The map above shows North Carolina and Washington side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
North Carolina vs Washington Geography
Land area: North Carolina has a land area of 48,624 square miles (125,936 km²), while Washington has 66,455 square miles (172,119 km²). Washington's land area is 1.4 times (37%) larger than North Carolina's.
Total area: North Carolina: 53,819 square miles (139,390 km²) vs Washington: 71,301 square miles (184,668 km²), including inland and coastal water. Washington's total area is 1.3 times (32%) larger than North Carolina's.
Length: North Carolina is 258 miles (415 km) long from north to south; Washington is 238 miles (383 km). North Carolina's north-south length is 1.1 times (8%) longer than Washington's.
Width: North Carolina spans 487 miles (784 km) east to west; Washington spans 399 miles (641 km). North Carolina's east-west width is 1.2 times (22%) wider than Washington's.
Highest point: North Carolina's highest point is Mount Mitchell at 6,674 feet (2,034 m); Washington's is Mount Rainier at 14,409 feet (4,392 m). Mount Rainier is 7,735 feet higher than Mount Mitchell.
Lowest point: North Carolina's lowest point is Atlantic Ocean at 0 feet; Washington's is Pacific Ocean at 0 feet. Both lowest points are at or near sea level.
North Carolina vs Washington Population and History
Population: North Carolina has a population of 11,046,024 (2024), while Washington has 7,958,180 (2024). North Carolina's population is 1.4 times (39%) larger than Washington's.
Population density: North Carolina: 227.2 people per square mile vs Washington: 119.8. North Carolina's population density is 1.9 times (90%) higher than Washington's.
Biggest city: North Carolina's biggest city is Charlotte with 943,476 people; Washington's is Seattle with 780,995. Charlotte's population is 1.2 times (21%) larger than Seattle's.
Largest metro area: North Carolina's largest metropolitan area is Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area (2,883,370 people) vs Washington's Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area (4,145,494). Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area's population is 1.4 times (44%) larger than Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area's.
History: North Carolina: Admitted to the Union on November 21, 1789, as the 12th state. Washington: Admitted to the Union on November 11, 1889, as the 42nd state. In its current form, North Carolina is the older of the two by 100 years.
North Carolina vs Washington Economy
GDP: North Carolina's GDP is $844.2 billion (2024) vs Washington's $856.0 billion. North Carolina and Washington have about the same economic output.
GDP per capita: North Carolina: $76,427 per person vs Washington: $107,564. Washington's GDP per capita is 1.4 times (41%) higher than North Carolina's.
Average income: North Carolina: $65,634 vs Washington: $85,187 average income per person (per capita personal income). Washington's average income is 1.3 times (30%) higher than North Carolina's.
North Carolina vs Washington Counties
Number of counties: North Carolina has 100 counties, while Washington has 39. North Carolina's county count is 2.6 times (156%) higher than Washington's.
Biggest county by area: North Carolina's largest county is Robeson County at 947 square miles; Washington's is Okanogan County at 5,266 square miles. Okanogan County's land area is 5.6 times (456%) larger than Robeson County's.
Smallest county by area: North Carolina: Chowan County (173 sq mi) vs Washington: San Juan County (174 sq mi). Chowan County and San Juan County have about the same land area.
Most populous county: North Carolina: Wake County (1,232,444 people) vs Washington: King County (2,340,211 people). King County's population is 1.9 times (90%) larger than Wake County's.
Least populous county: North Carolina: Tyrrell County (3,517 people) vs Washington: Garfield County (2,404 people). Tyrrell County's population is 1.5 times (46%) larger than Garfield County's.
Richest county: North Carolina: Chatham County ($91,638 per capita income) vs Washington: King County ($128,684). King County's income is 1.4 times (40%) richer than Chatham County's.
Poorest county: North Carolina: Warren County ($40,932 per capita income) vs Washington: Ferry County ($50,456). Ferry County's income is 1.2 times (23%) richer than Warren County's.
North Carolina vs Washington Taxes
State income tax: North Carolina has a top income tax rate of 3.99%, while Washington has a 9% tax on capital gains only.
Property tax: North Carolina: 0.61% effective rate vs Washington: 0.79% of home value per year. Washington's rate is 0.18 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: North Carolina: 7.1% combined state and average local rate vs Washington: 9.57%. Washington's combined rate is 2.47 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
North Carolina official website · Washington official website
More Size Comparisons
All North Carolina size comparisons · All Washington 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.