The map above shows Pennsylvania and Washington side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Pennsylvania vs Washington Geography
Land area: Pennsylvania has a land area of 44,742 square miles (115,882 km²), while Washington has 66,455 square miles (172,119 km²). Washington's land area is 1.5 times (49%) larger than Pennsylvania's.
Total area: Pennsylvania: 46,054 square miles (119,279 km²) vs Washington: 71,301 square miles (184,668 km²), including inland and coastal water. Washington's total area is 1.5 times (55%) larger than Pennsylvania's.
Length: Pennsylvania is 284 miles (458 km) long from north to south; Washington is 238 miles (383 km). Pennsylvania's north-south length is 1.2 times (19%) longer than Washington's.
Width: Pennsylvania spans 307 miles (495 km) east to west; Washington spans 399 miles (641 km). Washington's east-west width is 1.3 times (30%) wider than Pennsylvania's.
Highest point: Pennsylvania's highest point is Mount Davis at 3,210 feet (978 m); Washington's is Mount Rainier at 14,409 feet (4,392 m). Mount Rainier is 11,199 feet higher than Mount Davis.
Lowest point: Pennsylvania's lowest point is Delaware River at 0 feet; Washington's is Pacific Ocean at 0 feet. Both lowest points are at or near sea level.
Pennsylvania vs Washington Population and History
Population: Pennsylvania has a population of 13,078,751 (2024), while Washington has 7,958,180 (2024). Pennsylvania's population is 1.6 times (64%) larger than Washington's.
Population density: Pennsylvania: 292.3 people per square mile vs Washington: 119.8. Pennsylvania's population density is 2.4 times (144%) higher than Washington's.
Biggest city: Pennsylvania's biggest city is Philadelphia with 1,573,916 people; Washington's is Seattle with 780,995. Philadelphia's population is 2.0 times (102%) larger than Seattle's.
Largest metro area: Pennsylvania's largest metropolitan area is Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area (6,330,422 people) vs Washington's Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area (4,145,494). Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area's population is 1.5 times (53%) larger than Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area's.
History: Pennsylvania: Admitted to the Union on December 12, 1787, as the 2nd state. Washington: Admitted to the Union on November 11, 1889, as the 42nd state. In its current form, Pennsylvania is the older of the two by 102 years.
Pennsylvania vs Washington Economy
GDP: Pennsylvania's GDP is $1,007.9 billion (2024) vs Washington's $856.0 billion. Pennsylvania's economic output is 1.2 times (18%) larger than Washington's.
GDP per capita: Pennsylvania: $77,062 per person vs Washington: $107,564. Washington's GDP per capita is 1.4 times (40%) higher than Pennsylvania's.
Average income: Pennsylvania: $70,678 vs Washington: $85,187 average income per person (per capita personal income). Washington's average income is 1.2 times (21%) higher than Pennsylvania's.
Pennsylvania vs Washington Counties
Number of counties: Pennsylvania has 67 counties, while Washington has 39. Pennsylvania's county count is 1.7 times (72%) higher than Washington's.
Biggest county by area: Pennsylvania's largest county is Lycoming County at 1,229 square miles; Washington's is Okanogan County at 5,266 square miles. Okanogan County's land area is 4.3 times (329%) larger than Lycoming County's.
Smallest county by area: Pennsylvania: Montour County (130 sq mi) vs Washington: San Juan County (174 sq mi). San Juan County's land area is 1.3 times (33%) larger than Montour County's.
Most populous county: Pennsylvania: Philadelphia County (1,573,916 people) vs Washington: King County (2,340,211 people). King County's population is 1.5 times (49%) larger than Philadelphia County's.
Least populous county: Pennsylvania: Cameron County (4,348 people) vs Washington: Garfield County (2,404 people). Cameron County's population is 1.8 times (81%) larger than Garfield County's.
Richest county: Pennsylvania: Chester County ($110,883 per capita income) vs Washington: King County ($128,684). King County's income is 1.2 times (16%) richer than Chester County's.
Poorest county: Pennsylvania: Forest County ($30,234 per capita income) vs Washington: Ferry County ($50,456). Ferry County's income is 1.7 times (67%) richer than Forest County's.
Pennsylvania vs Washington Taxes
State income tax: Pennsylvania has a top income tax rate of 3.07%, while Washington has a 9% tax on capital gains only.
Property tax: Pennsylvania: 1.16% effective rate vs Washington: 0.79% of home value per year. Pennsylvania's rate is 0.37 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: Pennsylvania: 6.34% combined state and average local rate vs Washington: 9.57%. Washington's combined rate is 3.23 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Pennsylvania official website · Washington official website
More Size Comparisons
All Pennsylvania size comparisons · All Washington 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.