The map above shows Massachusetts and Pennsylvania side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Massachusetts vs Pennsylvania Geography
Land area: Massachusetts has a land area of 7,801 square miles (20,204 km²), while Pennsylvania has 44,742 square miles (115,882 km²). Pennsylvania's land area is 5.7 times (474%) larger than Massachusetts'.
Total area: Massachusetts: 10,554 square miles (27,335 km²) vs Pennsylvania: 46,054 square miles (119,279 km²), including inland and coastal water. Pennsylvania's total area is 4.4 times (336%) larger than Massachusetts'.
Length: Massachusetts is 123 miles (198 km) long from north to south; Pennsylvania is 284 miles (458 km). Pennsylvania's north-south length is 2.3 times (131%) longer than Massachusetts'.
Width: Massachusetts spans 185 miles (297 km) east to west; Pennsylvania spans 307 miles (495 km). Pennsylvania's east-west width is 1.7 times (66%) wider than Massachusetts'.
Highest point: Massachusetts's highest point is Mount Greylock at 3,489 feet (1,063 m); Pennsylvania's is Mount Davis at 3,210 feet (978 m). Mount Greylock is 279 feet higher than Mount Davis.
Lowest point: Massachusetts's lowest point is Atlantic Ocean at 0 feet; Pennsylvania's is Delaware River at 0 feet. Both lowest points are at or near sea level.
Massachusetts vs Pennsylvania Population and History
Population: Massachusetts has a population of 7,136,171 (2024), while Pennsylvania has 13,078,751 (2024). Pennsylvania's population is 1.8 times (83%) larger than Massachusetts'.
Population density: Massachusetts: 914.8 people per square mile vs Pennsylvania: 292.3. Massachusetts' population density is 3.1 times (213%) higher than Pennsylvania's.
Biggest city: Massachusetts's biggest city is Boston with 673,458 people; Pennsylvania's is Philadelphia with 1,573,916. Philadelphia's population is 2.3 times (134%) larger than Boston's.
Largest metro area: Massachusetts's largest metropolitan area is Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area (5,025,517 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 1.3 times (26%) larger than Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area's.
History: Massachusetts: Admitted to the Union on February 6, 1788, as the 6th 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 1 years.
Massachusetts vs Pennsylvania Economy
GDP: Massachusetts's GDP is $778.5 billion (2024) vs Pennsylvania's $1,007.9 billion. Pennsylvania's economic output is 1.3 times (29%) larger than Massachusetts'.
GDP per capita: Massachusetts: $109,095 per person vs Pennsylvania: $77,062. Massachusetts' GDP per capita is 1.4 times (42%) higher than Pennsylvania's.
Average income: Massachusetts: $93,607 vs Pennsylvania: $70,678 average income per person (per capita personal income). Massachusetts' average income is 1.3 times (32%) higher than Pennsylvania's.
Massachusetts vs Pennsylvania Counties
Number of counties: Massachusetts has 14 counties, while Pennsylvania has 67. Pennsylvania's county count is 4.8 times (379%) higher than Massachusetts'.
Biggest county by area: Massachusetts's largest county is Worcester County at 1,511 square miles; Pennsylvania's is Lycoming County at 1,229 square miles. Worcester County's land area is 1.2 times (23%) larger than Lycoming County's.
Smallest county by area: Massachusetts: Nantucket County (46 sq mi) vs Pennsylvania: Montour County (130 sq mi). Montour County's land area is 2.8 times (182%) larger than Nantucket County's.
Most populous county: Massachusetts: Middlesex County (1,668,956 people) vs Pennsylvania: Philadelphia County (1,573,916 people). Middlesex County's population is 1.1 times (6%) larger than Philadelphia County's.
Least populous county: Massachusetts: Nantucket County (14,670 people) vs Pennsylvania: Cameron County (4,348 people). Nantucket County's population is 3.4 times (237%) larger than Cameron County's.
Richest county: Massachusetts: Nantucket County ($129,250 per capita income) vs Pennsylvania: Chester County ($110,883). Nantucket County's income is 1.2 times (17%) richer than Chester County's.
Poorest county: Massachusetts: Hampshire County ($65,432 per capita income) vs Pennsylvania: Forest County ($30,234). Hampshire County's income is 2.2 times (116%) richer than Forest County's.
Massachusetts vs Pennsylvania Taxes
State income tax: Massachusetts has a top income tax rate of 9%, while Pennsylvania has a top income tax rate of 3.07%. Massachusetts's top rate is 5.93 percentage points higher.
Property tax: Massachusetts: 1% effective rate vs Pennsylvania: 1.16% of home value per year. Pennsylvania's rate is 0.16 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: Massachusetts: 6.25% combined state and average local rate vs Pennsylvania: 6.34%. Pennsylvania's combined rate is 0.09 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Massachusetts official website · Pennsylvania official website
More Size Comparisons
All Massachusetts 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.