The map above shows California and North Carolina side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
California vs North Carolina Geography
Land area: California has a land area of 155,859 square miles (403,673 km²), while North Carolina has 48,624 square miles (125,936 km²). California's land area is 3.2 times (221%) larger than North Carolina's.
Total area: California: 163,694 square miles (423,965 km²) vs North Carolina: 53,819 square miles (139,390 km²), including inland and coastal water. California's total area is 3.0 times (204%) larger than North Carolina's.
Length: California is 761 miles (1,224 km) long from north to south; North Carolina is 258 miles (415 km). California's north-south length is 2.9 times (195%) longer than North Carolina's.
Width: California spans 706 miles (1,137 km) east to west; North Carolina spans 487 miles (784 km). California's east-west width is 1.4 times (45%) wider than North Carolina's.
Highest point: California's highest point is Mount Whitney at 14,484 feet (4,415 m); North Carolina's is Mount Mitchell at 6,674 feet (2,034 m). Mount Whitney is 7,810 feet higher than Mount Mitchell.
Lowest point: California's lowest point is Death Valley at -279 feet; North Carolina's is Atlantic Ocean at 0 feet. California's lowest point is 279 feet lower.
California vs North Carolina Population and History
Population: California has a population of 39,431,263 (2024), while North Carolina has 11,046,024 (2024). California's population is 3.6 times (257%) larger than North Carolina's.
Population density: California: 253.0 people per square mile vs North Carolina: 227.2. California's population density is 1.1 times (11%) higher than North Carolina's.
Biggest city: California's biggest city is Los Angeles with 3,878,704 people; North Carolina's is Charlotte with 943,476. Los Angeles' population is 4.1 times (311%) larger than Charlotte's.
Largest metro area: California's largest metropolitan area is Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area (12,927,614 people) vs North Carolina's Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area (2,883,370). Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area's population is 4.5 times (348%) larger than Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area's.
History: California: Admitted to the Union on September 9, 1850, as the 31st state. North Carolina: Admitted to the Union on November 21, 1789, as the 12th state. In its current form, North Carolina is the older of the two by 61 years.
California vs North Carolina Economy
GDP: California's GDP is $4,048.1 billion (2024) vs North Carolina's $844.2 billion. California's economic output is 4.8 times (380%) larger than North Carolina's.
GDP per capita: California: $102,662 per person vs North Carolina: $76,427. California's GDP per capita is 1.3 times (34%) higher than North Carolina's.
Average income: California: $86,232 vs North Carolina: $65,634 average income per person (per capita personal income). California's average income is 1.3 times (31%) higher than North Carolina's.
California vs North Carolina Counties
Number of counties: California has 58 counties, while North Carolina has 100. North Carolina's county count is 1.7 times (72%) higher than California's.
Biggest county by area: California's largest county is San Bernardino County at 20,068 square miles; North Carolina's is Robeson County at 947 square miles. San Bernardino County's land area is 21.2 times larger than Robeson County's.
Smallest county by area: California: San Francisco County (47 sq mi) vs North Carolina: Chowan County (173 sq mi). Chowan County's land area is 3.7 times (270%) larger than San Francisco County's.
Most populous county: California: Los Angeles County (9,757,179 people) vs North Carolina: Wake County (1,232,444 people). Los Angeles County's population is 7.9 times (692%) larger than Wake County's.
Least populous county: California: Alpine County (1,099 people) vs North Carolina: Tyrrell County (3,517 people). Tyrrell County's population is 3.2 times (220%) larger than Alpine County's.
Richest county: California: Marin County ($190,891 per capita income) vs North Carolina: Chatham County ($91,638). Marin County's income is 2.1 times (108%) richer than Chatham County's.
Poorest county: California: Trinity County ($42,191 per capita income) vs North Carolina: Warren County ($40,932). Trinity County and Warren County have about the same income.
California vs North Carolina Taxes
State income tax: California has a top income tax rate of 13.3%, while North Carolina has a top income tax rate of 3.99%. California's top rate is 9.31 percentage points higher.
Property tax: California: 0.71% effective rate vs North Carolina: 0.61% of home value per year. California's rate is 0.1 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: California: 9.03% combined state and average local rate vs North Carolina: 7.1%. California's combined rate is 1.93 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
California official website · North Carolina official website
More Size Comparisons
All California size comparisons · All North Carolina 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.