The map above shows California and Hawaii side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
California vs Hawaii Geography
Land area: California has a land area of 155,859 square miles (403,673 km²), while Hawaii has 6,423 square miles (16,634 km²). California's land area is 24.3 times larger than Hawaii's.
Total area: California: 163,694 square miles (423,965 km²) vs Hawaii: 10,970 square miles (28,412 km²), including inland and coastal water. California's total area is 14.9 times larger than Hawaii's.
Length: California is 761 miles (1,224 km) long from north to south; Hawaii is 333 miles (536 km). California's north-south length is 2.3 times (129%) longer than Hawaii's.
Width: California spans 706 miles (1,137 km) east to west; Hawaii spans 386 miles (621 km). California's east-west width is 1.8 times (83%) wider than Hawaii's.
Highest point: California's highest point is Mount Whitney at 14,484 feet (4,415 m); Hawaii's is Mauna Kea at 13,795 feet (4,205 m). Mount Whitney is 689 feet higher than Mauna Kea.
Lowest point: California's lowest point is Death Valley at -279 feet; Hawaii's is Pacific Ocean at 0 feet. California's lowest point is 279 feet lower.
California vs Hawaii Population and History
Population: California has a population of 39,431,263 (2024), while Hawaii has 1,446,146 (2024). California's population is 27.3 times larger than Hawaii's.
Population density: California: 253.0 people per square mile vs Hawaii: 225.2. California's population density is 1.1 times (12%) higher than Hawaii's.
Biggest city: California's biggest city is Los Angeles with 3,878,704 people; Hawaii's is Honolulu with 344,967. Los Angeles' population is 11.2 times larger than Honolulu's.
Largest metro area: California's largest metropolitan area is Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area (12,927,614 people) vs Hawaii's Urban Honolulu, HI metro area (998,747). Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area's population is 12.9 times larger than Urban Honolulu, HI metro area's.
History: California: Admitted to the Union on September 9, 1850, as the 31st state. Hawaii: Admitted to the Union on August 21, 1959, as the 50th state. In its current form, California is the older of the two by 109 years.
California vs Hawaii Economy
GDP: California's GDP is $4,048.1 billion (2024) vs Hawaii's $117.6 billion. California's economic output is 34.4 times larger than Hawaii's.
GDP per capita: California: $102,662 per person vs Hawaii: $81,339. California's GDP per capita is 1.3 times (26%) higher than Hawaii's.
Average income: California: $86,232 vs Hawaii: $71,019 average income per person (per capita personal income). California's average income is 1.2 times (21%) higher than Hawaii's.
California vs Hawaii Counties
Number of counties: California has 58 counties, while Hawaii has 5. California's county count is 11.6 times higher than Hawaii's.
Biggest county by area: California's largest county is San Bernardino County at 20,068 square miles; Hawaii's is Hawaii County at 4,028 square miles. San Bernardino County's land area is 5.0 times (398%) larger than Hawaii County's.
Smallest county by area: California: San Francisco County (47 sq mi) vs Hawaii: Kalawao County (12 sq mi). San Francisco County's land area is 3.9 times (289%) larger than Kalawao County's.
Most populous county: California: Los Angeles County (9,757,179 people) vs Hawaii: Honolulu County (998,747 people). Los Angeles County's population is 9.8 times (877%) larger than Honolulu County's.
Least populous county: California: Alpine County (1,099 people) vs Hawaii: Kalawao County (81 people). Alpine County's population is 13.6 times larger than Kalawao County's.
Richest county: California: Marin County ($190,891 per capita income) vs Hawaii: Honolulu County ($74,681). Marin County's income is 2.6 times (156%) richer than Honolulu County's.
Poorest county: California: Trinity County ($42,191 per capita income) vs Hawaii: Hawaii County ($57,694). Hawaii County's income is 1.4 times (37%) richer than Trinity County's.
California vs Hawaii Taxes
State income tax: California has a top income tax rate of 13.3%, while Hawaii has a top income tax rate of 11%. California's top rate is 2.3 percentage points higher.
Property tax: California: 0.71% effective rate vs Hawaii: 0.27% of home value per year. California's rate is 0.44 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: California: 9.03% combined state and average local rate vs Hawaii: 4.5%. California's combined rate is 4.53 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
California official website · Hawaii official website
More Size Comparisons
All California size comparisons · All Hawaii 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.