The map above shows New Jersey and North Carolina side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
New Jersey vs North Carolina Geography
Land area: New Jersey has a land area of 7,355 square miles (19,049 km²), while North Carolina has 48,624 square miles (125,936 km²). North Carolina's land area is 6.6 times (561%) larger than New Jersey's.
Total area: New Jersey: 8,719 square miles (22,583 km²) vs North Carolina: 53,819 square miles (139,390 km²), including inland and coastal water. North Carolina's total area is 6.2 times (517%) larger than New Jersey's.
Length: New Jersey is 169 miles (271 km) long from north to south; North Carolina is 258 miles (415 km). North Carolina's north-south length is 1.5 times (53%) longer than New Jersey's.
Width: New Jersey spans 129 miles (207 km) east to west; North Carolina spans 487 miles (784 km). North Carolina's east-west width is 3.8 times (278%) wider than New Jersey's.
Highest point: New Jersey's highest point is High Point at 1,798 feet (548 m); North Carolina's is Mount Mitchell at 6,674 feet (2,034 m). Mount Mitchell is 4,876 feet higher than High Point.
Lowest point: New Jersey's lowest point is Atlantic Ocean at 0 feet; North Carolina's is Atlantic Ocean at 0 feet. Both lowest points are at or near sea level.
New Jersey vs North Carolina Population and History
Population: New Jersey has a population of 9,500,851 (2024), while North Carolina has 11,046,024 (2024). North Carolina's population is 1.2 times (16%) larger than New Jersey's.
Population density: New Jersey: 1,291.8 people per square mile vs North Carolina: 227.2. New Jersey's population density is 5.7 times (469%) higher than North Carolina's.
Biggest city: New Jersey's biggest city is Newark with 317,303 people; North Carolina's is Charlotte with 943,476. Charlotte's population is 3.0 times (197%) larger than Newark's.
Largest metro area: New Jersey's largest metropolitan area is New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro area (19,940,274 people) vs North Carolina's Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area (2,883,370). New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro area's population is 6.9 times (592%) larger than Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area's.
History: New Jersey: Admitted to the Union on December 18, 1787, as the 3rd state. North Carolina: Admitted to the Union on November 21, 1789, as the 12th state. In its current form, New Jersey is the older of the two by 2 years.
New Jersey vs North Carolina Economy
GDP: New Jersey's GDP is $846.0 billion (2024) vs North Carolina's $844.2 billion. New Jersey and North Carolina have about the same economic output.
GDP per capita: New Jersey: $89,045 per person vs North Carolina: $76,427. New Jersey's GDP per capita is 1.2 times (17%) higher than North Carolina's.
Average income: New Jersey: $84,893 vs North Carolina: $65,634 average income per person (per capita personal income). New Jersey's average income is 1.3 times (29%) higher than North Carolina's.
New Jersey vs North Carolina Counties
Number of counties: New Jersey has 21 counties, while North Carolina has 100. North Carolina's county count is 4.8 times (376%) higher than New Jersey's.
Biggest county by area: New Jersey's largest county is Burlington County at 799 square miles; North Carolina's is Robeson County at 947 square miles. Robeson County's land area is 1.2 times (19%) larger than Burlington County's.
Smallest county by area: New Jersey: Hudson County (46 sq mi) vs North Carolina: Chowan County (173 sq mi). Chowan County's land area is 3.7 times (274%) larger than Hudson County's.
Most populous county: New Jersey: Bergen County (978,641 people) vs North Carolina: Wake County (1,232,444 people). Wake County's population is 1.3 times (26%) larger than Bergen County's.
Least populous county: New Jersey: Salem County (65,874 people) vs North Carolina: Tyrrell County (3,517 people). Salem County's population is 18.7 times larger than Tyrrell County's.
Richest county: New Jersey: Somerset County ($121,042 per capita income) vs North Carolina: Chatham County ($91,638). Somerset County's income is 1.3 times (32%) richer than Chatham County's.
Poorest county: New Jersey: Cumberland County ($50,843 per capita income) vs North Carolina: Warren County ($40,932). Cumberland County's income is 1.2 times (24%) richer than Warren County's.
New Jersey vs North Carolina Taxes
State income tax: New Jersey has a top income tax rate of 10.75%, while North Carolina has a top income tax rate of 3.99%. New Jersey's top rate is 6.76 percentage points higher.
Property tax: New Jersey: 1.89% effective rate vs North Carolina: 0.61% of home value per year. New Jersey's rate is 1.28 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: New Jersey: 6.6% combined state and average local rate vs North Carolina: 7.1%. North Carolina's combined rate is 0.5 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
New Jersey official website · North Carolina official website
More Size Comparisons
All New Jersey 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.