The map above shows New Mexico and West Virginia side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
New Mexico vs West Virginia Geography
Land area: New Mexico has a land area of 121,313 square miles (314,198 km²), while West Virginia has 24,041 square miles (62,266 km²). New Mexico's land area is 5.0 times (405%) larger than West Virginia's.
Total area: New Mexico: 121,593 square miles (314,925 km²) vs West Virginia: 24,230 square miles (62,755 km²), including inland and coastal water. New Mexico's total area is 5.0 times (402%) larger than West Virginia's.
Length: New Mexico is 395 miles (635 km) long from north to south; West Virginia is 245 miles (394 km). New Mexico's north-south length is 1.6 times (61%) longer than West Virginia's.
Width: New Mexico spans 498 miles (801 km) east to west; West Virginia spans 276 miles (444 km). New Mexico's east-west width is 1.8 times (80%) wider than West Virginia's.
Highest point: New Mexico's highest point is Wheeler Peak at 13,150 feet (4,008 m); West Virginia's is Spruce Knob at 4,863 feet (1,482 m). Wheeler Peak is 8,287 feet higher than Spruce Knob.
Lowest point: New Mexico's lowest point is Red Bluff Reservoir at 2,842 feet; West Virginia's is Potomac River at 240 feet. West Virginia's lowest point is 2,602 feet lower.
New Mexico vs West Virginia Population and History
Population: New Mexico has a population of 2,130,256 (2024), while West Virginia has 1,769,979 (2024). New Mexico's population is 1.2 times (20%) larger than West Virginia's.
Population density: New Mexico: 17.6 people per square mile vs West Virginia: 73.6. West Virginia's population density is 4.2 times (318%) higher than New Mexico's.
Biggest city: New Mexico's biggest city is Albuquerque with 560,326 people; West Virginia's is Charleston with 46,482. Albuquerque's population is 12.1 times larger than Charleston's.
Largest metro area: New Mexico's largest metropolitan area is Albuquerque, NM metro area (926,303 people) vs West 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 6.9 times (595%) larger than Albuquerque, NM metro area's.
History: New Mexico: Admitted to the Union on January 6, 1912, as the 47th state. West Virginia: Admitted to the Union on June 20, 1863, as the 35th state. In its current form, West Virginia is the older of the two by 49 years.
New Mexico vs West Virginia Economy
GDP: New Mexico's GDP is $147.1 billion (2024) vs West Virginia's $106.5 billion. New Mexico's economic output is 1.4 times (38%) larger than West Virginia's.
GDP per capita: New Mexico: $69,046 per person vs West Virginia: $60,156. New Mexico's GDP per capita is 1.1 times (15%) higher than West Virginia's.
Average income: New Mexico: $58,249 vs West Virginia: $55,351 average income per person (per capita personal income). New Mexico's average income is 1.1 times (5%) higher than West Virginia's.
New Mexico vs West Virginia Counties
Number of counties: New Mexico has 33 counties, while West Virginia has 55. West Virginia's county count is 1.7 times (67%) higher than New Mexico's.
Biggest county by area: New Mexico's largest county is Catron County at 6,924 square miles; West Virginia's is Randolph County at 1,040 square miles. Catron County's land area is 6.7 times (566%) larger than Randolph County's.
Smallest county by area: New Mexico: Los Alamos County (109 sq mi) vs West Virginia: Hancock County (83 sq mi). Los Alamos County's land area is 1.3 times (32%) larger than Hancock County's.
Most populous county: New Mexico: Bernalillo County (671,747 people) vs West Virginia: Kanawha County (173,906 people). Bernalillo County's population is 3.9 times (286%) larger than Kanawha County's.
Least populous county: New Mexico: Harding County (635 people) vs West Virginia: Wirt County (4,924 people). Wirt County's population is 7.8 times (675%) larger than Harding County's.
Richest county: New Mexico: Los Alamos County ($98,378 per capita income) vs West Virginia: Jefferson County ($70,542). Los Alamos County's income is 1.4 times (39%) richer than Jefferson County's.
Poorest county: New Mexico: Cibola County ($36,397 per capita income) vs West Virginia: Webster County ($35,039). Cibola County and Webster County have about the same income.
New Mexico vs West Virginia Taxes
State income tax: New Mexico has a top income tax rate of 5.9%, while West Virginia has a top income tax rate of 4.82%. New Mexico's top rate is 1.08 percentage points higher.
Property tax: New Mexico: 0.63% effective rate vs West Virginia: 0.52% of home value per year. New Mexico's rate is 0.11 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: New Mexico: 7.68% combined state and average local rate vs West Virginia: 6.6%. New Mexico's combined rate is 1.08 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
New Mexico official website · West Virginia official website
More Size Comparisons
All New Mexico size comparisons · All West 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.