The map above shows Colorado and North Carolina side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Colorado vs North Carolina Geography
Land area: Colorado has a land area of 103,637 square miles (268,419 km²), while North Carolina has 48,624 square miles (125,936 km²). Colorado's land area is 2.1 times (113%) larger than North Carolina's.
Total area: Colorado: 104,095 square miles (269,605 km²) vs North Carolina: 53,819 square miles (139,390 km²), including inland and coastal water. Colorado's total area is 1.9 times (93%) larger than North Carolina's.
Length: Colorado is 467 miles (751 km) long from north to south; North Carolina is 258 miles (415 km). Colorado's north-south length is 1.8 times (81%) longer than North Carolina's.
Width: Colorado spans 387 miles (622 km) east to west; North Carolina spans 487 miles (784 km). North Carolina's east-west width is 1.3 times (26%) wider than Colorado's.
Highest point: Colorado's highest point is Mount Elbert at 14,422 feet (4,396 m); North Carolina's is Mount Mitchell at 6,674 feet (2,034 m). Mount Elbert is 7,748 feet higher than Mount Mitchell.
Lowest point: Colorado's lowest point is Arikaree River at 3,326 feet; North Carolina's is Atlantic Ocean at 0 feet. North Carolina's lowest point is 3,326 feet lower.
Colorado vs North Carolina Population and History
Population: Colorado has a population of 5,957,493 (2024), while North Carolina has 11,046,024 (2024). North Carolina's population is 1.9 times (85%) larger than Colorado's.
Population density: Colorado: 57.5 people per square mile vs North Carolina: 227.2. North Carolina's population density is 4.0 times (295%) higher than Colorado's.
Biggest city: Colorado's biggest city is Denver with 729,019 people; North Carolina's is Charlotte with 943,476. Charlotte's population is 1.3 times (29%) larger than Denver's.
Largest metro area: Colorado's largest metropolitan area is Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO metro area (3,052,498 people) vs North Carolina's Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area (2,883,370). Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO metro area's population is 1.1 times (6%) larger than Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area's.
History: Colorado: Admitted to the Union on August 1, 1876, as the 38th state. North Carolina: Admitted to the Union on November 21, 1789, as the 12th state. In its current form, North Carolina is the older of the two by 87 years.
Colorado vs North Carolina Economy
GDP: Colorado's GDP is $557.6 billion (2024) vs North Carolina's $844.2 billion. North Carolina's economic output is 1.5 times (51%) larger than Colorado's.
GDP per capita: Colorado: $93,602 per person vs North Carolina: $76,427. Colorado's GDP per capita is 1.2 times (22%) higher than North Carolina's.
Average income: Colorado: $83,055 vs North Carolina: $65,634 average income per person (per capita personal income). Colorado's average income is 1.3 times (27%) higher than North Carolina's.
Colorado vs North Carolina Counties
Number of counties: Colorado has 64 counties, while North Carolina has 100. North Carolina's county count is 1.6 times (56%) higher than Colorado's.
Biggest county by area: Colorado's largest county is Las Animas County at 4,773 square miles; North Carolina's is Robeson County at 947 square miles. Las Animas County's land area is 5.0 times (404%) larger than Robeson County's.
Smallest county by area: Colorado: Broomfield County (33 sq mi) vs North Carolina: Chowan County (173 sq mi). Chowan County's land area is 5.2 times (423%) larger than Broomfield County's.
Most populous county: Colorado: El Paso County (752,772 people) vs North Carolina: Wake County (1,232,444 people). Wake County's population is 1.6 times (64%) larger than El Paso County's.
Least populous county: Colorado: Hinsdale County (747 people) vs North Carolina: Tyrrell County (3,517 people). Tyrrell County's population is 4.7 times (371%) larger than Hinsdale County's.
Richest county: Colorado: Pitkin County ($275,044 per capita income) vs North Carolina: Chatham County ($91,638). Pitkin County's income is 3.0 times (200%) richer than Chatham County's.
Poorest county: Colorado: Crowley County ($27,232 per capita income) vs North Carolina: Warren County ($40,932). Warren County's income is 1.5 times (50%) richer than Crowley County's.
Colorado vs North Carolina Taxes
State income tax: Colorado has a top income tax rate of 4.4%, while North Carolina has a top income tax rate of 3.99%. Colorado's top rate is 0.41 percentage points higher.
Property tax: Colorado: 0.49% effective rate vs North Carolina: 0.61% of home value per year. North Carolina's rate is 0.12 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: Colorado: 7.89% combined state and average local rate vs North Carolina: 7.1%. Colorado's combined rate is 0.79 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Colorado official website · North Carolina official website
More Size Comparisons
All Colorado size comparisons · All North Carolina 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.