Michigan vs Ohio

The two states, county by county

Both maps share one density scale, so the same shade means the same number of people per square mile on either side of the border. Darker counties are denser. Select a county to open its page.

Side by side

Population and density

Ohio has 11,883,304 residents, 17% more than Michigan's 10,140,459. Michigan ranks 10th and Ohio 7th of the 50 states and DC. Ohio is the more crowded, with 290.8 people per square mile against 179.1, 62% more.

Land area

Michigan has 56,611 square miles of land, 39% more than Ohio's 40,859. The largest county-equivalent in Michigan is Marquette County at 1,809 square miles; in Ohio it is Ashtabula County at 702.

Counties

Ohio is divided into 88 county-equivalents and Michigan into 83, so an average Ohio county covers 464 square miles against 682. The typical county in Michigan has 38,041 residents, against 58,250 in Ohio. The most populous are Wayne County (1,771,063) and Franklin County (1,356,303).

8 county names appear on both sides of the border: Clinton, Crawford, Huron, Jackson, Lake, Monroe, Ottawa, Wayne. Use the FIPS code, not the name, when joining data across the two states.

Household income

The median county in Ohio has a household income of $65,205, 8% above Michigan's $60,410. The highest county incomes are Livingston County ($103,737) in Michigan and Delaware County ($128,300) in Ohio, from SAIPE 2023.

Capitals and daylight

Lansing and Columbus are 208 miles apart in a straight line; from Lansing the initial bearing is 157°, SSE. On June 21, 2026, Lansing gets 15 h 20 min of daylight and Columbus 15 h 01 min; on December 21 the figures are 9 h 02 min and 9 h 20 min. Month by month tables are on the Lansing and Columbus daylight pages.

Where they sit

Both are in the Census East North Central division of the Midwest region. By county internal points, Michigan spans 2 UTM zones and Ohio 2.