The map above shows California and Tennessee side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
California vs Tennessee Geography
Land area: California has a land area of 155,859 square miles (403,673 km²), while Tennessee has 41,224 square miles (106,770 km²). California's land area is 3.8 times (278%) larger than Tennessee's.
Total area: California: 163,694 square miles (423,965 km²) vs Tennessee: 42,130 square miles (109,116 km²), including inland and coastal water. California's total area is 3.9 times (289%) larger than Tennessee's.
Length: California is 761 miles (1,224 km) long from north to south; Tennessee is 191 miles (308 km). California's north-south length is 4.0 times (298%) longer than Tennessee's.
Width: California spans 706 miles (1,137 km) east to west; Tennessee spans 497 miles (800 km). California's east-west width is 1.4 times (42%) wider than Tennessee's.
Highest point: California's highest point is Mount Whitney at 14,484 feet (4,415 m); Tennessee's is Clingmans Dome at 6,624 feet (2,019 m). Mount Whitney is 7,860 feet higher than Clingmans Dome.
Lowest point: California's lowest point is Death Valley at -279 feet; Tennessee's is Mississippi River at 178 feet. California's lowest point is 457 feet lower.
California vs Tennessee Population and History
Population: California has a population of 39,431,263 (2024), while Tennessee has 7,227,750 (2024). California's population is 5.5 times (446%) larger than Tennessee's.
Population density: California: 253.0 people per square mile vs Tennessee: 175.3. California's population density is 1.4 times (44%) higher than Tennessee's.
Biggest city: California's biggest city is Los Angeles with 3,878,704 people; Tennessee's is Nashville with 704,963. Los Angeles' population is 5.5 times (450%) larger than Nashville's.
Largest metro area: California's largest metropolitan area is Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area (12,927,614 people) vs Tennessee's Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN metro area (2,150,553). Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area's population is 6.0 times (501%) larger than Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN metro area's.
History: California: Admitted to the Union on September 9, 1850, as the 31st state. Tennessee: Admitted to the Union on June 1, 1796, as the 16th state. In its current form, Tennessee is the older of the two by 54 years.
California vs Tennessee Economy
GDP: California's GDP is $4,048.1 billion (2024) vs Tennessee's $561.2 billion. California's economic output is 7.2 times (621%) larger than Tennessee's.
GDP per capita: California: $102,662 per person vs Tennessee: $77,645. California's GDP per capita is 1.3 times (32%) higher than Tennessee's.
Average income: California: $86,232 vs Tennessee: $66,504 average income per person (per capita personal income). California's average income is 1.3 times (30%) higher than Tennessee's.
California vs Tennessee Counties
Number of counties: California has 58 counties, while Tennessee has 95. Tennessee's county count is 1.6 times (64%) higher than California's.
Biggest county by area: California's largest county is San Bernardino County at 20,068 square miles; Tennessee's is Shelby County at 753 square miles. San Bernardino County's land area is 26.7 times larger than Shelby County's.
Smallest county by area: California: San Francisco County (47 sq mi) vs Tennessee: Trousdale County (114 sq mi). Trousdale County's land area is 2.4 times (145%) larger than San Francisco County's.
Most populous county: California: Los Angeles County (9,757,179 people) vs Tennessee: Shelby County (910,530 people). Los Angeles County's population is 10.7 times larger than Shelby County's.
Least populous county: California: Alpine County (1,099 people) vs Tennessee: Pickett County (5,108 people). Pickett County's population is 4.6 times (365%) larger than Alpine County's.
Richest county: California: Marin County ($190,891 per capita income) vs Tennessee: Williamson County ($139,704). Marin County's income is 1.4 times (37%) richer than Williamson County's.
Poorest county: California: Trinity County ($42,191 per capita income) vs Tennessee: Lake County ($31,572). Trinity County's income is 1.3 times (34%) richer than Lake County's.
California vs Tennessee Taxes
State income tax: California has a top income tax rate of 13.3%, while Tennessee has no state income tax. California's top rate is 13.3 percentage points higher.
Property tax: California: 0.71% effective rate vs Tennessee: 0.45% of home value per year. California's rate is 0.26 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: California: 9.03% combined state and average local rate vs Tennessee: 9.61%. Tennessee's combined rate is 0.58 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
California official website · Tennessee official website
More Size Comparisons
All California size comparisons · All Tennessee 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.