The map above shows California and New South Wales side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
California vs New South Wales Geography
Land area: California has a land area of 155,859 square miles (403,673 km²), while New South Wales has 309,130 square miles (800,642 km²). New South Wales' land area is 2.0 times (98%) larger than California's.
Total area: California: 163,694 square miles (423,965 km²) vs New South Wales: 309,130 square miles (800,642 km²), including inland and coastal water. New South Wales' total area is 1.9 times (89%) larger than California's.
Length: California is 761 miles (1,224 km) long from north to south; New South Wales is 678 miles (1,092 km). California's north-south length is 1.1 times (12%) longer than New South Wales'.
Width: California spans 706 miles (1,137 km) east to west; New South Wales spans 831 miles (1,338 km). New South Wales' east-west width is 1.2 times (18%) wider than California's.
Highest point: California's highest point is Mount Whitney at 14,484 feet (4,415 m); New South Wales's is Mount Kosciuszko at 7,310 feet (2,228 m). Mount Whitney is 7,174 feet higher than Mount Kosciuszko.
Lowest point: California's lowest point is Death Valley at -279 feet; New South Wales's is Pacific Ocean at 0 feet. California's lowest point is 279 feet lower.
California vs New South Wales Population and History
Population: California has a population of 39,431,263 (2024), while New South Wales has 8,624,534 (2025). California's population is 4.6 times (357%) larger than New South Wales'.
Population density: California: 253.0 people per square mile vs New South Wales: 27.9. California's population density is 9.1 times (807%) higher than New South Wales'.
Largest metro area: California's largest metropolitan area is Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area (12,927,614 people) vs New South Wales's Greater Sydney (5,638,830). Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area's population is 2.3 times (129%) larger than Greater Sydney's.
History: California: Admitted to the Union on September 9, 1850, as the 31st state. New South Wales: Became an Australian state at Federation on January 1, 1901; founded as a colony in 1788. In its current form, California is the older of the two by 51 years.
California vs New South Wales Economy
GDP: California's GDP is $4,048.1 billion (2024) vs New South Wales's $547.1 billion. California's economic output is 7.4 times (640%) larger than New South Wales'.
GDP per capita: California: $102,662 per person vs New South Wales: $63,435. California's GDP per capita is 1.6 times (62%) higher than New South Wales'.
Official Websites
California official website · New South Wales official website
More Size Comparisons
All California size comparisons · All New South Wales 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.