The map above shows California and South Dakota side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
California vs South Dakota Geography
Land area: California has a land area of 155,859 square miles (403,673 km²), while South Dakota has 75,808 square miles (196,342 km²). California's land area is 2.1 times (106%) larger than South Dakota's.
Total area: California: 163,694 square miles (423,965 km²) vs South Dakota: 77,116 square miles (199,729 km²), including inland and coastal water. California's total area is 2.1 times (112%) larger than South Dakota's.
Length: California is 761 miles (1,224 km) long from north to south; South Dakota is 443 miles (712 km). California's north-south length is 1.7 times (72%) longer than South Dakota's.
Width: California spans 706 miles (1,137 km) east to west; South Dakota spans 371 miles (597 km). California's east-west width is 1.9 times (90%) wider than South Dakota's.
Highest point: California's highest point is Mount Whitney at 14,484 feet (4,415 m); South Dakota's is Black Elk Peak at 7,198 feet (2,194 m). Mount Whitney is 7,286 feet higher than Black Elk Peak.
Lowest point: California's lowest point is Death Valley at -279 feet; South Dakota's is Big Stone Lake at 966 feet. California's lowest point is 1,245 feet lower.
California vs South Dakota Population and History
Population: California has a population of 39,431,263 (2024), while South Dakota has 924,669 (2024). California's population is 42.6 times larger than South Dakota's.
Population density: California: 253.0 people per square mile vs South Dakota: 12.2. California's population density is 20.7 times higher than South Dakota's.
Biggest city: California's biggest city is Los Angeles with 3,878,704 people; South Dakota's is Sioux Falls with 209,289. Los Angeles' population is 18.5 times larger than Sioux Falls'.
Largest metro area: California's largest metropolitan area is Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area (12,927,614 people) vs South Dakota's Sioux Falls, SD-MN metro area (308,266). Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area's population is 41.9 times larger than Sioux Falls, SD-MN metro area's.
History: California: Admitted to the Union on September 9, 1850, as the 31st state. South Dakota: Admitted to the Union on November 2, 1889, as the 40th state. In its current form, California is the older of the two by 39 years.
California vs South Dakota Economy
GDP: California's GDP is $4,048.1 billion (2024) vs South Dakota's $76.8 billion. California's economic output is 52.7 times larger than South Dakota's.
GDP per capita: California: $102,662 per person vs South Dakota: $83,052. California's GDP per capita is 1.2 times (24%) higher than South Dakota's.
Average income: California: $86,232 vs South Dakota: $75,699 average income per person (per capita personal income). California's average income is 1.1 times (14%) higher than South Dakota's.
California vs South Dakota Counties
Number of counties: California has 58 counties, while South Dakota has 66. South Dakota's county count is 1.1 times (14%) higher than California's.
Biggest county by area: California's largest county is San Bernardino County at 20,068 square miles; South Dakota's is Meade County at 3,471 square miles. San Bernardino County's land area is 5.8 times (478%) larger than Meade County's.
Smallest county by area: California: San Francisco County (47 sq mi) vs South Dakota: Clay County (412 sq mi). Clay County's land area is 8.8 times (782%) larger than San Francisco County's.
Most populous county: California: Los Angeles County (9,757,179 people) vs South Dakota: Minnehaha County (208,639 people). Los Angeles County's population is 46.8 times larger than Minnehaha County's.
Least populous county: California: Alpine County (1,099 people) vs South Dakota: Jones County (874 people). Alpine County's population is 1.3 times (26%) larger than Jones County's.
Richest county: California: Marin County ($190,891 per capita income) vs South Dakota: Union County ($146,712). Marin County's income is 1.3 times (30%) richer than Union County's.
Poorest county: California: Trinity County ($42,191 per capita income) vs South Dakota: Ziebach County ($32,778). Trinity County's income is 1.3 times (29%) richer than Ziebach County's.
California vs South Dakota Taxes
State income tax: California has a top income tax rate of 13.3%, while South Dakota has no state income tax. California's top rate is 13.3 percentage points higher.
Property tax: California: 0.71% effective rate vs South Dakota: 1.02% of home value per year. South Dakota's rate is 0.31 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: California: 9.03% combined state and average local rate vs South Dakota: 6.11%. California's combined rate is 2.92 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
California official website · South Dakota official website
More Size Comparisons
All California size comparisons · All South Dakota 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.