The map above shows California and Nevada side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
California vs Nevada Geography
Land area: California has a land area of 155,859 square miles (403,673 km²), while Nevada has 109,860 square miles (284,537 km²). California's land area is 1.4 times (42%) larger than Nevada's.
Total area: California: 163,694 square miles (423,965 km²) vs Nevada: 110,571 square miles (286,377 km²), including inland and coastal water. California's total area is 1.5 times (48%) larger than Nevada's.
Length: California is 761 miles (1,224 km) long from north to south; Nevada is 484 miles (780 km). California's north-south length is 1.6 times (57%) longer than Nevada's.
Width: California spans 706 miles (1,137 km) east to west; Nevada spans 469 miles (755 km). California's east-west width is 1.5 times (51%) wider than Nevada's.
Highest point: California's highest point is Mount Whitney at 14,484 feet (4,415 m); Nevada's is Boundary Peak at 13,115 feet (3,997 m). Mount Whitney is 1,369 feet higher than Boundary Peak.
Lowest point: California's lowest point is Death Valley at -279 feet; Nevada's is Colorado River at 481 feet. California's lowest point is 760 feet lower.
California vs Nevada Population and History
Population: California has a population of 39,431,263 (2024), while Nevada has 3,267,467 (2024). California's population is 12.1 times larger than Nevada's.
Population density: California: 253.0 people per square mile vs Nevada: 29.7. California's population density is 8.5 times (752%) higher than Nevada's.
Biggest city: California's biggest city is Los Angeles with 3,878,704 people; Nevada's is Las Vegas with 678,922. Los Angeles' population is 5.7 times (471%) larger than Las Vegas'.
Largest metro area: California's largest metropolitan area is Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area (12,927,614 people) vs Nevada's Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV metro area (2,398,871). Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area's population is 5.4 times (439%) larger than Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV metro area's.
History: California: Admitted to the Union on September 9, 1850, as the 31st state. Nevada: Admitted to the Union on October 31, 1864, as the 36th state. In its current form, California is the older of the two by 14 years.
California vs Nevada Economy
GDP: California's GDP is $4,048.1 billion (2024) vs Nevada's $269.0 billion. California's economic output is 15.0 times larger than Nevada's.
GDP per capita: California: $102,662 per person vs Nevada: $82,330. California's GDP per capita is 1.2 times (25%) higher than Nevada's.
Average income: California: $86,232 vs Nevada: $69,805 average income per person (per capita personal income). California's average income is 1.2 times (24%) higher than Nevada's.
California vs Nevada Counties
Number of counties: California has 58 counties, while Nevada has 17. California's county count is 3.4 times (241%) higher than Nevada's.
Biggest county by area: California's largest county is San Bernardino County at 20,068 square miles; Nevada's is Nye County at 18,182 square miles. San Bernardino County's land area is 1.1 times (10%) larger than Nye County's.
Smallest county by area: California: San Francisco County (47 sq mi) vs Nevada: Carson City (145 sq mi). Carson City's land area is 3.1 times (209%) larger than San Francisco County's.
Most populous county: California: Los Angeles County (9,757,179 people) vs Nevada: Clark County (2,398,871 people). Los Angeles County's population is 4.1 times (307%) larger than Clark County's.
Least populous county: California: Alpine County (1,099 people) vs Nevada: Esmeralda County (720 people). Alpine County's population is 1.5 times (53%) larger than Esmeralda County's.
Richest county: California: Marin County ($190,891 per capita income) vs Nevada: Douglas County ($109,486). Marin County's income is 1.7 times (74%) richer than Douglas County's.
Poorest county: California: Trinity County ($42,191 per capita income) vs Nevada: Pershing County ($45,906). Pershing County's income is 1.1 times (9%) richer than Trinity County's.
California vs Nevada Taxes
State income tax: California has a top income tax rate of 13.3%, while Nevada has no state income tax. California's top rate is 13.3 percentage points higher.
Property tax: California: 0.71% effective rate vs Nevada: 0.47% of home value per year. California's rate is 0.24 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: California: 9.03% combined state and average local rate vs Nevada: 8.24%. California's combined rate is 0.79 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
California official website · Nevada official website
More Size Comparisons
All California size comparisons · All Nevada 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.