The map above shows Iowa and Texas side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Iowa vs Texas Geography
Land area: Iowa has a land area of 55,854 square miles (144,660 km²), while Texas has 261,259 square miles (676,657 km²). Texas' land area is 4.7 times (368%) larger than Iowa's.
Total area: Iowa: 56,273 square miles (145,746 km²) vs Texas: 268,599 square miles (695,668 km²), including inland and coastal water. Texas' total area is 4.8 times (377%) larger than Iowa's.
Length: Iowa is 216 miles (347 km) long from north to south; Texas is 808 miles (1,300 km). Texas' north-south length is 3.7 times (274%) longer than Iowa's.
Width: Iowa spans 335 miles (539 km) east to west; Texas spans 777 miles (1,250 km). Texas' east-west width is 2.3 times (132%) wider than Iowa's.
Highest point: Iowa's highest point is Hawkeye Point at 1,669 feet (509 m); Texas's is Guadalupe Peak at 8,730 feet (2,661 m). Guadalupe Peak is 7,061 feet higher than Hawkeye Point.
Lowest point: Iowa's lowest point is Mississippi River at 480 feet; Texas's is Gulf of Mexico at 0 feet. Texas's lowest point is 480 feet lower.
Iowa vs Texas Population and History
Population: Iowa has a population of 3,241,488 (2024), while Texas has 31,290,831 (2024). Texas' population is 9.7 times (865%) larger than Iowa's.
Population density: Iowa: 58.0 people per square mile vs Texas: 119.8. Texas' population density is 2.1 times (107%) higher than Iowa's.
Biggest city: Iowa's biggest city is Des Moines with 213,096 people; Texas's is Houston with 2,390,125. Houston's population is 11.2 times larger than Des Moines'.
Largest metro area: Iowa's largest metropolitan area is Omaha, NE-IA metro area (1,001,010 people) vs Texas's Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX metro area (8,344,032). Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX metro area's population is 8.3 times (734%) larger than Omaha, NE-IA metro area's.
History: Iowa: Admitted to the Union on December 28, 1846, as the 29th state. Texas: Admitted to the Union on December 29, 1845, as the 28th state. In its current form, Texas is the older of the two by 1 years.
Iowa vs Texas Economy
GDP: Iowa's GDP is $265.8 billion (2024) vs Texas's $2,769.8 billion. Texas' economic output is 10.4 times larger than Iowa's.
GDP per capita: Iowa: $81,998 per person vs Texas: $88,517. Texas' GDP per capita is 1.1 times (8%) higher than Iowa's.
Average income: Iowa: $65,225 vs Texas: $69,823 average income per person (per capita personal income). Texas' average income is 1.1 times (7%) higher than Iowa's.
Iowa vs Texas Counties
Number of counties: Iowa has 99 counties, while Texas has 254. Texas' county count is 2.6 times (157%) higher than Iowa's.
Biggest county by area: Iowa's largest county is Kossuth County at 973 square miles; Texas's is Brewster County at 6,184 square miles. Brewster County's land area is 6.4 times (536%) larger than Kossuth County's.
Smallest county by area: Iowa: Dickinson County (381 sq mi) vs Texas: Rockwall County (127 sq mi). Dickinson County's land area is 3.0 times (199%) larger than Rockwall County's.
Most populous county: Iowa: Polk County (516,185 people) vs Texas: Harris County (5,009,302 people). Harris County's population is 9.7 times (870%) larger than Polk County's.
Least populous county: Iowa: Adams County (3,606 people) vs Texas: Loving County (48 people). Adams County's population is 75.1 times larger than Loving County's.
Richest county: Iowa: Mitchell County ($98,211 per capita income) vs Texas: Loving County ($220,625). Loving County's income is 2.2 times (125%) richer than Mitchell County's.
Poorest county: Iowa: Decatur County ($46,134 per capita income) vs Texas: Starr County ($34,180). Decatur County's income is 1.3 times (35%) richer than Starr County's.
Iowa vs Texas Taxes
State income tax: Iowa has a top income tax rate of 3.8%, while Texas has no state income tax. Iowa's top rate is 3.8 percentage points higher.
Property tax: Iowa: 1.29% effective rate vs Texas: 1.31% of home value per year. Texas's rate is 0.02 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: Iowa: 6.94% combined state and average local rate vs Texas: 8.2%. Texas's combined rate is 1.26 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Iowa official website · Texas official website
More Size Comparisons
All Iowa size comparisons · All Texas 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.