The map above shows Hawaii and North Carolina side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Hawaii vs North Carolina Geography
Land area: Hawaii has a land area of 6,423 square miles (16,634 km²), while North Carolina has 48,624 square miles (125,936 km²). North Carolina's land area is 7.6 times (657%) larger than Hawaii's.
Total area: Hawaii: 10,970 square miles (28,412 km²) vs North Carolina: 53,819 square miles (139,390 km²), including inland and coastal water. North Carolina's total area is 4.9 times (391%) larger than Hawaii's.
Length: Hawaii is 333 miles (536 km) long from north to south; North Carolina is 258 miles (415 km). Hawaii's north-south length is 1.3 times (29%) longer than North Carolina's.
Width: Hawaii spans 386 miles (621 km) east to west; North Carolina spans 487 miles (784 km). North Carolina's east-west width is 1.3 times (26%) wider than Hawaii's.
Highest point: Hawaii's highest point is Mauna Kea at 13,795 feet (4,205 m); North Carolina's is Mount Mitchell at 6,674 feet (2,034 m). Mauna Kea is 7,121 feet higher than Mount Mitchell.
Lowest point: Hawaii's lowest point is Pacific Ocean at 0 feet; North Carolina's is Atlantic Ocean at 0 feet. Both lowest points are at or near sea level.
Hawaii vs North Carolina Population and History
Population: Hawaii has a population of 1,446,146 (2024), while North Carolina has 11,046,024 (2024). North Carolina's population is 7.6 times (664%) larger than Hawaii's.
Population density: Hawaii: 225.2 people per square mile vs North Carolina: 227.2. Hawaii and North Carolina have about the same population density.
Biggest city: Hawaii's biggest city is Honolulu with 344,967 people; North Carolina's is Charlotte with 943,476. Charlotte's population is 2.7 times (173%) larger than Honolulu's.
Largest metro area: Hawaii's largest metropolitan area is Urban Honolulu, HI metro area (998,747 people) vs North Carolina's Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area (2,883,370). Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area's population is 2.9 times (189%) larger than Urban Honolulu, HI metro area's.
History: Hawaii: Admitted to the Union on August 21, 1959, as the 50th 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 170 years.
Hawaii vs North Carolina Economy
GDP: Hawaii's GDP is $117.6 billion (2024) vs North Carolina's $844.2 billion. North Carolina's economic output is 7.2 times (618%) larger than Hawaii's.
GDP per capita: Hawaii: $81,339 per person vs North Carolina: $76,427. Hawaii's GDP per capita is 1.1 times (6%) higher than North Carolina's.
Average income: Hawaii: $71,019 vs North Carolina: $65,634 average income per person (per capita personal income). Hawaii's average income is 1.1 times (8%) higher than North Carolina's.
Hawaii vs North Carolina Counties
Number of counties: Hawaii has 5 counties, while North Carolina has 100. North Carolina's county count is 20.0 times higher than Hawaii's.
Biggest county by area: Hawaii's largest county is Hawaii County at 4,028 square miles; North Carolina's is Robeson County at 947 square miles. Hawaii County's land area is 4.3 times (325%) larger than Robeson County's.
Smallest county by area: Hawaii: Kalawao County (12 sq mi) vs North Carolina: Chowan County (173 sq mi). Chowan County's land area is 14.4 times larger than Kalawao County's.
Most populous county: Hawaii: Honolulu County (998,747 people) vs North Carolina: Wake County (1,232,444 people). Wake County's population is 1.2 times (23%) larger than Honolulu County's.
Least populous county: Hawaii: Kalawao County (81 people) vs North Carolina: Tyrrell County (3,517 people). Tyrrell County's population is 43.4 times larger than Kalawao County's.
Richest county: Hawaii: Honolulu County ($74,681 per capita income) vs North Carolina: Chatham County ($91,638). Chatham County's income is 1.2 times (23%) richer than Honolulu County's.
Poorest county: Hawaii: Hawaii County ($57,694 per capita income) vs North Carolina: Warren County ($40,932). Hawaii County's income is 1.4 times (41%) richer than Warren County's.
Hawaii vs North Carolina Taxes
State income tax: Hawaii has a top income tax rate of 11%, while North Carolina has a top income tax rate of 3.99%. Hawaii's top rate is 7.01 percentage points higher.
Property tax: Hawaii: 0.27% effective rate vs North Carolina: 0.61% of home value per year. North Carolina's rate is 0.34 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: Hawaii: 4.5% combined state and average local rate vs North Carolina: 7.1%. North Carolina's combined rate is 2.6 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Hawaii official website · North Carolina official website
More Size Comparisons
All Hawaii 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.