The map above shows Kentucky and New York side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Kentucky vs New York Geography
Land area: Kentucky has a land area of 39,485 square miles (102,267 km²), while New York has 47,123 square miles (122,049 km²). New York's land area is 1.2 times (19%) larger than Kentucky's.
Total area: Kentucky: 40,406 square miles (104,651 km²) vs New York: 54,559 square miles (141,306 km²), including inland and coastal water. New York's total area is 1.4 times (35%) larger than Kentucky's.
Length: Kentucky is 257 miles (414 km) long from north to south; New York is 312 miles (503 km). New York's north-south length is 1.2 times (21%) longer than Kentucky's.
Width: Kentucky spans 418 miles (672 km) east to west; New York spans 415 miles (668 km). Kentucky and New York have about the same east-west width.
Highest point: Kentucky's highest point is Black Mountain at 4,134 feet (1,260 m); New York's is Mount Marcy at 5,335 feet (1,626 m). Mount Marcy is 1,201 feet higher than Black Mountain.
Lowest point: Kentucky's lowest point is Mississippi River at 270 feet; New York's is Atlantic Ocean at 0 feet. New York's lowest point is 270 feet lower.
Kentucky vs New York Population and History
Population: Kentucky has a population of 4,588,372 (2024), while New York has 19,867,248 (2024). New York's population is 4.3 times (333%) larger than Kentucky's.
Population density: Kentucky: 116.2 people per square mile vs New York: 421.6. New York's population density is 3.6 times (263%) higher than Kentucky's.
Biggest city: Kentucky's biggest city is Louisville with 640,796 people; New York's is New York with 8,478,072. New York's population is 13.2 times larger than Louisville's.
Largest metro area: Kentucky's largest metropolitan area is Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN metro area (2,302,815 people) vs New York's New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro area (19,940,274). New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro area's population is 8.7 times (766%) larger than Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN metro area's.
History: Kentucky: Admitted to the Union on June 1, 1792, as the 15th state. New York: Admitted to the Union on July 26, 1788, as the 11th state. In its current form, New York is the older of the two by 4 years.
Kentucky vs New York Economy
GDP: Kentucky's GDP is $295.4 billion (2024) vs New York's $2,322.1 billion. New York's economic output is 7.9 times (686%) larger than Kentucky's.
GDP per capita: Kentucky: $64,375 per person vs New York: $116,883. New York's GDP per capita is 1.8 times (82%) higher than Kentucky's.
Average income: Kentucky: $58,256 vs New York: $85,552 average income per person (per capita personal income). New York's average income is 1.5 times (47%) higher than Kentucky's.
Kentucky vs New York Counties
Number of counties: Kentucky has 120 counties, while New York has 62. Kentucky's county count is 1.9 times (94%) higher than New York's.
Biggest county by area: Kentucky's largest county is Pike County at 786 square miles; New York's is St. Lawrence County at 2,680 square miles. St. Lawrence County's land area is 3.4 times (241%) larger than Pike County's.
Smallest county by area: Kentucky: Gallatin County (98 sq mi) vs New York: New York County (23 sq mi). Gallatin County's land area is 4.3 times (333%) larger than New York County's.
Most populous county: Kentucky: Jefferson County (793,881 people) vs New York: Kings County (2,617,631 people). Kings County's population is 3.3 times (230%) larger than Jefferson County's.
Least populous county: Kentucky: Robertson County (2,382 people) vs New York: Hamilton County (5,082 people). Hamilton County's population is 2.1 times (113%) larger than Robertson County's.
Richest county: Kentucky: Oldham County ($87,137 per capita income) vs New York: New York County ($217,075). New York County's income is 2.5 times (149%) richer than Oldham County's.
Poorest county: Kentucky: Elliott County ($31,817 per capita income) vs New York: Allegany County ($44,689). Allegany County's income is 1.4 times (40%) richer than Elliott County's.
Kentucky vs New York Taxes
State income tax: Kentucky has a top income tax rate of 3.5%, while New York has a top income tax rate of 10.9%. New York's top rate is 7.4 percentage points higher.
Property tax: Kentucky: 0.71% effective rate vs New York: 1.45% of home value per year. New York's rate is 0.74 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: Kentucky: 6% combined state and average local rate vs New York: 8.54%. New York's combined rate is 2.54 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Kentucky official website · New York official website
More Size Comparisons
All Kentucky size comparisons · All New York 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.