The map above shows California and Michigan side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
California vs Michigan Geography
Land area: California has a land area of 155,859 square miles (403,673 km²), while Michigan has 56,611 square miles (146,622 km²). California's land area is 2.8 times (175%) larger than Michigan's.
Total area: California: 163,694 square miles (423,965 km²) vs Michigan: 96,713 square miles (250,486 km²), including inland and coastal water. California's total area is 1.7 times (69%) larger than Michigan's.
Length: California is 761 miles (1,224 km) long from north to south; Michigan is 489 miles (786 km). California's north-south length is 1.6 times (56%) longer than Michigan's.
Width: California spans 706 miles (1,137 km) east to west; Michigan spans 453 miles (728 km). California's east-west width is 1.6 times (56%) wider than Michigan's.
Highest point: California's highest point is Mount Whitney at 14,484 feet (4,415 m); Michigan's is Mount Arvon at 2,014 feet (614 m). Mount Whitney is 12,470 feet higher than Mount Arvon.
Lowest point: California's lowest point is Death Valley at -279 feet; Michigan's is Lake Erie at 571 feet. California's lowest point is 850 feet lower.
California vs Michigan Population and History
Population: California has a population of 39,431,263 (2024), while Michigan has 10,140,459 (2024). California's population is 3.9 times (289%) larger than Michigan's.
Population density: California: 253.0 people per square mile vs Michigan: 179.1. California's population density is 1.4 times (41%) higher than Michigan's.
Biggest city: California's biggest city is Los Angeles with 3,878,704 people; Michigan's is Detroit with 645,705. Los Angeles' population is 6.0 times (501%) larger than Detroit's.
Largest metro area: California's largest metropolitan area is Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area (12,927,614 people) vs Michigan's Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI metro area (4,400,578). Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area's population is 2.9 times (194%) larger than Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI metro area's.
History: California: Admitted to the Union on September 9, 1850, as the 31st state. Michigan: Admitted to the Union on January 26, 1837, as the 26th state. In its current form, Michigan is the older of the two by 13 years.
California vs Michigan Economy
GDP: California's GDP is $4,048.1 billion (2024) vs Michigan's $702.5 billion. California's economic output is 5.8 times (476%) larger than Michigan's.
GDP per capita: California: $102,662 per person vs Michigan: $69,274. California's GDP per capita is 1.5 times (48%) higher than Michigan's.
Average income: California: $86,232 vs Michigan: $63,690 average income per person (per capita personal income). California's average income is 1.4 times (35%) higher than Michigan's.
California vs Michigan Counties
Number of counties: California has 58 counties, while Michigan has 83. Michigan's county count is 1.4 times (43%) higher than California's.
Biggest county by area: California's largest county is San Bernardino County at 20,068 square miles; Michigan's is Marquette County at 1,809 square miles. San Bernardino County's land area is 11.1 times larger than Marquette County's.
Smallest county by area: California: San Francisco County (47 sq mi) vs Michigan: Benzie County (320 sq mi). Benzie County's land area is 6.8 times (585%) larger than San Francisco County's.
Most populous county: California: Los Angeles County (9,757,179 people) vs Michigan: Wayne County (1,771,063 people). Los Angeles County's population is 5.5 times (451%) larger than Wayne County's.
Least populous county: California: Alpine County (1,099 people) vs Michigan: Keweenaw County (2,161 people). Keweenaw County's population is 2.0 times (97%) larger than Alpine County's.
Richest county: California: Marin County ($190,891 per capita income) vs Michigan: Oakland County ($93,579). Marin County's income is 2.0 times (104%) richer than Oakland County's.
Poorest county: California: Trinity County ($42,191 per capita income) vs Michigan: Lake County ($39,505). Trinity County's income is 1.1 times (7%) richer than Lake County's.
California vs Michigan Taxes
State income tax: California has a top income tax rate of 13.3%, while Michigan has a top income tax rate of 4.25%. California's top rate is 9.05 percentage points higher.
Property tax: California: 0.71% effective rate vs Michigan: 1.18% of home value per year. Michigan's rate is 0.47 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: California: 9.03% combined state and average local rate vs Michigan: 6%. California's combined rate is 3.03 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
California official website · Michigan official website
More Size Comparisons
All California size comparisons · All Michigan 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.