The map above shows California and Kentucky side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
California vs Kentucky Geography
Land area: California has a land area of 155,859 square miles (403,673 km²), while Kentucky has 39,485 square miles (102,267 km²). California's land area is 3.9 times (295%) larger than Kentucky's.
Total area: California: 163,694 square miles (423,965 km²) vs Kentucky: 40,406 square miles (104,651 km²), including inland and coastal water. California's total area is 4.1 times (305%) larger than Kentucky's.
Length: California is 761 miles (1,224 km) long from north to south; Kentucky is 257 miles (414 km). California's north-south length is 3.0 times (196%) longer than Kentucky's.
Width: California spans 706 miles (1,137 km) east to west; Kentucky spans 418 miles (672 km). California's east-west width is 1.7 times (69%) wider than Kentucky's.
Highest point: California's highest point is Mount Whitney at 14,484 feet (4,415 m); Kentucky's is Black Mountain at 4,134 feet (1,260 m). Mount Whitney is 10,350 feet higher than Black Mountain.
Lowest point: California's lowest point is Death Valley at -279 feet; Kentucky's is Mississippi River at 270 feet. California's lowest point is 549 feet lower.
California vs Kentucky Population and History
Population: California has a population of 39,431,263 (2024), while Kentucky has 4,588,372 (2024). California's population is 8.6 times (759%) larger than Kentucky's.
Population density: California: 253.0 people per square mile vs Kentucky: 116.2. California's population density is 2.2 times (118%) higher than Kentucky's.
Biggest city: California's biggest city is Los Angeles with 3,878,704 people; Kentucky's is Louisville with 640,796. Los Angeles' population is 6.1 times (505%) larger than Louisville's.
Largest metro area: California's largest metropolitan area is Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area (12,927,614 people) vs Kentucky's Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN metro area (2,302,815). Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area's population is 5.6 times (461%) larger than Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN metro area's.
History: California: Admitted to the Union on September 9, 1850, as the 31st state. Kentucky: Admitted to the Union on June 1, 1792, as the 15th state. In its current form, Kentucky is the older of the two by 58 years.
California vs Kentucky Economy
GDP: California's GDP is $4,048.1 billion (2024) vs Kentucky's $295.4 billion. California's economic output is 13.7 times larger than Kentucky's.
GDP per capita: California: $102,662 per person vs Kentucky: $64,375. California's GDP per capita is 1.6 times (59%) higher than Kentucky's.
Average income: California: $86,232 vs Kentucky: $58,256 average income per person (per capita personal income). California's average income is 1.5 times (48%) higher than Kentucky's.
California vs Kentucky Counties
Number of counties: California has 58 counties, while Kentucky has 120. Kentucky's county count is 2.1 times (107%) higher than California's.
Biggest county by area: California's largest county is San Bernardino County at 20,068 square miles; Kentucky's is Pike County at 786 square miles. San Bernardino County's land area is 25.5 times larger than Pike County's.
Smallest county by area: California: San Francisco County (47 sq mi) vs Kentucky: Gallatin County (98 sq mi). Gallatin County's land area is 2.1 times (110%) larger than San Francisco County's.
Most populous county: California: Los Angeles County (9,757,179 people) vs Kentucky: Jefferson County (793,881 people). Los Angeles County's population is 12.3 times larger than Jefferson County's.
Least populous county: California: Alpine County (1,099 people) vs Kentucky: Robertson County (2,382 people). Robertson County's population is 2.2 times (117%) larger than Alpine County's.
Richest county: California: Marin County ($190,891 per capita income) vs Kentucky: Oldham County ($87,137). Marin County's income is 2.2 times (119%) richer than Oldham County's.
Poorest county: California: Trinity County ($42,191 per capita income) vs Kentucky: Elliott County ($31,817). Trinity County's income is 1.3 times (33%) richer than Elliott County's.
California vs Kentucky Taxes
State income tax: California has a top income tax rate of 13.3%, while Kentucky has a top income tax rate of 3.5%. California's top rate is 9.8 percentage points higher.
Property tax: California: 0.71% effective rate vs Kentucky: 0.71% of home value per year. The two are essentially equal.
Sales tax: California: 9.03% combined state and average local rate vs Kentucky: 6%. California's combined rate is 3.03 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
California official website · Kentucky official website
More Size Comparisons
All California size comparisons · All Kentucky 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.