The map above shows Louisiana and Mississippi side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Louisiana vs Mississippi Geography
Land area: Louisiana has a land area of 43,213 square miles (111,921 km²), while Mississippi has 46,925 square miles (121,534 km²). Mississippi's land area is 1.1 times (9%) larger than Louisiana's.
Total area: Louisiana: 52,375 square miles (135,652 km²) vs Mississippi: 48,436 square miles (125,448 km²), including inland and coastal water. Louisiana's total area is 1.1 times (8%) larger than Mississippi's.
Length: Louisiana is 301 miles (484 km) long from north to south; Mississippi is 337 miles (542 km). Mississippi's north-south length is 1.1 times (12%) longer than Louisiana's.
Width: Louisiana spans 356 miles (574 km) east to west; Mississippi spans 340 miles (547 km). Louisiana's east-west width is 1.0 times (5%) wider than Mississippi's.
Highest point: Louisiana's highest point is Driskill Mountain at 533 feet (162 m); Mississippi's is Woodall Mountain at 805 feet (245 m). Woodall Mountain is 272 feet higher than Driskill Mountain.
Lowest point: Louisiana's lowest point is New Orleans at -8 feet; Mississippi's is Gulf of Mexico at 0 feet. Louisiana's lowest point is 8 feet lower.
Louisiana vs Mississippi Population and History
Population: Louisiana has a population of 4,597,740 (2024), while Mississippi has 2,943,045 (2024). Louisiana's population is 1.6 times (56%) larger than Mississippi's.
Population density: Louisiana: 106.4 people per square mile vs Mississippi: 62.7. Louisiana's population density is 1.7 times (70%) higher than Mississippi's.
Biggest city: Louisiana's biggest city is New Orleans with 362,701 people; Mississippi's is Jackson with 141,449. New Orleans' population is 2.6 times (156%) larger than Jackson's.
Largest metro area: Louisiana's largest metropolitan area is New Orleans-Metairie, LA metro area (966,230 people) vs Mississippi's Memphis, TN-MS-AR metro area (1,339,345). Memphis, TN-MS-AR metro area's population is 1.4 times (39%) larger than New Orleans-Metairie, LA metro area's.
History: Louisiana: Admitted to the Union on April 30, 1812, as the 18th state. Mississippi: Admitted to the Union on December 10, 1817, as the 20th state. In its current form, Louisiana is the older of the two by 5 years.
Louisiana vs Mississippi Economy
GDP: Louisiana's GDP is $329.2 billion (2024) vs Mississippi's $158.2 billion. Louisiana's economic output is 2.1 times (108%) larger than Mississippi's.
GDP per capita: Louisiana: $71,594 per person vs Mississippi: $53,751. Louisiana's GDP per capita is 1.3 times (33%) higher than Mississippi's.
Average income: Louisiana: $61,897 vs Mississippi: $52,074 average income per person (per capita personal income). Louisiana's average income is 1.2 times (19%) higher than Mississippi's.
Louisiana vs Mississippi Counties
Number of counties: Louisiana has 64 counties, while Mississippi has 82. Mississippi's county count is 1.3 times (28%) higher than Louisiana's.
Biggest county by area: Louisiana's largest county is Vernon Parish at 1,327 square miles; Mississippi's is Yazoo County at 922 square miles. Vernon Parish's land area is 1.4 times (44%) larger than Yazoo County's.
Smallest county by area: Louisiana: Orleans Parish (170 sq mi) vs Mississippi: Alcorn County (400 sq mi). Alcorn County's land area is 2.4 times (136%) larger than Orleans Parish's.
Most populous county: Louisiana: East Baton Rouge Parish (453,022 people) vs Mississippi: Harrison County (213,730 people). East Baton Rouge Parish's population is 2.1 times (112%) larger than Harrison County's.
Least populous county: Louisiana: Tensas Parish (3,844 people) vs Mississippi: Issaquena County (1,295 people). Tensas Parish's population is 3.0 times (197%) larger than Issaquena County's.
Richest county: Louisiana: St. Tammany Parish ($82,398 per capita income) vs Mississippi: Madison County ($90,668). Madison County's income is 1.1 times (10%) richer than St. Tammany Parish's.
Poorest county: Louisiana: East Carroll Parish ($36,751 per capita income) vs Mississippi: Issaquena County ($27,264). East Carroll Parish's income is 1.3 times (35%) richer than Issaquena County's.
Louisiana vs Mississippi Taxes
State income tax: Louisiana has a top income tax rate of 3%, while Mississippi has a top income tax rate of 4%. Mississippi's top rate is 1 percentage points higher.
Property tax: Louisiana: 0.53% effective rate vs Mississippi: 0.65% of home value per year. Mississippi's rate is 0.12 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: Louisiana: 10.13% combined state and average local rate vs Mississippi: 7.06%. Louisiana's combined rate is 3.07 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Louisiana official website · Mississippi official website
More Size Comparisons
All Louisiana size comparisons · All Mississippi 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.