The map above shows California and Wyoming side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
California vs Wyoming Geography
Land area: California has a land area of 155,859 square miles (403,673 km²), while Wyoming has 97,089 square miles (251,458 km²). California's land area is 1.6 times (61%) larger than Wyoming's.
Total area: California: 163,694 square miles (423,965 km²) vs Wyoming: 97,810 square miles (253,326 km²), including inland and coastal water. California's total area is 1.7 times (67%) larger than Wyoming's.
Length: California is 761 miles (1,224 km) long from north to south; Wyoming is 324 miles (522 km). California's north-south length is 2.3 times (135%) longer than Wyoming's.
Width: California spans 706 miles (1,137 km) east to west; Wyoming spans 410 miles (659 km). California's east-west width is 1.7 times (72%) wider than Wyoming's.
Highest point: California's highest point is Mount Whitney at 14,484 feet (4,415 m); Wyoming's is Gannett Peak at 13,788 feet (4,203 m). Mount Whitney is 696 feet higher than Gannett Peak.
Lowest point: California's lowest point is Death Valley at -279 feet; Wyoming's is Belle Fourche River at 3,108 feet. California's lowest point is 3,387 feet lower.
California vs Wyoming Population and History
Population: California has a population of 39,431,263 (2024), while Wyoming has 587,618 (2024). California's population is 67.1 times larger than Wyoming's.
Population density: California: 253.0 people per square mile vs Wyoming: 6.1. California's population density is 41.5 times higher than Wyoming's.
Biggest city: California's biggest city is Los Angeles with 3,878,704 people; Wyoming's is Cheyenne with 65,704. Los Angeles' population is 59.0 times larger than Cheyenne's.
Largest metro area: California's largest metropolitan area is Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area (12,927,614 people) vs Wyoming's Cheyenne, WY metro area (101,783). Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area's population is 127.0 times larger than Cheyenne, WY metro area's.
History: California: Admitted to the Union on September 9, 1850, as the 31st state. Wyoming: Admitted to the Union on July 10, 1890, as the 44th state. In its current form, California is the older of the two by 40 years.
California vs Wyoming Economy
GDP: California's GDP is $4,048.1 billion (2024) vs Wyoming's $51.5 billion. California's economic output is 78.6 times larger than Wyoming's.
GDP per capita: California: $102,662 per person vs Wyoming: $87,639. California's GDP per capita is 1.2 times (17%) higher than Wyoming's.
Average income: California: $86,232 vs Wyoming: $86,477 average income per person (per capita personal income). California and Wyoming have about the same average income.
California vs Wyoming Counties
Number of counties: California has 58 counties, while Wyoming has 23. California's county count is 2.5 times (152%) higher than Wyoming's.
Biggest county by area: California's largest county is San Bernardino County at 20,068 square miles; Wyoming's is Sweetwater County at 10,427 square miles. San Bernardino County's land area is 1.9 times (92%) larger than Sweetwater County's.
Smallest county by area: California: San Francisco County (47 sq mi) vs Wyoming: Hot Springs County (2,004 sq mi). Hot Springs County's land area is 42.9 times larger than San Francisco County's.
Most populous county: California: Los Angeles County (9,757,179 people) vs Wyoming: Laramie County (101,783 people). Los Angeles County's population is 95.9 times larger than Laramie County's.
Least populous county: California: Alpine County (1,099 people) vs Wyoming: Niobrara County (2,301 people). Niobrara County's population is 2.1 times (109%) larger than Alpine County's.
Richest county: California: Marin County ($190,891 per capita income) vs Wyoming: Teton County ($532,903). Teton County's income is 2.8 times (179%) richer than Marin County's.
Poorest county: California: Trinity County ($42,191 per capita income) vs Wyoming: Uinta County ($50,370). Uinta County's income is 1.2 times (19%) richer than Trinity County's.
California vs Wyoming Taxes
State income tax: California has a top income tax rate of 13.3%, while Wyoming has no state income tax. California's top rate is 13.3 percentage points higher.
Property tax: California: 0.71% effective rate vs Wyoming: 0.57% of home value per year. California's rate is 0.14 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: California: 9.03% combined state and average local rate vs Wyoming: 5.39%. California's combined rate is 3.64 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
California official website · Wyoming official website
More Size Comparisons
All California size comparisons · All Wyoming 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.