The map above shows Pennsylvania and West Virginia side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Pennsylvania vs West Virginia Geography
Land area
- Pennsylvania has a land area of 44,742 square miles (115,882 km²), while West Virginia has 24,041 square miles (62,266 km²).
- Pennsylvania's land area is 1.9 times (86%) larger than West Virginia's.
Total area
- Pennsylvania: 46,054 square miles (119,279 km²) vs West Virginia: 24,230 square miles (62,755 km²), including inland and coastal water.
- Pennsylvania's total area is 1.9 times (90%) larger than West Virginia's.
Length
- Pennsylvania is 284 miles (458 km) long from north to south; West Virginia is 245 miles (394 km).
- Pennsylvania's north-south length is 1.2 times (16%) longer than West Virginia's.
Width
- Pennsylvania spans 307 miles (495 km) east to west; West Virginia spans 276 miles (444 km).
- Pennsylvania's east-west width is 1.1 times (11%) wider than West Virginia's.
Highest point
- Pennsylvania's highest point is Mount Davis at 3,210 feet (978 m); West Virginia's is Spruce Knob at 4,863 feet (1,482 m).
- Spruce Knob is 1,653 feet higher than Mount Davis.
Lowest point
- Pennsylvania's lowest point is Delaware River at 0 feet; West Virginia's is Potomac River at 240 feet.
- Pennsylvania's lowest point is 240 feet lower.
Pennsylvania vs West Virginia Population and History
Population
- Pennsylvania has a population of 13,078,751 (2024), while West Virginia has 1,769,979 (2024).
- Pennsylvania's population is 7.4 times (639%) larger than West Virginia's.
Population density
- Pennsylvania: 292.3 people per square mile vs West Virginia: 73.6.
- Pennsylvania's population density is 4.0 times (297%) higher than West Virginia's.
Biggest city
- Pennsylvania's biggest city is Philadelphia with 1,573,916 people; West Virginia's is Charleston with 46,482.
- Philadelphia's population is 33.9 times larger than Charleston's.
Largest metro area
- Pennsylvania's largest metropolitan area is Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area (6,330,422 people) vs West 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.
- West Virginia: Admitted to the Union on June 20, 1863, as the 35th state.
- In its current form, Pennsylvania is the older of the two by 76 years.
Pennsylvania vs West Virginia Economy
GDP
- Pennsylvania's GDP is $1,007.9 billion (2024) vs West Virginia's $106.5 billion.
- Pennsylvania's economic output is 9.5 times (846%) larger than West Virginia's.
GDP per capita
- Pennsylvania: $77,062 per person vs West Virginia: $60,156.
- Pennsylvania's GDP per capita is 1.3 times (28%) higher than West Virginia's.
Average income
- Pennsylvania: $70,678 vs West Virginia: $55,351 average income per person (per capita personal income).
- Pennsylvania's average income is 1.3 times (28%) higher than West Virginia's.
Pennsylvania vs West Virginia Counties
Number of counties
- Pennsylvania has 67 counties, while West Virginia has 55.
- Pennsylvania's county count is 1.2 times (22%) higher than West Virginia's.
Biggest county by area
- Pennsylvania's largest county is Lycoming County at 1,229 square miles; West Virginia's is Randolph County at 1,040 square miles.
- Lycoming County's land area is 1.2 times (18%) larger than Randolph County's.
Smallest county by area
- Pennsylvania: Montour County (130 sq mi) vs West Virginia: Hancock County (83 sq mi).
- Montour County's land area is 1.6 times (58%) larger than Hancock County's.
Most populous county
- Pennsylvania: Philadelphia County (1,573,916 people) vs West Virginia: Kanawha County (173,906 people).
- Philadelphia County's population is 9.1 times (805%) larger than Kanawha County's.
Least populous county
- Pennsylvania: Cameron County (4,348 people) vs West Virginia: Wirt County (4,924 people).
- Wirt County's population is 1.1 times (13%) larger than Cameron County's.
Richest county
- Pennsylvania: Chester County ($110,883 per capita income) vs West Virginia: Jefferson County ($70,542).
- Chester County's income is 1.6 times (57%) richer than Jefferson County's.
Poorest county
- Pennsylvania: Forest County ($30,234 per capita income) vs West Virginia: Webster County ($35,039).
- Webster County's income is 1.2 times (16%) richer than Forest County's.
Pennsylvania vs West Virginia Taxes
State income tax
- Pennsylvania has a top income tax rate of 3.07%, while West Virginia has a top income tax rate of 4.82%.
- West Virginia's top rate is 1.75 percentage points higher.
Property tax
- Pennsylvania: 1.16% effective rate vs West Virginia: 0.52% of home value per year.
- Pennsylvania's rate is 0.64 percentage points higher.
Sales tax
- Pennsylvania: 6.34% combined state and average local rate vs West Virginia: 6.6%.
- West Virginia's combined rate is 0.26 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Pennsylvania official website · West Virginia official website
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More Size Comparisons
All Pennsylvania 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.