The map above shows Kentucky and Missouri side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Kentucky vs Missouri Geography
Land area: Kentucky has a land area of 39,485 square miles (102,267 km²), while Missouri has 68,746 square miles (178,052 km²). Missouri's land area is 1.7 times (74%) larger than Kentucky's.
Total area: Kentucky: 40,406 square miles (104,651 km²) vs Missouri: 69,707 square miles (180,540 km²), including inland and coastal water. Missouri's total area is 1.7 times (73%) larger than Kentucky's.
Length: Kentucky is 257 miles (414 km) long from north to south; Missouri is 328 miles (529 km). Missouri's north-south length is 1.3 times (28%) longer than Kentucky's.
Width: Kentucky spans 418 miles (672 km) east to west; Missouri spans 437 miles (703 km). Kentucky and Missouri have about the same east-west width.
Highest point: Kentucky's highest point is Black Mountain at 4,134 feet (1,260 m); Missouri's is Taum Sauk Mountain at 1,771 feet (540 m). Black Mountain is 2,363 feet higher than Taum Sauk Mountain.
Lowest point: Kentucky's lowest point is Mississippi River at 270 feet; Missouri's is St. Francis River at 230 feet. Missouri's lowest point is 40 feet lower.
Kentucky vs Missouri Population and History
Population: Kentucky has a population of 4,588,372 (2024), while Missouri has 6,245,466 (2024). Missouri's population is 1.4 times (36%) larger than Kentucky's.
Population density: Kentucky: 116.2 people per square mile vs Missouri: 90.8. Kentucky's population density is 1.3 times (28%) higher than Missouri's.
Biggest city: Kentucky's biggest city is Louisville with 640,796 people; Missouri's is Kansas City with 516,032. Louisville's population is 1.2 times (24%) larger than Kansas City's.
Largest metro area: Kentucky's largest metropolitan area is Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN metro area (2,302,815 people) vs Missouri's St. Louis, MO-IL metro area (2,811,927). St. Louis, MO-IL metro area's population is 1.2 times (22%) larger than Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN metro area's.
History: Kentucky: Admitted to the Union on June 1, 1792, as the 15th state. Missouri: Admitted to the Union on August 10, 1821, as the 24th state. In its current form, Kentucky is the older of the two by 29 years.
Kentucky vs Missouri Economy
GDP: Kentucky's GDP is $295.4 billion (2024) vs Missouri's $448.7 billion. Missouri's economic output is 1.5 times (52%) larger than Kentucky's.
GDP per capita: Kentucky: $64,375 per person vs Missouri: $71,846. Missouri's GDP per capita is 1.1 times (12%) higher than Kentucky's.
Average income: Kentucky: $58,256 vs Missouri: $64,920 average income per person (per capita personal income). Missouri's average income is 1.1 times (11%) higher than Kentucky's.
Kentucky vs Missouri Counties
Number of counties: Kentucky has 120 counties, while Missouri has 115. Kentucky and Missouri have about the same county count.
Biggest county by area: Kentucky's largest county is Pike County at 786 square miles; Missouri's is Texas County at 1,177 square miles. Texas County's land area is 1.5 times (50%) larger than Pike County's.
Smallest county by area: Kentucky: Gallatin County (98 sq mi) vs Missouri: St. Louis city (62 sq mi). Gallatin County's land area is 1.6 times (59%) larger than St. Louis city's.
Most populous county: Kentucky: Jefferson County (793,881 people) vs Missouri: St. Louis County (992,929 people). St. Louis County's population is 1.3 times (25%) larger than Jefferson County's.
Least populous county: Kentucky: Robertson County (2,382 people) vs Missouri: Worth County (1,872 people). Robertson County's population is 1.3 times (27%) larger than Worth County's.
Richest county: Kentucky: Oldham County ($87,137 per capita income) vs Missouri: St. Louis County ($104,775). St. Louis County's income is 1.2 times (20%) richer than Oldham County's.
Poorest county: Kentucky: Elliott County ($31,817 per capita income) vs Missouri: Douglas County ($40,515). Douglas County's income is 1.3 times (27%) richer than Elliott County's.
Kentucky vs Missouri Taxes
State income tax: Kentucky has a top income tax rate of 3.5%, while Missouri has a top income tax rate of 4.7%. Missouri's top rate is 1.2 percentage points higher.
Property tax: Kentucky: 0.71% effective rate vs Missouri: 0.79% of home value per year. Missouri's rate is 0.08 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: Kentucky: 6% combined state and average local rate vs Missouri: 8.44%. Missouri's combined rate is 2.44 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Kentucky official website · Missouri official website
More Size Comparisons
All Kentucky size comparisons · All Missouri 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.