The map above shows North Dakota and Pennsylvania side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
North Dakota vs Pennsylvania Geography
Land area: North Dakota has a land area of 68,994 square miles (178,694 km²), while Pennsylvania has 44,742 square miles (115,882 km²). North Dakota's land area is 1.5 times (54%) larger than Pennsylvania's.
Total area: North Dakota: 70,699 square miles (183,109 km²) vs Pennsylvania: 46,054 square miles (119,279 km²), including inland and coastal water. North Dakota's total area is 1.5 times (54%) larger than Pennsylvania's.
Length: North Dakota is 338 miles (544 km) long from north to south; Pennsylvania is 284 miles (458 km). North Dakota's north-south length is 1.2 times (19%) longer than Pennsylvania's.
Width: North Dakota spans 408 miles (657 km) east to west; Pennsylvania spans 307 miles (495 km). North Dakota's east-west width is 1.3 times (33%) wider than Pennsylvania's.
Highest point: North Dakota's highest point is White Butte at 3,500 feet (1,067 m); Pennsylvania's is Mount Davis at 3,210 feet (978 m). White Butte is 290 feet higher than Mount Davis.
Lowest point: North Dakota's lowest point is Red River of the North at 754 feet; Pennsylvania's is Delaware River at 0 feet. Pennsylvania's lowest point is 754 feet lower.
North Dakota vs Pennsylvania Population and History
Population: North Dakota has a population of 796,568 (2024), while Pennsylvania has 13,078,751 (2024). Pennsylvania's population is 16.4 times larger than North Dakota's.
Population density: North Dakota: 11.5 people per square mile vs Pennsylvania: 292.3. Pennsylvania's population density is 25.4 times higher than North Dakota's.
Biggest city: North Dakota's biggest city is Fargo with 136,285 people; Pennsylvania's is Philadelphia with 1,573,916. Philadelphia's population is 11.5 times larger than Fargo's.
Largest metro area: North Dakota's largest metropolitan area is Fargo, ND-MN metro area (267,793 people) vs Pennsylvania's Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area (6,330,422). Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area's population is 23.6 times larger than Fargo, ND-MN metro area's.
History: North Dakota: Admitted to the Union on November 2, 1889, as the 39th state. Pennsylvania: Admitted to the Union on December 12, 1787, as the 2nd state. In its current form, Pennsylvania is the older of the two by 102 years.
North Dakota vs Pennsylvania Economy
GDP: North Dakota's GDP is $80.1 billion (2024) vs Pennsylvania's $1,007.9 billion. Pennsylvania's economic output is 12.6 times larger than North Dakota's.
GDP per capita: North Dakota: $100,504 per person vs Pennsylvania: $77,062. North Dakota's GDP per capita is 1.3 times (30%) higher than Pennsylvania's.
Average income: North Dakota: $71,749 vs Pennsylvania: $70,678 average income per person (per capita personal income). North Dakota and Pennsylvania have about the same average income.
North Dakota vs Pennsylvania Counties
Number of counties: North Dakota has 53 counties, while Pennsylvania has 67. Pennsylvania's county count is 1.3 times (26%) higher than North Dakota's.
Biggest county by area: North Dakota's largest county is McKenzie County at 2,760 square miles; Pennsylvania's is Lycoming County at 1,229 square miles. McKenzie County's land area is 2.2 times (125%) larger than Lycoming County's.
Smallest county by area: North Dakota: Eddy County (630 sq mi) vs Pennsylvania: Montour County (130 sq mi). Eddy County's land area is 4.8 times (384%) larger than Montour County's.
Most populous county: North Dakota: Cass County (200,945 people) vs Pennsylvania: Philadelphia County (1,573,916 people). Philadelphia County's population is 7.8 times (683%) larger than Cass County's.
Least populous county: North Dakota: Slope County (660 people) vs Pennsylvania: Cameron County (4,348 people). Cameron County's population is 6.6 times (559%) larger than Slope County's.
Richest county: North Dakota: Dunn County ($99,793 per capita income) vs Pennsylvania: Chester County ($110,883). Chester County's income is 1.1 times (11%) richer than Dunn County's.
Poorest county: North Dakota: Sioux County ($33,782 per capita income) vs Pennsylvania: Forest County ($30,234). Sioux County's income is 1.1 times (12%) richer than Forest County's.
North Dakota vs Pennsylvania Taxes
State income tax: North Dakota has a top income tax rate of 2.5%, while Pennsylvania has a top income tax rate of 3.07%. Pennsylvania's top rate is 0.57 percentage points higher.
Property tax: North Dakota: 0.96% effective rate vs Pennsylvania: 1.16% of home value per year. Pennsylvania's rate is 0.2 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: North Dakota: 7.09% combined state and average local rate vs Pennsylvania: 6.34%. North Dakota's combined rate is 0.75 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
North Dakota official website · Pennsylvania official website
More Size Comparisons
All North Dakota size comparisons · All Pennsylvania 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.