The map above shows Mississippi and Virginia side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Mississippi vs Virginia Geography
Land area: Mississippi has a land area of 46,925 square miles (121,534 km²), while Virginia has 39,481 square miles (102,256 km²). Mississippi's land area is 1.2 times (19%) larger than Virginia's.
Total area: Mississippi: 48,436 square miles (125,448 km²) vs Virginia: 42,775 square miles (110,786 km²), including inland and coastal water. Mississippi's total area is 1.1 times (13%) larger than Virginia's.
Length: Mississippi is 337 miles (542 km) long from north to south; Virginia is 223 miles (359 km). Mississippi's north-south length is 1.5 times (51%) longer than Virginia's.
Width: Mississippi spans 340 miles (547 km) east to west; Virginia spans 466 miles (750 km). Virginia's east-west width is 1.4 times (37%) wider than Mississippi's.
Highest point: Mississippi's highest point is Woodall Mountain at 805 feet (245 m); Virginia's is Mount Rogers at 5,729 feet (1,746 m). Mount Rogers is 4,924 feet higher than Woodall Mountain.
Lowest point: Mississippi's lowest point is Gulf of Mexico at 0 feet; Virginia's is Atlantic Ocean at 0 feet. Both lowest points are at or near sea level.
Mississippi vs Virginia Population and History
Population: Mississippi has a population of 2,943,045 (2024), while Virginia has 8,811,195 (2024). Virginia's population is 3.0 times (199%) larger than Mississippi's.
Population density: Mississippi: 62.7 people per square mile vs Virginia: 223.2. Virginia's population density is 3.6 times (256%) higher than Mississippi's.
Biggest city: Mississippi's biggest city is Jackson with 141,449 people; Virginia's is Virginia Beach with 454,808. Virginia Beach's population is 3.2 times (222%) larger than Jackson's.
Largest metro area: Mississippi's largest metropolitan area is Memphis, TN-MS-AR metro area (1,339,345 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 4.8 times (381%) larger than Memphis, TN-MS-AR metro area's.
History: Mississippi: Admitted to the Union on December 10, 1817, as the 20th 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 29 years.
Mississippi vs Virginia Economy
GDP: Mississippi's GDP is $158.2 billion (2024) vs Virginia's $761.7 billion. Virginia's economic output is 4.8 times (381%) larger than Mississippi's.
GDP per capita: Mississippi: $53,751 per person vs Virginia: $86,451. Virginia's GDP per capita is 1.6 times (61%) higher than Mississippi's.
Average income: Mississippi: $52,074 vs Virginia: $77,351 average income per person (per capita personal income). Virginia's average income is 1.5 times (49%) higher than Mississippi's.
Mississippi vs Virginia Counties
Number of counties: Mississippi has 82 counties, while Virginia has 133. Virginia's county count is 1.6 times (62%) higher than Mississippi's.
Biggest county by area: Mississippi's largest county is Yazoo County at 922 square miles; Virginia's is Pittsylvania County at 969 square miles. Pittsylvania County's land area is 1.1 times (5%) larger than Yazoo County's.
Smallest county by area: Mississippi: Alcorn County (400 sq mi) vs Virginia: Falls Church city (2 sq mi). Alcorn County's land area is 200.0 times larger than Falls Church city's.
Most populous county: Mississippi: Harrison County (213,730 people) vs Virginia: Fairfax County (1,160,925 people). Fairfax County's population is 5.4 times (443%) larger than Harrison County's.
Least populous county: Mississippi: Issaquena County (1,295 people) vs Virginia: Highland County (2,348 people). Highland County's population is 1.8 times (81%) larger than Issaquena County's.
Richest county: Mississippi: Madison County ($90,668 per capita income) vs Virginia: Arlington County ($131,624). Arlington County's income is 1.5 times (45%) richer than Madison County's.
Poorest county: Mississippi: Issaquena County ($27,264 per capita income) vs Virginia: Sussex County ($41,032). Sussex County's income is 1.5 times (50%) richer than Issaquena County's.
Mississippi vs Virginia Taxes
State income tax: Mississippi has a top income tax rate of 4%, while Virginia has a top income tax rate of 5.75%. Virginia's top rate is 1.75 percentage points higher.
Property tax: Mississippi: 0.65% effective rate vs Virginia: 0.71% of home value per year. Virginia's rate is 0.06 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: Mississippi: 7.06% combined state and average local rate vs Virginia: 5.77%. Mississippi's combined rate is 1.29 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Mississippi official website · Virginia official website
More Size Comparisons
All Mississippi 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.