The map above shows Virginia and West Virginia side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Virginia vs West Virginia Geography
Land area
- Virginia has a land area of 39,481 square miles (102,256 km²), while West Virginia has 24,041 square miles (62,266 km²).
- Virginia's land area is 1.6 times (64%) larger than West Virginia's.
Total area
- Virginia: 42,775 square miles (110,786 km²) vs West Virginia: 24,230 square miles (62,755 km²), including inland and coastal water.
- Virginia's total area is 1.8 times (77%) larger than West Virginia's.
Length
- Virginia is 223 miles (359 km) long from north to south; West Virginia is 245 miles (394 km).
- West Virginia's north-south length is 1.1 times (10%) longer than Virginia's.
Width
- Virginia spans 466 miles (750 km) east to west; West Virginia spans 276 miles (444 km).
- Virginia's east-west width is 1.7 times (69%) wider than West Virginia's.
Highest point
- Virginia's highest point is Mount Rogers at 5,729 feet (1,746 m); West Virginia's is Spruce Knob at 4,863 feet (1,482 m).
- Mount Rogers is 866 feet higher than Spruce Knob.
Lowest point
- Virginia's lowest point is Atlantic Ocean at 0 feet; West Virginia's is Potomac River at 240 feet.
- Virginia's lowest point is 240 feet lower.
Virginia vs West Virginia Population and History
Population
- Virginia has a population of 8,811,195 (2024), while West Virginia has 1,769,979 (2024).
- Virginia's population is 5.0 times (398%) larger than West Virginia's.
Population density
- Virginia: 223.2 people per square mile vs West Virginia: 73.6.
- Virginia's population density is 3.0 times (203%) higher than West Virginia's.
Biggest city
- Virginia's biggest city is Virginia Beach with 454,808 people; West Virginia's is Charleston with 46,482.
- Virginia Beach's population is 9.8 times (878%) larger than Charleston's.
Largest metro area
- Virginia's largest metropolitan area is Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area (6,436,489 people) vs West Virginia's Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area (6,436,489).
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area and Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area have about the same population.
History
- Virginia: Admitted to the Union on June 25, 1788, as the 10th state.
- West Virginia: Admitted to the Union on June 20, 1863, as the 35th state.
- In its current form, Virginia is the older of the two by 75 years.
Virginia vs West Virginia Economy
GDP
- Virginia's GDP is $761.7 billion (2024) vs West Virginia's $106.5 billion.
- Virginia's economic output is 7.2 times (615%) larger than West Virginia's.
GDP per capita
- Virginia: $86,451 per person vs West Virginia: $60,156.
- Virginia's GDP per capita is 1.4 times (44%) higher than West Virginia's.
Average income
- Virginia: $77,351 vs West Virginia: $55,351 average income per person (per capita personal income).
- Virginia's average income is 1.4 times (40%) higher than West Virginia's.
Virginia vs West Virginia Counties
Number of counties
- Virginia has 133 counties, while West Virginia has 55.
- Virginia's county count is 2.4 times (142%) higher than West Virginia's.
Biggest county by area
- Virginia's largest county is Pittsylvania County at 969 square miles; West Virginia's is Randolph County at 1,040 square miles.
- Randolph County's land area is 1.1 times (7%) larger than Pittsylvania County's.
Smallest county by area
- Virginia: Falls Church city (2 sq mi) vs West Virginia: Hancock County (83 sq mi).
- Hancock County's land area is 41.3 times larger than Falls Church city's.
Most populous county
- Virginia: Fairfax County (1,160,925 people) vs West Virginia: Kanawha County (173,906 people).
- Fairfax County's population is 6.7 times (568%) larger than Kanawha County's.
Least populous county
- Virginia: Highland County (2,348 people) vs West Virginia: Wirt County (4,924 people).
- Wirt County's population is 2.1 times (110%) larger than Highland County's.
Richest county
- Virginia: Arlington County ($131,624 per capita income) vs West Virginia: Jefferson County ($70,542).
- Arlington County's income is 1.9 times (87%) richer than Jefferson County's.
Poorest county
- Virginia: Sussex County ($41,032 per capita income) vs West Virginia: Webster County ($35,039).
- Sussex County's income is 1.2 times (17%) richer than Webster County's.
Virginia vs West Virginia Taxes
State income tax
- Virginia has a top income tax rate of 5.75%, while West Virginia has a top income tax rate of 4.82%.
- Virginia's top rate is 0.93 percentage points higher.
Property tax
- Virginia: 0.71% effective rate vs West Virginia: 0.52% of home value per year.
- Virginia's rate is 0.19 percentage points higher.
Sales tax
- Virginia: 5.77% combined state and average local rate vs West Virginia: 6.6%.
- West Virginia's combined rate is 0.83 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Virginia official website · West Virginia official website
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More Size Comparisons
All Virginia 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.