The map above shows Alabama and California side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Alabama vs California Geography
Land area: Alabama has a land area of 50,651 square miles (131,185 km²), while California has 155,859 square miles (403,673 km²). California's land area is 3.1 times (208%) larger than Alabama's.
Total area: Alabama: 52,420 square miles (135,767 km²) vs California: 163,694 square miles (423,965 km²), including inland and coastal water. California's total area is 3.1 times (212%) larger than Alabama's.
Length: Alabama is 331 miles (532 km) long from north to south; California is 761 miles (1,224 km). California's north-south length is 2.3 times (130%) longer than Alabama's.
Width: Alabama spans 212 miles (341 km) east to west; California spans 706 miles (1,137 km). California's east-west width is 3.3 times (233%) wider than Alabama's.
Highest point: Alabama's highest point is Cheaha Mountain at 2,405 feet (733 m); California's is Mount Whitney at 14,484 feet (4,415 m). Mount Whitney is 12,079 feet higher than Cheaha Mountain.
Lowest point: Alabama's lowest point is Gulf of Mexico at 0 feet; California's is Death Valley at -279 feet. California's lowest point is 279 feet lower.
Alabama vs California Population and History
Population: Alabama has a population of 5,157,699 (2024), while California has 39,431,263 (2024). California's population is 7.6 times (665%) larger than Alabama's.
Population density: Alabama: 101.8 people per square mile vs California: 253.0. California's population density is 2.5 times (149%) higher than Alabama's.
Biggest city: Alabama's biggest city is Huntsville with 230,402 people; California's is Los Angeles with 3,878,704. Los Angeles' population is 16.8 times larger than Huntsville's.
Largest metro area: Alabama's largest metropolitan area is Birmingham, AL metro area (1,192,583 people) vs California's Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area (12,927,614). Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area's population is 10.8 times larger than Birmingham, AL metro area's.
History: Alabama: Admitted to the Union on December 14, 1819, as the 22nd state. California: Admitted to the Union on September 9, 1850, as the 31st state. In its current form, Alabama is the older of the two by 31 years.
Alabama vs California Economy
GDP: Alabama's GDP is $325.3 billion (2024) vs California's $4,048.1 billion. California's economic output is 12.4 times larger than Alabama's.
GDP per capita: Alabama: $63,080 per person vs California: $102,662. California's GDP per capita is 1.6 times (63%) higher than Alabama's.
Average income: Alabama: $57,311 vs California: $86,232 average income per person (per capita personal income). California's average income is 1.5 times (50%) higher than Alabama's.
Alabama vs California Counties
Number of counties: Alabama has 67 counties, while California has 58. Alabama's county count is 1.2 times (16%) higher than California's.
Biggest county by area: Alabama's largest county is Baldwin County at 1,590 square miles; California's is San Bernardino County at 20,068 square miles. San Bernardino County's land area is 12.6 times larger than Baldwin County's.
Smallest county by area: Alabama: Etowah County (535 sq mi) vs California: San Francisco County (47 sq mi). Etowah County's land area is 11.5 times larger than San Francisco County's.
Most populous county: Alabama: Jefferson County (664,744 people) vs California: Los Angeles County (9,757,179 people). Los Angeles County's population is 14.7 times larger than Jefferson County's.
Least populous county: Alabama: Greene County (7,127 people) vs California: Alpine County (1,099 people). Greene County's population is 6.5 times (548%) larger than Alpine County's.
Richest county: Alabama: Jefferson County ($75,312 per capita income) vs California: Marin County ($190,891). Marin County's income is 2.5 times (153%) richer than Jefferson County's.
Poorest county: Alabama: Bullock County ($39,403 per capita income) vs California: Trinity County ($42,191). Trinity County's income is 1.1 times (7%) richer than Bullock County's.
Alabama vs California Taxes
State income tax: Alabama has a top income tax rate of 5%, while California has a top income tax rate of 13.3%. California's top rate is 8.3 percentage points higher.
Property tax: Alabama: 0.38% effective rate vs California: 0.71% of home value per year. California's rate is 0.33 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: Alabama: 9.46% combined state and average local rate vs California: 9.03%. Alabama's combined rate is 0.43 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Alabama official website · California official website
More Size Comparisons
All Alabama size comparisons · All California 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.