The map above shows California and Vermont side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
California vs Vermont Geography
Land area: California has a land area of 155,859 square miles (403,673 km²), while Vermont has 9,217 square miles (23,873 km²). California's land area is 16.9 times larger than Vermont's.
Total area: California: 163,694 square miles (423,965 km²) vs Vermont: 9,615 square miles (24,903 km²), including inland and coastal water. California's total area is 17.0 times larger than Vermont's.
Length: California is 761 miles (1,224 km) long from north to south; Vermont is 165 miles (265 km). California's north-south length is 4.6 times (361%) longer than Vermont's.
Width: California spans 706 miles (1,137 km) east to west; Vermont spans 113 miles (181 km). California's east-west width is 6.2 times (525%) wider than Vermont's.
Highest point: California's highest point is Mount Whitney at 14,484 feet (4,415 m); Vermont's is Mount Mansfield at 4,384 feet (1,336 m). Mount Whitney is 10,100 feet higher than Mount Mansfield.
Lowest point: California's lowest point is Death Valley at -279 feet; Vermont's is Lake Champlain at 95 feet. California's lowest point is 374 feet lower.
California vs Vermont Population and History
Population: California has a population of 39,431,263 (2024), while Vermont has 648,493 (2024). California's population is 60.8 times larger than Vermont's.
Population density: California: 253.0 people per square mile vs Vermont: 70.4. California's population density is 3.6 times (259%) higher than Vermont's.
Biggest city: California's biggest city is Los Angeles with 3,878,704 people; Vermont's is Burlington with 44,432. Los Angeles' population is 87.3 times larger than Burlington's.
Largest metro area: California's largest metropolitan area is Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area (12,927,614 people) vs Vermont's Burlington-South Burlington, VT metro area (229,445). Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area's population is 56.3 times larger than Burlington-South Burlington, VT metro area's.
History: California: Admitted to the Union on September 9, 1850, as the 31st state. Vermont: Admitted to the Union on March 4, 1791, as the 14th state. In its current form, Vermont is the older of the two by 59 years.
California vs Vermont Economy
GDP: California's GDP is $4,048.1 billion (2024) vs Vermont's $46.3 billion. California's economic output is 87.4 times larger than Vermont's.
GDP per capita: California: $102,662 per person vs Vermont: $71,359. California's GDP per capita is 1.4 times (44%) higher than Vermont's.
Average income: California: $86,232 vs Vermont: $71,287 average income per person (per capita personal income). California's average income is 1.2 times (21%) higher than Vermont's.
California vs Vermont Counties
Number of counties: California has 58 counties, while Vermont has 14. California's county count is 4.1 times (314%) higher than Vermont's.
Biggest county by area: California's largest county is San Bernardino County at 20,068 square miles; Vermont's is Windsor County at 969 square miles. San Bernardino County's land area is 20.7 times larger than Windsor County's.
Smallest county by area: California: San Francisco County (47 sq mi) vs Vermont: Grand Isle County (82 sq mi). Grand Isle County's land area is 1.8 times (75%) larger than San Francisco County's.
Most populous county: California: Los Angeles County (9,757,179 people) vs Vermont: Chittenden County (170,851 people). Los Angeles County's population is 57.1 times larger than Chittenden County's.
Least populous county: California: Alpine County (1,099 people) vs Vermont: Essex County (6,037 people). Essex County's population is 5.5 times (449%) larger than Alpine County's.
Richest county: California: Marin County ($190,891 per capita income) vs Vermont: Chittenden County ($80,533). Marin County's income is 2.4 times (137%) richer than Chittenden County's.
Poorest county: California: Trinity County ($42,191 per capita income) vs Vermont: Essex County ($50,712). Essex County's income is 1.2 times (20%) richer than Trinity County's.
California vs Vermont Taxes
State income tax: California has a top income tax rate of 13.3%, while Vermont has a top income tax rate of 8.75%. California's top rate is 4.55 percentage points higher.
Property tax: California: 0.71% effective rate vs Vermont: 1.42% of home value per year. Vermont's rate is 0.71 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: California: 9.03% combined state and average local rate vs Vermont: 6.43%. California's combined rate is 2.6 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
California official website · Vermont official website
More Size Comparisons
All California size comparisons · All Vermont 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.