The map above shows North Carolina and Wisconsin side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
North Carolina vs Wisconsin Geography
Land area: North Carolina has a land area of 48,624 square miles (125,936 km²), while Wisconsin has 54,168 square miles (140,294 km²). Wisconsin's land area is 1.1 times (11%) larger than North Carolina's.
Total area: North Carolina: 53,819 square miles (139,390 km²) vs Wisconsin: 65,497 square miles (169,636 km²), including inland and coastal water. Wisconsin's total area is 1.2 times (22%) larger than North Carolina's.
Length: North Carolina is 258 miles (415 km) long from north to south; Wisconsin is 368 miles (593 km). Wisconsin's north-south length is 1.4 times (43%) longer than North Carolina's.
Width: North Carolina spans 487 miles (784 km) east to west; Wisconsin spans 323 miles (521 km). North Carolina's east-west width is 1.5 times (51%) wider than Wisconsin's.
Highest point: North Carolina's highest point is Mount Mitchell at 6,674 feet (2,034 m); Wisconsin's is Timms Hill at 1,946 feet (593 m). Mount Mitchell is 4,728 feet higher than Timms Hill.
Lowest point: North Carolina's lowest point is Atlantic Ocean at 0 feet; Wisconsin's is Lake Michigan at 577 feet. North Carolina's lowest point is 577 feet lower.
North Carolina vs Wisconsin Population and History
Population: North Carolina has a population of 11,046,024 (2024), while Wisconsin has 5,960,975 (2024). North Carolina's population is 1.9 times (85%) larger than Wisconsin's.
Population density: North Carolina: 227.2 people per square mile vs Wisconsin: 110.0. North Carolina's population density is 2.1 times (107%) higher than Wisconsin's.
Biggest city: North Carolina's biggest city is Charlotte with 943,476 people; Wisconsin's is Milwaukee with 563,531. Charlotte's population is 1.7 times (67%) larger than Milwaukee's.
Largest metro area: North Carolina's largest metropolitan area is Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area (2,883,370 people) vs Wisconsin's Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI metro area (3,757,952). 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: North Carolina: Admitted to the Union on November 21, 1789, as the 12th state. Wisconsin: Admitted to the Union on May 29, 1848, as the 30th state. In its current form, North Carolina is the older of the two by 59 years.
North Carolina vs Wisconsin Economy
GDP: North Carolina's GDP is $844.2 billion (2024) vs Wisconsin's $453.3 billion. North Carolina's economic output is 1.9 times (86%) larger than Wisconsin's.
GDP per capita: North Carolina: $76,427 per person vs Wisconsin: $76,044. North Carolina and Wisconsin have about the same GDP per capita.
Average income: North Carolina: $65,634 vs Wisconsin: $67,755 average income per person (per capita personal income). North Carolina and Wisconsin have about the same average income.
North Carolina vs Wisconsin Counties
Number of counties: North Carolina has 100 counties, while Wisconsin has 72. North Carolina's county count is 1.4 times (39%) higher than Wisconsin's.
Biggest county by area: North Carolina's largest county is Robeson County at 947 square miles; Wisconsin's is Marathon County at 1,545 square miles. Marathon County's land area is 1.6 times (63%) larger than Robeson County's.
Smallest county by area: North Carolina: Chowan County (173 sq mi) vs Wisconsin: Pepin County (232 sq mi). Pepin County's land area is 1.3 times (34%) larger than Chowan County's.
Most populous county: North Carolina: Wake County (1,232,444 people) vs Wisconsin: Milwaukee County (924,740 people). Wake County's population is 1.3 times (33%) larger than Milwaukee County's.
Least populous county: North Carolina: Tyrrell County (3,517 people) vs Wisconsin: Menominee County (4,286 people). Menominee County's population is 1.2 times (22%) larger than Tyrrell County's.
Richest county: North Carolina: Chatham County ($91,638 per capita income) vs Wisconsin: Ozaukee County ($109,947). Ozaukee County's income is 1.2 times (20%) richer than Chatham County's.
Poorest county: North Carolina: Warren County ($40,932 per capita income) vs Wisconsin: Menominee County ($43,696). Menominee County's income is 1.1 times (7%) richer than Warren County's.
North Carolina vs Wisconsin Taxes
State income tax: North Carolina has a top income tax rate of 3.99%, while Wisconsin has a top income tax rate of 7.65%. Wisconsin's top rate is 3.66 percentage points higher.
Property tax: North Carolina: 0.61% effective rate vs Wisconsin: 1.25% of home value per year. Wisconsin's rate is 0.64 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: North Carolina: 7.1% combined state and average local rate vs Wisconsin: 5.72%. North Carolina's combined rate is 1.38 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
North Carolina official website · Wisconsin official website
More Size Comparisons
All North Carolina size comparisons · All Wisconsin 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.