The map above shows Iowa and Tennessee side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Iowa vs Tennessee Geography
Land area: Iowa has a land area of 55,854 square miles (144,660 km²), while Tennessee has 41,224 square miles (106,770 km²). Iowa's land area is 1.4 times (35%) larger than Tennessee's.
Total area: Iowa: 56,273 square miles (145,746 km²) vs Tennessee: 42,130 square miles (109,116 km²), including inland and coastal water. Iowa's total area is 1.3 times (34%) larger than Tennessee's.
Length: Iowa is 216 miles (347 km) long from north to south; Tennessee is 191 miles (308 km). Iowa's north-south length is 1.1 times (13%) longer than Tennessee's.
Width: Iowa spans 335 miles (539 km) east to west; Tennessee spans 497 miles (800 km). Tennessee's east-west width is 1.5 times (48%) wider than Iowa's.
Highest point: Iowa's highest point is Hawkeye Point at 1,669 feet (509 m); Tennessee's is Clingmans Dome at 6,624 feet (2,019 m). Clingmans Dome is 4,955 feet higher than Hawkeye Point.
Lowest point: Iowa's lowest point is Mississippi River at 480 feet; Tennessee's is Mississippi River at 178 feet. Tennessee's lowest point is 302 feet lower.
Iowa vs Tennessee Population and History
Population: Iowa has a population of 3,241,488 (2024), while Tennessee has 7,227,750 (2024). Tennessee's population is 2.2 times (123%) larger than Iowa's.
Population density: Iowa: 58.0 people per square mile vs Tennessee: 175.3. Tennessee's population density is 3.0 times (202%) higher than Iowa's.
Biggest city: Iowa's biggest city is Des Moines with 213,096 people; Tennessee's is Nashville with 704,963. Nashville's population is 3.3 times (231%) larger than Des Moines'.
Largest metro area: Iowa's largest metropolitan area is Omaha, NE-IA metro area (1,001,010 people) vs Tennessee's Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN metro area (2,150,553). Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN metro area's population is 2.1 times (115%) larger than Omaha, NE-IA metro area's.
History: Iowa: Admitted to the Union on December 28, 1846, as the 29th state. Tennessee: Admitted to the Union on June 1, 1796, as the 16th state. In its current form, Tennessee is the older of the two by 50 years.
Iowa vs Tennessee Economy
GDP: Iowa's GDP is $265.8 billion (2024) vs Tennessee's $561.2 billion. Tennessee's economic output is 2.1 times (111%) larger than Iowa's.
GDP per capita: Iowa: $81,998 per person vs Tennessee: $77,645. Iowa's GDP per capita is 1.1 times (6%) higher than Tennessee's.
Average income: Iowa: $65,225 vs Tennessee: $66,504 average income per person (per capita personal income). Iowa and Tennessee have about the same average income.
Iowa vs Tennessee Counties
Number of counties: Iowa has 99 counties, while Tennessee has 95. Iowa and Tennessee have about the same county count.
Biggest county by area: Iowa's largest county is Kossuth County at 973 square miles; Tennessee's is Shelby County at 753 square miles. Kossuth County's land area is 1.3 times (29%) larger than Shelby County's.
Smallest county by area: Iowa: Dickinson County (381 sq mi) vs Tennessee: Trousdale County (114 sq mi). Dickinson County's land area is 3.3 times (233%) larger than Trousdale County's.
Most populous county: Iowa: Polk County (516,185 people) vs Tennessee: Shelby County (910,530 people). Shelby County's population is 1.8 times (76%) larger than Polk County's.
Least populous county: Iowa: Adams County (3,606 people) vs Tennessee: Pickett County (5,108 people). Pickett County's population is 1.4 times (42%) larger than Adams County's.
Richest county: Iowa: Mitchell County ($98,211 per capita income) vs Tennessee: Williamson County ($139,704). Williamson County's income is 1.4 times (42%) richer than Mitchell County's.
Poorest county: Iowa: Decatur County ($46,134 per capita income) vs Tennessee: Lake County ($31,572). Decatur County's income is 1.5 times (46%) richer than Lake County's.
Iowa vs Tennessee Taxes
State income tax: Iowa has a top income tax rate of 3.8%, while Tennessee has no state income tax. Iowa's top rate is 3.8 percentage points higher.
Property tax: Iowa: 1.29% effective rate vs Tennessee: 0.45% of home value per year. Iowa's rate is 0.84 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: Iowa: 6.94% combined state and average local rate vs Tennessee: 9.61%. Tennessee's combined rate is 2.67 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Iowa official website · Tennessee official website
More Size Comparisons
All Iowa size comparisons · All Tennessee 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.