The map above shows Kentucky and Maryland side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Kentucky vs Maryland Geography
Land area: Kentucky has a land area of 39,485 square miles (102,267 km²), while Maryland has 9,711 square miles (25,151 km²). Kentucky's land area is 4.1 times (307%) larger than Maryland's.
Total area: Kentucky: 40,406 square miles (104,651 km²) vs Maryland: 12,406 square miles (32,131 km²), including inland and coastal water. Kentucky's total area is 3.3 times (226%) larger than Maryland's.
Length: Kentucky is 257 miles (414 km) long from north to south; Maryland is 231 miles (371 km). Kentucky's north-south length is 1.1 times (11%) longer than Maryland's.
Width: Kentucky spans 418 miles (672 km) east to west; Maryland spans 243 miles (391 km). Kentucky's east-west width is 1.7 times (72%) wider than Maryland's.
Highest point: Kentucky's highest point is Black Mountain at 4,134 feet (1,260 m); Maryland's is Hoye-Crest at 3,362 feet (1,025 m). Black Mountain is 772 feet higher than Hoye-Crest.
Lowest point: Kentucky's lowest point is Mississippi River at 270 feet; Maryland's is Atlantic Ocean at 0 feet. Maryland's lowest point is 270 feet lower.
Kentucky vs Maryland Population and History
Population: Kentucky has a population of 4,588,372 (2024), while Maryland has 6,263,220 (2024). Maryland's population is 1.4 times (37%) larger than Kentucky's.
Population density: Kentucky: 116.2 people per square mile vs Maryland: 645.0. Maryland's population density is 5.6 times (455%) higher than Kentucky's.
Biggest city: Kentucky's biggest city is Louisville with 640,796 people; Maryland's is Baltimore with 568,271. Louisville's population is 1.1 times (13%) larger than Baltimore's.
Largest metro area: Kentucky's largest metropolitan area is Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN metro area (2,302,815 people) vs Maryland'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 2.8 times (180%) larger than Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN metro area's.
History: Kentucky: Admitted to the Union on June 1, 1792, as the 15th state. Maryland: Admitted to the Union on April 28, 1788, as the 7th state. In its current form, Maryland is the older of the two by 4 years.
Kentucky vs Maryland Economy
GDP: Kentucky's GDP is $295.4 billion (2024) vs Maryland's $546.0 billion. Maryland's economic output is 1.8 times (85%) larger than Kentucky's.
GDP per capita: Kentucky: $64,375 per person vs Maryland: $87,180. Maryland's GDP per capita is 1.4 times (35%) higher than Kentucky's.
Average income: Kentucky: $58,256 vs Maryland: $79,259 average income per person (per capita personal income). Maryland's average income is 1.4 times (36%) higher than Kentucky's.
Kentucky vs Maryland Counties
Number of counties: Kentucky has 120 counties, while Maryland has 24. Kentucky's county count is 5.0 times (400%) higher than Maryland's.
Biggest county by area: Kentucky's largest county is Pike County at 786 square miles; Maryland's is Frederick County at 661 square miles. Pike County's land area is 1.2 times (19%) larger than Frederick County's.
Smallest county by area: Kentucky: Gallatin County (98 sq mi) vs Maryland: Baltimore city (81 sq mi). Gallatin County's land area is 1.2 times (22%) larger than Baltimore city's.
Most populous county: Kentucky: Jefferson County (793,881 people) vs Maryland: Montgomery County (1,082,273 people). Montgomery County's population is 1.4 times (36%) larger than Jefferson County's.
Least populous county: Kentucky: Robertson County (2,382 people) vs Maryland: Kent County (19,557 people). Kent County's population is 8.2 times (721%) larger than Robertson County's.
Richest county: Kentucky: Oldham County ($87,137 per capita income) vs Maryland: Montgomery County ($104,882). Montgomery County's income is 1.2 times (20%) richer than Oldham County's.
Poorest county: Kentucky: Elliott County ($31,817 per capita income) vs Maryland: Somerset County ($41,421). Somerset County's income is 1.3 times (30%) richer than Elliott County's.
Kentucky vs Maryland Taxes
State income tax: Kentucky has a top income tax rate of 3.5%, while Maryland has a top income tax rate of 6.5%. Maryland's top rate is 3 percentage points higher.
Property tax: Kentucky: 0.71% effective rate vs Maryland: 0.95% of home value per year. Maryland's rate is 0.24 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: Kentucky: 6% combined state and average local rate vs Maryland: 6%. The two are essentially equal.
Official Websites
Kentucky official website · Maryland official website
More Size Comparisons
All Kentucky size comparisons · All Maryland 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.