The map above shows Minnesota and North Carolina side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Minnesota vs North Carolina Geography
Land area: Minnesota has a land area of 79,632 square miles (206,245 km²), while North Carolina has 48,624 square miles (125,936 km²). Minnesota's land area is 1.6 times (64%) larger than North Carolina's.
Total area: Minnesota: 86,943 square miles (225,182 km²) vs North Carolina: 53,819 square miles (139,390 km²), including inland and coastal water. Minnesota's total area is 1.6 times (62%) larger than North Carolina's.
Length: Minnesota is 408 miles (657 km) long from north to south; North Carolina is 258 miles (415 km). Minnesota's north-south length is 1.6 times (58%) longer than North Carolina's.
Width: Minnesota spans 360 miles (580 km) east to west; North Carolina spans 487 miles (784 km). North Carolina's east-west width is 1.4 times (35%) wider than Minnesota's.
Highest point: Minnesota's highest point is Eagle Mountain at 2,292 feet (699 m); North Carolina's is Mount Mitchell at 6,674 feet (2,034 m). Mount Mitchell is 4,382 feet higher than Eagle Mountain.
Lowest point: Minnesota's lowest point is Lake Superior at 601 feet; North Carolina's is Atlantic Ocean at 0 feet. North Carolina's lowest point is 601 feet lower.
Minnesota vs North Carolina Population and History
Population: Minnesota has a population of 5,793,151 (2024), while North Carolina has 11,046,024 (2024). North Carolina's population is 1.9 times (91%) larger than Minnesota's.
Population density: Minnesota: 72.7 people per square mile vs North Carolina: 227.2. North Carolina's population density is 3.1 times (213%) higher than Minnesota's.
Biggest city: Minnesota's biggest city is Minneapolis with 428,579 people; North Carolina's is Charlotte with 943,476. Charlotte's population is 2.2 times (120%) larger than Minneapolis'.
Largest metro area: Minnesota's largest metropolitan area is Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI metro area (3,757,952 people) vs North Carolina's Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area (2,883,370). Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI metro area's population is 1.3 times (30%) larger than Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area's.
History: Minnesota: Admitted to the Union on May 11, 1858, as the 32nd 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 69 years.
Minnesota vs North Carolina Economy
GDP: Minnesota's GDP is $507.7 billion (2024) vs North Carolina's $844.2 billion. North Carolina's economic output is 1.7 times (66%) larger than Minnesota's.
GDP per capita: Minnesota: $87,636 per person vs North Carolina: $76,427. Minnesota's GDP per capita is 1.1 times (15%) higher than North Carolina's.
Average income: Minnesota: $75,603 vs North Carolina: $65,634 average income per person (per capita personal income). Minnesota's average income is 1.2 times (15%) higher than North Carolina's.
Minnesota vs North Carolina Counties
Number of counties: Minnesota has 87 counties, while North Carolina has 100. North Carolina's county count is 1.1 times (15%) higher than Minnesota's.
Biggest county by area: Minnesota's largest county is St. Louis County at 6,248 square miles; North Carolina's is Robeson County at 947 square miles. St. Louis County's land area is 6.6 times (560%) larger than Robeson County's.
Smallest county by area: Minnesota: Ramsey County (152 sq mi) vs North Carolina: Chowan County (173 sq mi). Chowan County's land area is 1.1 times (13%) larger than Ramsey County's.
Most populous county: Minnesota: Hennepin County (1,273,334 people) vs North Carolina: Wake County (1,232,444 people). Hennepin County and Wake County have about the same population.
Least populous county: Minnesota: Traverse County (3,134 people) vs North Carolina: Tyrrell County (3,517 people). Tyrrell County's population is 1.1 times (12%) larger than Traverse County's.
Richest county: Minnesota: Hennepin County ($100,352 per capita income) vs North Carolina: Chatham County ($91,638). Hennepin County's income is 1.1 times (10%) richer than Chatham County's.
Poorest county: Minnesota: Pine County ($48,677 per capita income) vs North Carolina: Warren County ($40,932). Pine County's income is 1.2 times (19%) richer than Warren County's.
Minnesota vs North Carolina Taxes
State income tax: Minnesota has a top income tax rate of 9.85%, while North Carolina has a top income tax rate of 3.99%. Minnesota's top rate is 5.86 percentage points higher.
Property tax: Minnesota: 1.02% effective rate vs North Carolina: 0.61% of home value per year. Minnesota's rate is 0.41 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: Minnesota: 8.14% combined state and average local rate vs North Carolina: 7.1%. Minnesota's combined rate is 1.04 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Minnesota official website · North Carolina official website
More Size Comparisons
All Minnesota 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.