The map above shows Michigan and Washington side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Michigan vs Washington Geography
Land area: Michigan has a land area of 56,611 square miles (146,622 km²), while Washington has 66,455 square miles (172,119 km²). Washington's land area is 1.2 times (17%) larger than Michigan's.
Total area: Michigan: 96,713 square miles (250,486 km²) vs Washington: 71,301 square miles (184,668 km²), including inland and coastal water. Michigan's total area is 1.4 times (36%) larger than Washington's.
Length: Michigan is 489 miles (786 km) long from north to south; Washington is 238 miles (383 km). Michigan's north-south length is 2.1 times (105%) longer than Washington's.
Width: Michigan spans 453 miles (728 km) east to west; Washington spans 399 miles (641 km). Michigan's east-west width is 1.1 times (14%) wider than Washington's.
Highest point: Michigan's highest point is Mount Arvon at 2,014 feet (614 m); Washington's is Mount Rainier at 14,409 feet (4,392 m). Mount Rainier is 12,395 feet higher than Mount Arvon.
Lowest point: Michigan's lowest point is Lake Erie at 571 feet; Washington's is Pacific Ocean at 0 feet. Washington's lowest point is 571 feet lower.
Michigan vs Washington Population and History
Population: Michigan has a population of 10,140,459 (2024), while Washington has 7,958,180 (2024). Michigan's population is 1.3 times (27%) larger than Washington's.
Population density: Michigan: 179.1 people per square mile vs Washington: 119.8. Michigan's population density is 1.5 times (49%) higher than Washington's.
Biggest city: Michigan's biggest city is Detroit with 645,705 people; Washington's is Seattle with 780,995. Seattle's population is 1.2 times (21%) larger than Detroit's.
Largest metro area: Michigan's largest metropolitan area is Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI metro area (4,400,578 people) vs Washington's Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area (4,145,494). Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI metro area's population is 1.1 times (6%) larger than Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area's.
History: Michigan: Admitted to the Union on January 26, 1837, as the 26th state. Washington: Admitted to the Union on November 11, 1889, as the 42nd state. In its current form, Michigan is the older of the two by 52 years.
Michigan vs Washington Economy
GDP: Michigan's GDP is $702.5 billion (2024) vs Washington's $856.0 billion. Washington's economic output is 1.2 times (22%) larger than Michigan's.
GDP per capita: Michigan: $69,274 per person vs Washington: $107,564. Washington's GDP per capita is 1.6 times (55%) higher than Michigan's.
Average income: Michigan: $63,690 vs Washington: $85,187 average income per person (per capita personal income). Washington's average income is 1.3 times (34%) higher than Michigan's.
Michigan vs Washington Counties
Number of counties: Michigan has 83 counties, while Washington has 39. Michigan's county count is 2.1 times (113%) higher than Washington's.
Biggest county by area: Michigan's largest county is Marquette County at 1,809 square miles; Washington's is Okanogan County at 5,266 square miles. Okanogan County's land area is 2.9 times (191%) larger than Marquette County's.
Smallest county by area: Michigan: Benzie County (320 sq mi) vs Washington: San Juan County (174 sq mi). Benzie County's land area is 1.8 times (84%) larger than San Juan County's.
Most populous county: Michigan: Wayne County (1,771,063 people) vs Washington: King County (2,340,211 people). King County's population is 1.3 times (32%) larger than Wayne County's.
Least populous county: Michigan: Keweenaw County (2,161 people) vs Washington: Garfield County (2,404 people). Garfield County's population is 1.1 times (11%) larger than Keweenaw County's.
Richest county: Michigan: Oakland County ($93,579 per capita income) vs Washington: King County ($128,684). King County's income is 1.4 times (38%) richer than Oakland County's.
Poorest county: Michigan: Lake County ($39,505 per capita income) vs Washington: Ferry County ($50,456). Ferry County's income is 1.3 times (28%) richer than Lake County's.
Michigan vs Washington Taxes
State income tax: Michigan has a top income tax rate of 4.25%, while Washington has a 9% tax on capital gains only.
Property tax: Michigan: 1.18% effective rate vs Washington: 0.79% of home value per year. Michigan's rate is 0.39 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: Michigan: 6% combined state and average local rate vs Washington: 9.57%. Washington's combined rate is 3.57 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Michigan official website · Washington official website
More Size Comparisons
All Michigan size comparisons · All Washington 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.