The map above shows California and Kansas side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
California vs Kansas Geography
Land area: California has a land area of 155,859 square miles (403,673 km²), while Kansas has 81,759 square miles (211,754 km²). California's land area is 1.9 times (91%) larger than Kansas'.
Total area: California: 163,694 square miles (423,965 km²) vs Kansas: 82,278 square miles (213,100 km²), including inland and coastal water. California's total area is 2.0 times (99%) larger than Kansas'.
Length: California is 761 miles (1,224 km) long from north to south; Kansas is 207 miles (334 km). California's north-south length is 3.7 times (268%) longer than Kansas'.
Width: California spans 706 miles (1,137 km) east to west; Kansas spans 401 miles (645 km). California's east-west width is 1.8 times (76%) wider than Kansas'.
Highest point: California's highest point is Mount Whitney at 14,484 feet (4,415 m); Kansas's is Mount Sunflower at 4,040 feet (1,231 m). Mount Whitney is 10,444 feet higher than Mount Sunflower.
Lowest point: California's lowest point is Death Valley at -279 feet; Kansas's is Verdigris River at 679 feet. California's lowest point is 958 feet lower.
California vs Kansas Population and History
Population: California has a population of 39,431,263 (2024), while Kansas has 2,970,606 (2024). California's population is 13.3 times larger than Kansas'.
Population density: California: 253.0 people per square mile vs Kansas: 36.3. California's population density is 7.0 times (597%) higher than Kansas'.
Biggest city: California's biggest city is Los Angeles with 3,878,704 people; Kansas's is Wichita with 400,991. Los Angeles' population is 9.7 times (867%) larger than Wichita's.
Largest metro area: California's largest metropolitan area is Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area (12,927,614 people) vs Kansas's Kansas City, MO-KS metro area (2,253,579). Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area's population is 5.7 times (474%) larger than Kansas City, MO-KS metro area's.
History: California: Admitted to the Union on September 9, 1850, as the 31st state. Kansas: Admitted to the Union on January 29, 1861, as the 34th state. In its current form, California is the older of the two by 11 years.
California vs Kansas Economy
GDP: California's GDP is $4,048.1 billion (2024) vs Kansas's $230.5 billion. California's economic output is 17.6 times larger than Kansas'.
GDP per capita: California: $102,662 per person vs Kansas: $77,601. California's GDP per capita is 1.3 times (32%) higher than Kansas'.
Average income: California: $86,232 vs Kansas: $65,856 average income per person (per capita personal income). California's average income is 1.3 times (31%) higher than Kansas'.
California vs Kansas Counties
Number of counties: California has 58 counties, while Kansas has 105. Kansas' county count is 1.8 times (81%) higher than California's.
Biggest county by area: California's largest county is San Bernardino County at 20,068 square miles; Kansas's is Butler County at 1,430 square miles. San Bernardino County's land area is 14.0 times larger than Butler County's.
Smallest county by area: California: San Francisco County (47 sq mi) vs Kansas: Wyandotte County (152 sq mi). Wyandotte County's land area is 3.2 times (225%) larger than San Francisco County's.
Most populous county: California: Los Angeles County (9,757,179 people) vs Kansas: Johnson County (632,276 people). Los Angeles County's population is 15.4 times larger than Johnson County's.
Least populous county: California: Alpine County (1,099 people) vs Kansas: Greeley County (1,152 people). Greeley County's population is 1.0 times (5%) larger than Alpine County's.
Richest county: California: Marin County ($190,891 per capita income) vs Kansas: Greeley County ($134,780). Marin County's income is 1.4 times (42%) richer than Greeley County's.
Poorest county: California: Trinity County ($42,191 per capita income) vs Kansas: Wyandotte County ($42,878). Trinity County and Wyandotte County have about the same income.
California vs Kansas Taxes
State income tax: California has a top income tax rate of 13.3%, while Kansas has a top income tax rate of 5.58%. California's top rate is 7.72 percentage points higher.
Property tax: California: 0.71% effective rate vs Kansas: 1.25% of home value per year. Kansas's rate is 0.54 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: California: 9.03% combined state and average local rate vs Kansas: 8.71%. California's combined rate is 0.32 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
California official website · Kansas official website
More Size Comparisons
All California size comparisons · All Kansas 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.