The map above shows North Dakota and Wisconsin side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
North Dakota vs Wisconsin Geography
Land area: North Dakota has a land area of 68,994 square miles (178,694 km²), while Wisconsin has 54,168 square miles (140,294 km²). North Dakota's land area is 1.3 times (27%) larger than Wisconsin's.
Total area: North Dakota: 70,699 square miles (183,109 km²) vs Wisconsin: 65,497 square miles (169,636 km²), including inland and coastal water. North Dakota's total area is 1.1 times (8%) larger than Wisconsin's.
Length: North Dakota is 338 miles (544 km) long from north to south; Wisconsin is 368 miles (593 km). Wisconsin's north-south length is 1.1 times (9%) longer than North Dakota's.
Width: North Dakota spans 408 miles (657 km) east to west; Wisconsin spans 323 miles (521 km). North Dakota's east-west width is 1.3 times (26%) wider than Wisconsin's.
Highest point: North Dakota's highest point is White Butte at 3,500 feet (1,067 m); Wisconsin's is Timms Hill at 1,946 feet (593 m). White Butte is 1,554 feet higher than Timms Hill.
Lowest point: North Dakota's lowest point is Red River of the North at 754 feet; Wisconsin's is Lake Michigan at 577 feet. Wisconsin's lowest point is 177 feet lower.
North Dakota vs Wisconsin Population and History
Population: North Dakota has a population of 796,568 (2024), while Wisconsin has 5,960,975 (2024). Wisconsin's population is 7.5 times (648%) larger than North Dakota's.
Population density: North Dakota: 11.5 people per square mile vs Wisconsin: 110.0. Wisconsin's population density is 9.6 times (857%) higher than North Dakota's.
Biggest city: North Dakota's biggest city is Fargo with 136,285 people; Wisconsin's is Milwaukee with 563,531. Milwaukee's population is 4.1 times (313%) larger than Fargo's.
Largest metro area: North Dakota's largest metropolitan area is Fargo, ND-MN metro area (267,793 people) vs Wisconsin's Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI metro area (3,757,952). Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI metro area's population is 14.0 times larger than Fargo, ND-MN metro area's.
History: North Dakota: Admitted to the Union on November 2, 1889, as the 39th state. Wisconsin: Admitted to the Union on May 29, 1848, as the 30th state. In its current form, Wisconsin is the older of the two by 41 years.
North Dakota vs Wisconsin Economy
GDP: North Dakota's GDP is $80.1 billion (2024) vs Wisconsin's $453.3 billion. Wisconsin's economic output is 5.7 times (466%) larger than North Dakota's.
GDP per capita: North Dakota: $100,504 per person vs Wisconsin: $76,044. North Dakota's GDP per capita is 1.3 times (32%) higher than Wisconsin's.
Average income: North Dakota: $71,749 vs Wisconsin: $67,755 average income per person (per capita personal income). North Dakota's average income is 1.1 times (6%) higher than Wisconsin's.
North Dakota vs Wisconsin Counties
Number of counties: North Dakota has 53 counties, while Wisconsin has 72. Wisconsin's county count is 1.4 times (36%) higher than North Dakota's.
Biggest county by area: North Dakota's largest county is McKenzie County at 2,760 square miles; Wisconsin's is Marathon County at 1,545 square miles. McKenzie County's land area is 1.8 times (79%) larger than Marathon County's.
Smallest county by area: North Dakota: Eddy County (630 sq mi) vs Wisconsin: Pepin County (232 sq mi). Eddy County's land area is 2.7 times (172%) larger than Pepin County's.
Most populous county: North Dakota: Cass County (200,945 people) vs Wisconsin: Milwaukee County (924,740 people). Milwaukee County's population is 4.6 times (360%) larger than Cass County's.
Least populous county: North Dakota: Slope County (660 people) vs Wisconsin: Menominee County (4,286 people). Menominee County's population is 6.5 times (549%) larger than Slope County's.
Richest county: North Dakota: Dunn County ($99,793 per capita income) vs Wisconsin: Ozaukee County ($109,947). Ozaukee County's income is 1.1 times (10%) richer than Dunn County's.
Poorest county: North Dakota: Sioux County ($33,782 per capita income) vs Wisconsin: Menominee County ($43,696). Menominee County's income is 1.3 times (29%) richer than Sioux County's.
North Dakota vs Wisconsin Taxes
State income tax: North Dakota has a top income tax rate of 2.5%, while Wisconsin has a top income tax rate of 7.65%. Wisconsin's top rate is 5.15 percentage points higher.
Property tax: North Dakota: 0.96% effective rate vs Wisconsin: 1.25% of home value per year. Wisconsin's rate is 0.29 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: North Dakota: 7.09% combined state and average local rate vs Wisconsin: 5.72%. North Dakota's combined rate is 1.37 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
North Dakota official website · Wisconsin official website
More Size Comparisons
All North Dakota 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.