The map above shows California and New Zealand side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
California vs New Zealand Geography
Land area: California has a land area of 155,859 square miles (403,673 km²), while New Zealand has 102,138 square miles (264,537 km²). California's land area is 1.5 times (53%) larger than New Zealand's.
Total area: California: 163,694 square miles (423,965 km²) vs New Zealand: 103,799 square miles (268,838 km²), including inland and coastal water. California's total area is 1.6 times (58%) larger than New Zealand's.
Length: California is 761 miles (1,224 km) long from north to south; New Zealand is 1,185 miles (1,908 km). New Zealand's north-south length is 1.6 times (56%) longer than California's.
Width: California spans 706 miles (1,137 km) east to west; New Zealand spans 969 miles (1,559 km). New Zealand's east-west width is 1.4 times (37%) wider than California's.
Highest point: California's highest point is Mount Whitney at 14,484 feet (4,415 m); New Zealand's is Aoraki / Mount Cook at 12,218 feet (3,724 m). Mount Whitney is 2,266 feet higher than Aoraki / Mount Cook.
Lowest point: California's lowest point is Death Valley at -279 feet; New Zealand's is Taieri Plains at -7 feet. California's lowest point is 272 feet lower.
California vs New Zealand Population and History
Population: California has a population of 39,431,263 (2024), while New Zealand has 5,357,300 (2026). California's population is 7.4 times (636%) larger than New Zealand's.
Population density: California: 253.0 people per square mile vs New Zealand: 52.5. California's population density is 4.8 times (382%) higher than New Zealand's.
Largest metro area: California's largest metropolitan area is Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area (12,927,614 people) vs New Zealand's Auckland Region (1,715,600). Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area's population is 7.5 times (654%) larger than Auckland Region's.
History: California: Admitted to the Union on September 9, 1850, as the 31st state. New Zealand: A dominion from September 26, 1907; fully independent by statute in 1947. In its current form, California is the older of the two by 57 years.
California vs New Zealand Economy
GDP: California's GDP is $4,048.1 billion (2024) vs New Zealand's $264.1 billion. California's economic output is 15.3 times larger than New Zealand's.
GDP per capita: California: $102,662 per person vs New Zealand: $49,591. California's GDP per capita is 2.1 times (107%) higher than New Zealand's.
Average income: California: $86,232 vs New Zealand: $46,630 average income per person (per capita personal income). California's average income is 1.8 times (85%) higher than New Zealand's.
Official Websites
California official website · New Zealand official website
More Size Comparisons
All California size comparisons · All New Zealand 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.