexico's top rate is 2.1 percentage points higher.
Property tax
- Iowa: 1.29% effective rate vs New Mexico: 0.63% of home value per year.
- Iowa's rate is 0.66 percentage points higher.
Sales tax
- Iowa: 6.94% combined state and average local rate vs New Mexico: 7.68%.
- New Mexico's combined rate is 0.74 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Iowa official website · New Mexico official website
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More Size Comparisons
All Iowa size comparisons · All New Mexico 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.