The map above shows Michigan and Virginia side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Michigan vs Virginia Geography
Land area
- Michigan has a land area of 56,611 square miles (146,622 km²), while Virginia has 39,481 square miles (102,256 km²).
- Michigan's land area is 1.4 times (43%) larger than Virginia's.
Total area
- Michigan: 96,713 square miles (250,486 km²) vs Virginia: 42,775 square miles (110,786 km²), including inland and coastal water.
- Michigan's total area is 2.3 times (126%) larger than Virginia's.
Length
- Michigan is 489 miles (786 km) long from north to south; Virginia is 223 miles (359 km).
- Michigan's north-south length is 2.2 times (119%) longer than Virginia's.
Width
- Michigan spans 453 miles (728 km) east to west; Virginia spans 466 miles (750 km).
- Michigan and Virginia have about the same east-west width.
Highest point
- Michigan's highest point is Mount Arvon at 2,014 feet (614 m); Virginia's is Mount Rogers at 5,729 feet (1,746 m).
- Mount Rogers is 3,715 feet higher than Mount Arvon.
Lowest point
- Michigan's lowest point is Lake Erie at 571 feet; Virginia's is Atlantic Ocean at 0 feet.
- Virginia's lowest point is 571 feet lower.
Michigan vs Virginia Population and History
Population
- Michigan has a population of 10,140,459 (2024), while Virginia has 8,811,195 (2024).
- Michigan's population is 1.2 times (15%) larger than Virginia's.
Population density
- Michigan: 179.1 people per square mile vs Virginia: 223.2.
- Virginia's population density is 1.2 times (25%) higher than Michigan's.
Biggest city
- Michigan's biggest city is Detroit with 645,705 people; Virginia's is Virginia Beach with 454,808.
- Detroit's population is 1.4 times (42%) larger than Virginia Beach's.
Largest metro area
- Michigan's largest metropolitan area is Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI metro area (4,400,578 people) vs Virginia's Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area (6,436,489).
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area's population is 1.5 times (46%) larger than Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI metro area's.
History
- Michigan: Admitted to the Union on January 26, 1837, as the 26th state.
- Virginia: Admitted to the Union on June 25, 1788, as the 10th state.
- In its current form, Virginia is the older of the two by 49 years.
Michigan vs Virginia Economy
GDP
- Michigan's GDP is $702.5 billion (2024) vs Virginia's $761.7 billion.
- Virginia's economic output is 1.1 times (8%) larger than Michigan's.
GDP per capita
- Michigan: $69,274 per person vs Virginia: $86,451.
- Virginia's GDP per capita is 1.2 times (25%) higher than Michigan's.
Average income
- Michigan: $63,690 vs Virginia: $77,351 average income per person (per capita personal income).
- Virginia's average income is 1.2 times (21%) higher than Michigan's.
Michigan vs Virginia Counties
Number of counties
- Michigan has 83 counties, while Virginia has 133.
- Virginia's county count is 1.6 times (60%) higher than Michigan's.
Biggest county by area
- Michigan's largest county is Marquette County at 1,809 square miles; Virginia's is Pittsylvania County at 969 square miles.
- Marquette County's land area is 1.9 times (87%) larger than Pittsylvania County's.
Smallest county by area
- Michigan: Benzie County (320 sq mi) vs Virginia: Falls Church city (2 sq mi).
- Benzie County's land area is 159.9 times larger than Falls Church city's.
Most populous county
- Michigan: Wayne County (1,771,063 people) vs Virginia: Fairfax County (1,160,925 people).
- Wayne County's population is 1.5 times (53%) larger than Fairfax County's.
Least populous county
- Michigan: Keweenaw County (2,161 people) vs Virginia: Highland County (2,348 people).
- Highland County's population is 1.1 times (9%) larger than Keweenaw County's.
Richest county
- Michigan: Oakland County ($93,579 per capita income) vs Virginia: Arlington County ($131,624).
- Arlington County's income is 1.4 times (41%) richer than Oakland County's.
Poorest county
- Michigan: Lake County ($39,505 per capita income) vs Virginia: Sussex County ($41,032).
- Lake County and Sussex County have about the same income.
Michigan vs Virginia Taxes
State income tax
- Michigan has a top income tax rate of 4.25%, while Virginia has a top income tax rate of 5.75%.
- Virginia's top rate is 1.5 percentage points higher.
Property tax
- Michigan: 1.18% effective rate vs Virginia: 0.71% of home value per year.
- Michigan's rate is 0.47 percentage points higher.
Sales tax
- Michigan: 6% combined state and average local rate vs Virginia: 5.77%.
- Michigan's combined rate is 0.23 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Michigan official website · Virginia official website
Download the Michigan vs Virginia 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 Michigan size comparisons · All Virginia 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.