The map above shows Kentucky and Pennsylvania side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Kentucky vs Pennsylvania Geography
Land area
- Kentucky has a land area of 39,485 square miles (102,267 km²), while Pennsylvania has 44,742 square miles (115,882 km²).
- Pennsylvania's land area is 1.1 times (13%) larger than Kentucky's.
Total area
- Kentucky: 40,406 square miles (104,651 km²) vs Pennsylvania: 46,054 square miles (119,279 km²), including inland and coastal water.
- Pennsylvania's total area is 1.1 times (14%) larger than Kentucky's.
Length
- Kentucky is 257 miles (414 km) long from north to south; Pennsylvania is 284 miles (458 km).
- Pennsylvania's north-south length is 1.1 times (11%) longer than Kentucky's.
Width
- Kentucky spans 418 miles (672 km) east to west; Pennsylvania spans 307 miles (495 km).
- Kentucky's east-west width is 1.4 times (36%) wider than Pennsylvania's.
Highest point
- Kentucky's highest point is Black Mountain at 4,134 feet (1,260 m); Pennsylvania's is Mount Davis at 3,210 feet (978 m).
- Black Mountain is 924 feet higher than Mount Davis.
Lowest point
- Kentucky's lowest point is Mississippi River at 270 feet; Pennsylvania's is Delaware River at 0 feet.
- Pennsylvania's lowest point is 270 feet lower.
Kentucky vs Pennsylvania Population and History
Population
- Kentucky has a population of 4,588,372 (2024), while Pennsylvania has 13,078,751 (2024).
- Pennsylvania's population is 2.9 times (185%) larger than Kentucky's.
Population density
- Kentucky: 116.2 people per square mile vs Pennsylvania: 292.3.
- Pennsylvania's population density is 2.5 times (152%) higher than Kentucky's.
Biggest city
- Kentucky's biggest city is Louisville with 640,796 people; Pennsylvania's is Philadelphia with 1,573,916.
- Philadelphia's population is 2.5 times (146%) larger than Louisville's.
Largest metro area
- Kentucky's largest metropolitan area is Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN metro area (2,302,815 people) vs Pennsylvania's Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area (6,330,422).
- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area's population is 2.7 times (175%) larger than Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN metro area's.
History
- Kentucky: Admitted to the Union on June 1, 1792, as the 15th state.
- Pennsylvania: Admitted to the Union on December 12, 1787, as the 2nd state.
- In its current form, Pennsylvania is the older of the two by 5 years.
Kentucky vs Pennsylvania Economy
GDP
- Kentucky's GDP is $295.4 billion (2024) vs Pennsylvania's $1,007.9 billion.
- Pennsylvania's economic output is 3.4 times (241%) larger than Kentucky's.
GDP per capita
- Kentucky: $64,375 per person vs Pennsylvania: $77,062.
- Pennsylvania's GDP per capita is 1.2 times (20%) higher than Kentucky's.
Average income
- Kentucky: $58,256 vs Pennsylvania: $70,678 average income per person (per capita personal income).
- Pennsylvania's average income is 1.2 times (21%) higher than Kentucky's.
Kentucky vs Pennsylvania Counties
Number of counties
- Kentucky has 120 counties, while Pennsylvania has 67.
- Kentucky's county count is 1.8 times (79%) higher than Pennsylvania's.
Biggest county by area
- Kentucky's largest county is Pike County at 786 square miles; Pennsylvania's is Lycoming County at 1,229 square miles.
- Lycoming County's land area is 1.6 times (56%) larger than Pike County's.
Smallest county by area
- Kentucky: Gallatin County (98 sq mi) vs Pennsylvania: Montour County (130 sq mi).
- Montour County's land area is 1.3 times (33%) larger than Gallatin County's.
Most populous county
- Kentucky: Jefferson County (793,881 people) vs Pennsylvania: Philadelphia County (1,573,916 people).
- Philadelphia County's population is 2.0 times (98%) larger than Jefferson County's.
Least populous county
- Kentucky: Robertson County (2,382 people) vs Pennsylvania: Cameron County (4,348 people).
- Cameron County's population is 1.8 times (83%) larger than Robertson County's.
Richest county
- Kentucky: Oldham County ($87,137 per capita income) vs Pennsylvania: Chester County ($110,883).
- Chester County's income is 1.3 times (27%) richer than Oldham County's.
Poorest county
- Kentucky: Elliott County ($31,817 per capita income) vs Pennsylvania: Forest County ($30,234).
- Elliott County's income is 1.1 times (5%) richer than Forest County's.
Kentucky vs Pennsylvania Taxes
State income tax
- Kentucky has a top income tax rate of 3.5%, while Pennsylvania has a top income tax rate of 3.07%.
- Kentucky's top rate is 0.43 percentage points higher.
Property tax
- Kentucky: 0.71% effective rate vs Pennsylvania: 1.16% of home value per year.
- Pennsylvania's rate is 0.45 percentage points higher.
Sales tax
- Kentucky: 6% combined state and average local rate vs Pennsylvania: 6.34%.
- Pennsylvania's combined rate is 0.34 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Kentucky official website · Pennsylvania official website
Download the Kentucky vs Pennsylvania Size Comparison Map for free
To download the map, right-click the image above (or press and hold on a phone or tablet) and choose Save image as. The map is free to use anywhere, including on your own website or in print, as long as you credit it with a link back to this page or to BrilliantMaps.com.
More Size Comparisons
All Kentucky size comparisons · All Pennsylvania 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.