The map above shows California and Rhode Island side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
California vs Rhode Island Geography
Land area: California has a land area of 155,859 square miles (403,673 km²), while Rhode Island has 1,034 square miles (2,678 km²). California's land area is 150.7 times larger than Rhode Island's.
Total area: California: 163,694 square miles (423,965 km²) vs Rhode Island: 1,545 square miles (4,002 km²), including inland and coastal water. California's total area is 105.9 times larger than Rhode Island's.
Length: California is 761 miles (1,224 km) long from north to south; Rhode Island is 61 miles (98 km). California's north-south length is 12.5 times longer than Rhode Island's.
Width: California spans 706 miles (1,137 km) east to west; Rhode Island spans 42 miles (67 km). California's east-west width is 16.8 times wider than Rhode Island's.
Highest point: California's highest point is Mount Whitney at 14,484 feet (4,415 m); Rhode Island's is Jerimoth Hill at 811 feet (247 m). Mount Whitney is 13,673 feet higher than Jerimoth Hill.
Lowest point: California's lowest point is Death Valley at -279 feet; Rhode Island's is Atlantic Ocean at 0 feet. California's lowest point is 279 feet lower.
California vs Rhode Island Population and History
Population: California has a population of 39,431,263 (2024), while Rhode Island has 1,112,308 (2024). California's population is 35.4 times larger than Rhode Island's.
Population density: California: 253.0 people per square mile vs Rhode Island: 1,075.8. Rhode Island's population density is 4.3 times (325%) higher than California's.
Biggest city: California's biggest city is Los Angeles with 3,878,704 people; Rhode Island's is Providence with 194,706. Los Angeles' population is 19.9 times larger than Providence's.
Largest metro area: California's largest metropolitan area is Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area (12,927,614 people) vs Rhode Island's Providence-Warwick, RI-MA metro area (1,700,901). Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area's population is 7.6 times (660%) larger than Providence-Warwick, RI-MA metro area's.
History: California: Admitted to the Union on September 9, 1850, as the 31st state. Rhode Island: Admitted to the Union on May 29, 1790, as the 13th state. In its current form, Rhode Island is the older of the two by 60 years.
California vs Rhode Island Economy
GDP: California's GDP is $4,048.1 billion (2024) vs Rhode Island's $80.4 billion. California's economic output is 50.3 times larger than Rhode Island's.
GDP per capita: California: $102,662 per person vs Rhode Island: $72,265. California's GDP per capita is 1.4 times (42%) higher than Rhode Island's.
Average income: California: $86,232 vs Rhode Island: $70,622 average income per person (per capita personal income). California's average income is 1.2 times (22%) higher than Rhode Island's.
California vs Rhode Island Counties
Number of counties: California has 58 counties, while Rhode Island has 5. California's county count is 11.6 times higher than Rhode Island's.
Biggest county by area: California's largest county is San Bernardino County at 20,068 square miles; Rhode Island's is Providence County at 410 square miles. San Bernardino County's land area is 49.0 times larger than Providence County's.
Smallest county by area: California: San Francisco County (47 sq mi) vs Rhode Island: Bristol County (24 sq mi). San Francisco County's land area is 1.9 times (94%) larger than Bristol County's.
Most populous county: California: Los Angeles County (9,757,179 people) vs Rhode Island: Providence County (675,912 people). Los Angeles County's population is 14.4 times larger than Providence County's.
Least populous county: California: Alpine County (1,099 people) vs Rhode Island: Bristol County (50,145 people). Bristol County's population is 45.6 times larger than Alpine County's.
Richest county: California: Marin County ($190,891 per capita income) vs Rhode Island: Bristol County ($99,923). Marin County's income is 1.9 times (91%) richer than Bristol County's.
Poorest county: California: Trinity County ($42,191 per capita income) vs Rhode Island: Providence County ($61,040). Providence County's income is 1.4 times (45%) richer than Trinity County's.
California vs Rhode Island Taxes
State income tax: California has a top income tax rate of 13.3%, while Rhode Island has a top income tax rate of 5.99%. California's top rate is 7.31 percentage points higher.
Property tax: California: 0.71% effective rate vs Rhode Island: 1.07% of home value per year. Rhode Island's rate is 0.36 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: California: 9.03% combined state and average local rate vs Rhode Island: 7%. California's combined rate is 2.03 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
California official website · Rhode Island official website
More Size Comparisons
All California size comparisons · All Rhode Island 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.