The map above shows Michigan and Wisconsin side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Michigan vs Wisconsin Geography
Land area: Michigan has a land area of 56,611 square miles (146,622 km²), while Wisconsin has 54,168 square miles (140,294 km²). Michigan and Wisconsin have about the same land area.
Total area: Michigan: 96,713 square miles (250,486 km²) vs Wisconsin: 65,497 square miles (169,636 km²), including inland and coastal water. Michigan's total area is 1.5 times (48%) larger than Wisconsin's.
Length: Michigan is 489 miles (786 km) long from north to south; Wisconsin is 368 miles (593 km). Michigan's north-south length is 1.3 times (33%) longer than Wisconsin's.
Width: Michigan spans 453 miles (728 km) east to west; Wisconsin spans 323 miles (521 km). Michigan's east-west width is 1.4 times (40%) wider than Wisconsin's.
Highest point: Michigan's highest point is Mount Arvon at 2,014 feet (614 m); Wisconsin's is Timms Hill at 1,946 feet (593 m). Mount Arvon is 68 feet higher than Timms Hill.
Lowest point: Michigan's lowest point is Lake Erie at 571 feet; Wisconsin's is Lake Michigan at 577 feet. Michigan's lowest point is 6 feet lower.
Michigan vs Wisconsin Population and History
Population: Michigan has a population of 10,140,459 (2024), while Wisconsin has 5,960,975 (2024). Michigan's population is 1.7 times (70%) larger than Wisconsin's.
Population density: Michigan: 179.1 people per square mile vs Wisconsin: 110.0. Michigan's population density is 1.6 times (63%) higher than Wisconsin's.
Biggest city: Michigan's biggest city is Detroit with 645,705 people; Wisconsin's is Milwaukee with 563,531. Detroit's population is 1.1 times (15%) larger than Milwaukee's.
Largest metro area: Michigan's largest metropolitan area is Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI metro area (4,400,578 people) vs Wisconsin's Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI metro area (3,757,952). Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI metro area's population is 1.2 times (17%) larger than Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI metro area's.
History: Michigan: Admitted to the Union on January 26, 1837, as the 26th state. Wisconsin: Admitted to the Union on May 29, 1848, as the 30th state. In its current form, Michigan is the older of the two by 11 years.
Michigan vs Wisconsin Economy
GDP: Michigan's GDP is $702.5 billion (2024) vs Wisconsin's $453.3 billion. Michigan's economic output is 1.5 times (55%) larger than Wisconsin's.
GDP per capita: Michigan: $69,274 per person vs Wisconsin: $76,044. Wisconsin's GDP per capita is 1.1 times (10%) higher than Michigan's.
Average income: Michigan: $63,690 vs Wisconsin: $67,755 average income per person (per capita personal income). Wisconsin's average income is 1.1 times (6%) higher than Michigan's.
Michigan vs Wisconsin Counties
Number of counties: Michigan has 83 counties, while Wisconsin has 72. Michigan's county count is 1.2 times (15%) higher than Wisconsin's.
Biggest county by area: Michigan's largest county is Marquette County at 1,809 square miles; Wisconsin's is Marathon County at 1,545 square miles. Marquette County's land area is 1.2 times (17%) larger than Marathon County's.
Smallest county by area: Michigan: Benzie County (320 sq mi) vs Wisconsin: Pepin County (232 sq mi). Benzie County's land area is 1.4 times (38%) larger than Pepin County's.
Most populous county: Michigan: Wayne County (1,771,063 people) vs Wisconsin: Milwaukee County (924,740 people). Wayne County's population is 1.9 times (92%) larger than Milwaukee County's.
Least populous county: Michigan: Keweenaw County (2,161 people) vs Wisconsin: Menominee County (4,286 people). Menominee County's population is 2.0 times (98%) larger than Keweenaw County's.
Richest county: Michigan: Oakland County ($93,579 per capita income) vs Wisconsin: Ozaukee County ($109,947). Ozaukee County's income is 1.2 times (17%) richer than Oakland County's.
Poorest county: Michigan: Lake County ($39,505 per capita income) vs Wisconsin: Menominee County ($43,696). Menominee County's income is 1.1 times (11%) richer than Lake County's.
Michigan vs Wisconsin Taxes
State income tax: Michigan has a top income tax rate of 4.25%, while Wisconsin has a top income tax rate of 7.65%. Wisconsin's top rate is 3.4 percentage points higher.
Property tax: Michigan: 1.18% effective rate vs Wisconsin: 1.25% of home value per year. Wisconsin's rate is 0.07 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: Michigan: 6% combined state and average local rate vs Wisconsin: 5.72%. Michigan's combined rate is 0.28 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Michigan official website · Wisconsin official website
More Size Comparisons
All Michigan size comparisons · All Wisconsin 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.