The map above shows Pennsylvania and Virginia side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Pennsylvania vs Virginia Geography
Land area: Pennsylvania has a land area of 44,742 square miles (115,882 km²), while Virginia has 39,481 square miles (102,256 km²). Pennsylvania's land area is 1.1 times (13%) larger than Virginia's.
Total area: Pennsylvania: 46,054 square miles (119,279 km²) vs Virginia: 42,775 square miles (110,786 km²), including inland and coastal water. Pennsylvania's total area is 1.1 times (8%) larger than Virginia's.
Length: Pennsylvania is 284 miles (458 km) long from north to south; Virginia is 223 miles (359 km). Pennsylvania's north-south length is 1.3 times (27%) longer than Virginia's.
Width: Pennsylvania spans 307 miles (495 km) east to west; Virginia spans 466 miles (750 km). Virginia's east-west width is 1.5 times (52%) wider than Pennsylvania's.
Highest point: Pennsylvania's highest point is Mount Davis at 3,210 feet (978 m); Virginia's is Mount Rogers at 5,729 feet (1,746 m). Mount Rogers is 2,519 feet higher than Mount Davis.
Lowest point: Pennsylvania's lowest point is Delaware River at 0 feet; Virginia's is Atlantic Ocean at 0 feet. Both lowest points are at or near sea level.
Pennsylvania vs Virginia Population and History
Population: Pennsylvania has a population of 13,078,751 (2024), while Virginia has 8,811,195 (2024). Pennsylvania's population is 1.5 times (48%) larger than Virginia's.
Population density: Pennsylvania: 292.3 people per square mile vs Virginia: 223.2. Pennsylvania's population density is 1.3 times (31%) higher than Virginia's.
Biggest city: Pennsylvania's biggest city is Philadelphia with 1,573,916 people; Virginia's is Virginia Beach with 454,808. Philadelphia's population is 3.5 times (246%) larger than Virginia Beach's.
Largest metro area: Pennsylvania's largest metropolitan area is Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area (6,330,422 people) vs Virginia's Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area (6,436,489). Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area and Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area have about the same population.
History: Pennsylvania: Admitted to the Union on December 12, 1787, as the 2nd state. Virginia: Admitted to the Union on June 25, 1788, as the 10th state. In its current form, Pennsylvania is the older of the two by 1 years.
Pennsylvania vs Virginia Economy
GDP: Pennsylvania's GDP is $1,007.9 billion (2024) vs Virginia's $761.7 billion. Pennsylvania's economic output is 1.3 times (32%) larger than Virginia's.
GDP per capita: Pennsylvania: $77,062 per person vs Virginia: $86,451. Virginia's GDP per capita is 1.1 times (12%) higher than Pennsylvania's.
Average income: Pennsylvania: $70,678 vs Virginia: $77,351 average income per person (per capita personal income). Virginia's average income is 1.1 times (9%) higher than Pennsylvania's.
Pennsylvania vs Virginia Counties
Number of counties: Pennsylvania has 67 counties, while Virginia has 133. Virginia's county count is 2.0 times (99%) higher than Pennsylvania's.
Biggest county by area: Pennsylvania's largest county is Lycoming County at 1,229 square miles; Virginia's is Pittsylvania County at 969 square miles. Lycoming County's land area is 1.3 times (27%) larger than Pittsylvania County's.
Smallest county by area: Pennsylvania: Montour County (130 sq mi) vs Virginia: Falls Church city (2 sq mi). Montour County's land area is 65.2 times larger than Falls Church city's.
Most populous county: Pennsylvania: Philadelphia County (1,573,916 people) vs Virginia: Fairfax County (1,160,925 people). Philadelphia County's population is 1.4 times (36%) larger than Fairfax County's.
Least populous county: Pennsylvania: Cameron County (4,348 people) vs Virginia: Highland County (2,348 people). Cameron County's population is 1.9 times (85%) larger than Highland County's.
Richest county: Pennsylvania: Chester County ($110,883 per capita income) vs Virginia: Arlington County ($131,624). Arlington County's income is 1.2 times (19%) richer than Chester County's.
Poorest county: Pennsylvania: Forest County ($30,234 per capita income) vs Virginia: Sussex County ($41,032). Sussex County's income is 1.4 times (36%) richer than Forest County's.
Pennsylvania vs Virginia Taxes
State income tax: Pennsylvania has a top income tax rate of 3.07%, while Virginia has a top income tax rate of 5.75%. Virginia's top rate is 2.68 percentage points higher.
Property tax: Pennsylvania: 1.16% effective rate vs Virginia: 0.71% of home value per year. Pennsylvania's rate is 0.45 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: Pennsylvania: 6.34% combined state and average local rate vs Virginia: 5.77%. Pennsylvania's combined rate is 0.57 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Pennsylvania official website · Virginia official website
More Size Comparisons
All Pennsylvania 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.