The map above shows Iowa and West Virginia side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Iowa vs West Virginia Geography
Land area
- Iowa has a land area of 55,854 square miles (144,660 km²), while West Virginia has 24,041 square miles (62,266 km²).
- Iowa's land area is 2.3 times (132%) larger than West Virginia's.
Total area
- Iowa: 56,273 square miles (145,746 km²) vs West Virginia: 24,230 square miles (62,755 km²), including inland and coastal water.
- Iowa's total area is 2.3 times (132%) larger than West Virginia's.
Length
- Iowa is 216 miles (347 km) long from north to south; West Virginia is 245 miles (394 km).
- West Virginia's north-south length is 1.1 times (13%) longer than Iowa's.
Width
- Iowa spans 335 miles (539 km) east to west; West Virginia spans 276 miles (444 km).
- Iowa's east-west width is 1.2 times (21%) wider than West Virginia's.
Highest point
- Iowa's highest point is Hawkeye Point at 1,669 feet (509 m); West Virginia's is Spruce Knob at 4,863 feet (1,482 m).
- Spruce Knob is 3,194 feet higher than Hawkeye Point.
Lowest point
- Iowa's lowest point is Mississippi River at 480 feet; West Virginia's is Potomac River at 240 feet.
- West Virginia's lowest point is 240 feet lower.
Iowa vs West Virginia Population and History
Population
- Iowa has a population of 3,241,488 (2024), while West Virginia has 1,769,979 (2024).
- Iowa's population is 1.8 times (83%) larger than West Virginia's.
Population density
- Iowa: 58.0 people per square mile vs West Virginia: 73.6.
- West Virginia's population density is 1.3 times (27%) higher than Iowa's.
Biggest city
- Iowa's biggest city is Des Moines with 213,096 people; West Virginia's is Charleston with 46,482.
- Des Moines' population is 4.6 times (358%) larger than Charleston's.
Largest metro area
- Iowa's largest metropolitan area is Omaha, NE-IA metro area (1,001,010 people) vs West Virginia's Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area (6,436,489).
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area's population is 6.4 times (543%) larger than Omaha, NE-IA metro area's.
History
- Iowa: Admitted to the Union on December 28, 1846, as the 29th state.
- West Virginia: Admitted to the Union on June 20, 1863, as the 35th state.
- In its current form, Iowa is the older of the two by 17 years.
Iowa vs West Virginia Economy
GDP
- Iowa's GDP is $265.8 billion (2024) vs West Virginia's $106.5 billion.
- Iowa's economic output is 2.5 times (150%) larger than West Virginia's.
GDP per capita
- Iowa: $81,998 per person vs West Virginia: $60,156.
- Iowa's GDP per capita is 1.4 times (36%) higher than West Virginia's.
Average income
- Iowa: $65,225 vs West Virginia: $55,351 average income per person (per capita personal income).
- Iowa's average income is 1.2 times (18%) higher than West Virginia's.
Iowa vs West Virginia Counties
Number of counties
- Iowa has 99 counties, while West Virginia has 55.
- Iowa's county count is 1.8 times (80%) higher than West Virginia's.
Biggest county by area
- Iowa's largest county is Kossuth County at 973 square miles; West Virginia's is Randolph County at 1,040 square miles.
- Randolph County's land area is 1.1 times (7%) larger than Kossuth County's.
Smallest county by area
- Iowa: Dickinson County (381 sq mi) vs West Virginia: Hancock County (83 sq mi).
- Dickinson County's land area is 4.6 times (361%) larger than Hancock County's.
Most populous county
- Iowa: Polk County (516,185 people) vs West Virginia: Kanawha County (173,906 people).
- Polk County's population is 3.0 times (197%) larger than Kanawha County's.
Least populous county
- Iowa: Adams County (3,606 people) vs West Virginia: Wirt County (4,924 people).
- Wirt County's population is 1.4 times (37%) larger than Adams County's.
Richest county
- Iowa: Mitchell County ($98,211 per capita income) vs West Virginia: Jefferson County ($70,542).
- Mitchell County's income is 1.4 times (39%) richer than Jefferson County's.
Poorest county
- Iowa: Decatur County ($46,134 per capita income) vs West Virginia: Webster County ($35,039).
- Decatur County's income is 1.3 times (32%) richer than Webster County's.
Iowa vs West Virginia Taxes
State income tax
- Iowa has a top income tax rate of 3.8%, while West Virginia has a top income tax rate of 4.82%.
- West Virginia's top rate is 1.02 percentage points higher.
Property tax
- Iowa: 1.29% effective rate vs West Virginia: 0.52% of home value per year.
- Iowa's rate is 0.77 percentage points higher.
Sales tax
- Iowa: 6.94% combined state and average local rate vs West Virginia: 6.6%.
- Iowa's combined rate is 0.34 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Iowa official website · West Virginia official website
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More Size Comparisons
All Iowa size comparisons · All West Virginia 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.