The map above shows Iowa and Wisconsin side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Iowa vs Wisconsin Geography
Land area: Iowa has a land area of 55,854 square miles (144,660 km²), while Wisconsin has 54,168 square miles (140,294 km²). Iowa and Wisconsin have about the same land area.
Total area: Iowa: 56,273 square miles (145,746 km²) vs Wisconsin: 65,497 square miles (169,636 km²), including inland and coastal water. Wisconsin's total area is 1.2 times (16%) larger than Iowa's.
Length: Iowa is 216 miles (347 km) long from north to south; Wisconsin is 368 miles (593 km). Wisconsin's north-south length is 1.7 times (70%) longer than Iowa's.
Width: Iowa spans 335 miles (539 km) east to west; Wisconsin spans 323 miles (521 km). Iowa and Wisconsin have about the same east-west width.
Highest point: Iowa's highest point is Hawkeye Point at 1,669 feet (509 m); Wisconsin's is Timms Hill at 1,946 feet (593 m). Timms Hill is 277 feet higher than Hawkeye Point.
Lowest point: Iowa's lowest point is Mississippi River at 480 feet; Wisconsin's is Lake Michigan at 577 feet. Iowa's lowest point is 97 feet lower.
Iowa vs Wisconsin Population and History
Population: Iowa has a population of 3,241,488 (2024), while Wisconsin has 5,960,975 (2024). Wisconsin's population is 1.8 times (84%) larger than Iowa's.
Population density: Iowa: 58.0 people per square mile vs Wisconsin: 110.0. Wisconsin's population density is 1.9 times (90%) higher than Iowa's.
Biggest city: Iowa's biggest city is Des Moines with 213,096 people; Wisconsin's is Milwaukee with 563,531. Milwaukee's population is 2.6 times (164%) larger than Des Moines'.
Largest metro area: Iowa's largest metropolitan area is Omaha, NE-IA metro area (1,001,010 people) vs Wisconsin's Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI metro area (3,757,952). Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI metro area's population is 3.8 times (275%) larger than Omaha, NE-IA metro area's.
History: Iowa: Admitted to the Union on December 28, 1846, as the 29th state. Wisconsin: Admitted to the Union on May 29, 1848, as the 30th state. In its current form, Iowa is the older of the two by 2 years.
Iowa vs Wisconsin Economy
GDP: Iowa's GDP is $265.8 billion (2024) vs Wisconsin's $453.3 billion. Wisconsin's economic output is 1.7 times (71%) larger than Iowa's.
GDP per capita: Iowa: $81,998 per person vs Wisconsin: $76,044. Iowa's GDP per capita is 1.1 times (8%) higher than Wisconsin's.
Average income: Iowa: $65,225 vs Wisconsin: $67,755 average income per person (per capita personal income). Iowa and Wisconsin have about the same average income.
Iowa vs Wisconsin Counties
Number of counties: Iowa has 99 counties, while Wisconsin has 72. Iowa's county count is 1.4 times (38%) higher than Wisconsin's.
Biggest county by area: Iowa's largest county is Kossuth County at 973 square miles; Wisconsin's is Marathon County at 1,545 square miles. Marathon County's land area is 1.6 times (59%) larger than Kossuth County's.
Smallest county by area: Iowa: Dickinson County (381 sq mi) vs Wisconsin: Pepin County (232 sq mi). Dickinson County's land area is 1.6 times (64%) larger than Pepin County's.
Most populous county: Iowa: Polk County (516,185 people) vs Wisconsin: Milwaukee County (924,740 people). Milwaukee County's population is 1.8 times (79%) larger than Polk County's.
Least populous county: Iowa: Adams County (3,606 people) vs Wisconsin: Menominee County (4,286 people). Menominee County's population is 1.2 times (19%) larger than Adams County's.
Richest county: Iowa: Mitchell County ($98,211 per capita income) vs Wisconsin: Ozaukee County ($109,947). Ozaukee County's income is 1.1 times (12%) richer than Mitchell County's.
Poorest county: Iowa: Decatur County ($46,134 per capita income) vs Wisconsin: Menominee County ($43,696). Decatur County's income is 1.1 times (6%) richer than Menominee County's.
Iowa vs Wisconsin Taxes
State income tax: Iowa has a top income tax rate of 3.8%, while Wisconsin has a top income tax rate of 7.65%. Wisconsin's top rate is 3.85 percentage points higher.
Property tax: Iowa: 1.29% effective rate vs Wisconsin: 1.25% of home value per year. Iowa's rate is 0.04 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: Iowa: 6.94% combined state and average local rate vs Wisconsin: 5.72%. Iowa's combined rate is 1.22 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Iowa official website · Wisconsin official website
More Size Comparisons
All Iowa size comparisons · All Wisconsin 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.