The map above shows North Carolina and Puerto Rico side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
North Carolina vs Puerto Rico Geography
Land area: North Carolina has a land area of 48,624 square miles (125,936 km²), while Puerto Rico has 3,424 square miles (8,868 km²). North Carolina's land area is 14.2 times larger than Puerto Rico's.
Total area: North Carolina: 53,819 square miles (139,390 km²) vs Puerto Rico: 3,515 square miles (9,104 km²), including inland and coastal water. North Carolina's total area is 15.3 times larger than Puerto Rico's.
Length: North Carolina is 258 miles (415 km) long from north to south; Puerto Rico is 67 miles (107 km). North Carolina's north-south length is 3.9 times (285%) longer than Puerto Rico's.
Width: North Carolina spans 487 miles (784 km) east to west; Puerto Rico spans 174 miles (279 km). North Carolina's east-west width is 2.8 times (180%) wider than Puerto Rico's.
Highest point: North Carolina's highest point is Mount Mitchell at 6,674 feet (2,034 m); Puerto Rico's is Cerro de Punta at 4,390 feet (1,338 m). Mount Mitchell is 2,284 feet higher than Cerro de Punta.
Lowest point: North Carolina's lowest point is Atlantic Ocean at 0 feet; Puerto Rico's is Atlantic Ocean at 0 feet. Both lowest points are at or near sea level.
North Carolina vs Puerto Rico Population and History
Population: North Carolina has a population of 11,046,024 (2024), while Puerto Rico has 3,285,874 (2020). North Carolina's population is 3.4 times (236%) larger than Puerto Rico's.
Population density: North Carolina: 227.2 people per square mile vs Puerto Rico: 959.7. Puerto Rico's population density is 4.2 times (322%) higher than North Carolina's.
Biggest city: North Carolina's biggest city is Charlotte with 943,476 people; Puerto Rico's is San Juan with 342,259. Charlotte's population is 2.8 times (176%) larger than San Juan's.
Largest metro area: North Carolina's largest metropolitan area is Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area (2,883,370 people) vs Puerto Rico's San Juan metro area (2,233,177). Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area's population is 1.3 times (29%) larger than San Juan metro area's.
History: North Carolina: Admitted to the Union on November 21, 1789, as the 12th state. Puerto Rico: A US territory since 1898; a commonwealth since 1952. In its current form, North Carolina is the older of the two by 109 years.
North Carolina vs Puerto Rico Economy
GDP: North Carolina's GDP is $844.2 billion (2024) vs Puerto Rico's $129.0 billion. North Carolina's economic output is 6.5 times (554%) larger than Puerto Rico's.
GDP per capita: North Carolina: $76,427 per person vs Puerto Rico: $40,650. North Carolina's GDP per capita is 1.9 times (88%) higher than Puerto Rico's.
Official Websites
North Carolina official website · Puerto Rico official website
More Size Comparisons
All North Carolina size comparisons · All Puerto Rico 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.