The map above shows Arkansas and North Carolina side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Arkansas vs North Carolina Geography
Land area: Arkansas has a land area of 51,992 square miles (134,658 km²), while North Carolina has 48,624 square miles (125,936 km²). Arkansas' land area is 1.1 times (7%) larger than North Carolina's.
Total area: Arkansas: 53,198 square miles (137,781 km²) vs North Carolina: 53,819 square miles (139,390 km²), including inland and coastal water. Arkansas and North Carolina have about the same total area.
Length: Arkansas is 243 miles (392 km) long from north to south; North Carolina is 258 miles (415 km). North Carolina's north-south length is 1.1 times (6%) longer than Arkansas'.
Width: Arkansas spans 279 miles (449 km) east to west; North Carolina spans 487 miles (784 km). North Carolina's east-west width is 1.7 times (75%) wider than Arkansas'.
Highest point: Arkansas's highest point is Mount Magazine at 2,752 feet (839 m); North Carolina's is Mount Mitchell at 6,674 feet (2,034 m). Mount Mitchell is 3,922 feet higher than Mount Magazine.
Lowest point: Arkansas's lowest point is Ouachita River at 55 feet; North Carolina's is Atlantic Ocean at 0 feet. North Carolina's lowest point is 55 feet lower.
Arkansas vs North Carolina Population and History
Population: Arkansas has a population of 3,088,354 (2024), while North Carolina has 11,046,024 (2024). North Carolina's population is 3.6 times (258%) larger than Arkansas'.
Population density: Arkansas: 59.4 people per square mile vs North Carolina: 227.2. North Carolina's population density is 3.8 times (282%) higher than Arkansas'.
Biggest city: Arkansas's biggest city is Little Rock with 204,774 people; North Carolina's is Charlotte with 943,476. Charlotte's population is 4.6 times (361%) larger than Little Rock's.
Largest metro area: Arkansas's largest metropolitan area is Memphis, TN-MS-AR metro area (1,339,345 people) vs North Carolina's Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area (2,883,370). Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area's population is 2.2 times (115%) larger than Memphis, TN-MS-AR metro area's.
History: Arkansas: Admitted to the Union on June 15, 1836, as the 25th state. North Carolina: Admitted to the Union on November 21, 1789, as the 12th state. In its current form, North Carolina is the older of the two by 47 years.
Arkansas vs North Carolina Economy
GDP: Arkansas's GDP is $188.3 billion (2024) vs North Carolina's $844.2 billion. North Carolina's economic output is 4.5 times (348%) larger than Arkansas'.
GDP per capita: Arkansas: $60,984 per person vs North Carolina: $76,427. North Carolina's GDP per capita is 1.3 times (25%) higher than Arkansas'.
Average income: Arkansas: $59,320 vs North Carolina: $65,634 average income per person (per capita personal income). North Carolina's average income is 1.1 times (11%) higher than Arkansas'.
Arkansas vs North Carolina Counties
Number of counties: Arkansas has 75 counties, while North Carolina has 100. North Carolina's county count is 1.3 times (33%) higher than Arkansas'.
Biggest county by area: Arkansas's largest county is Union County at 1,039 square miles; North Carolina's is Robeson County at 947 square miles. Union County's land area is 1.1 times (10%) larger than Robeson County's.
Smallest county by area: Arkansas: Lafayette County (530 sq mi) vs North Carolina: Chowan County (173 sq mi). Lafayette County's land area is 3.1 times (207%) larger than Chowan County's.
Most populous county: Arkansas: Pulaski County (401,209 people) vs North Carolina: Wake County (1,232,444 people). Wake County's population is 3.1 times (207%) larger than Pulaski County's.
Least populous county: Arkansas: Calhoun County (4,690 people) vs North Carolina: Tyrrell County (3,517 people). Calhoun County's population is 1.3 times (33%) larger than Tyrrell County's.
Richest county: Arkansas: Benton County ($120,594 per capita income) vs North Carolina: Chatham County ($91,638). Benton County's income is 1.3 times (32%) richer than Chatham County's.
Poorest county: Arkansas: Lincoln County ($36,032 per capita income) vs North Carolina: Warren County ($40,932). Warren County's income is 1.1 times (14%) richer than Lincoln County's.
Arkansas vs North Carolina Taxes
State income tax: Arkansas has a top income tax rate of 3.9%, while North Carolina has a top income tax rate of 3.99%. North Carolina's top rate is 0.09 percentage points higher.
Property tax: Arkansas: 0.52% effective rate vs North Carolina: 0.61% of home value per year. North Carolina's rate is 0.09 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: Arkansas: 9.48% combined state and average local rate vs North Carolina: 7.1%. Arkansas's combined rate is 2.38 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Arkansas official website · North Carolina official website
More Size Comparisons
All Arkansas size comparisons · All North Carolina 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.