The map above shows Alabama and North Carolina side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Alabama vs North Carolina Geography
Land area
- Alabama has a land area of 50,651 square miles (131,185 km²), while North Carolina has 48,624 square miles (125,936 km²).
- Alabama and North Carolina have about the same land area.
Total area
- Alabama: 52,420 square miles (135,767 km²) vs North Carolina: 53,819 square miles (139,390 km²), including inland and coastal water.
- Alabama and North Carolina have about the same total area.
Length
- Alabama is 331 miles (532 km) long from north to south; North Carolina is 258 miles (415 km).
- Alabama's north-south length is 1.3 times (28%) longer than North Carolina's.
Width
- Alabama spans 212 miles (341 km) east to west; North Carolina spans 487 miles (784 km).
- North Carolina's east-west width is 2.3 times (130%) wider than Alabama's.
Highest point
- Alabama's highest point is Cheaha Mountain at 2,405 feet (733 m); North Carolina's is Mount Mitchell at 6,674 feet (2,034 m).
- Mount Mitchell is 4,269 feet higher than Cheaha Mountain.
Lowest point
- Alabama's lowest point is Gulf of Mexico at 0 feet; North Carolina's is Atlantic Ocean at 0 feet.
- Both lowest points are at or near sea level.
Alabama vs North Carolina Population and History
Population
- Alabama has a population of 5,157,699 (2024), while North Carolina has 11,046,024 (2024).
- North Carolina's population is 2.1 times (114%) larger than Alabama's.
Population density
- Alabama: 101.8 people per square mile vs North Carolina: 227.2.
- North Carolina's population density is 2.2 times (123%) higher than Alabama's.
Biggest city
- Alabama's biggest city is Huntsville with 230,402 people; North Carolina's is Charlotte with 943,476.
- Charlotte's population is 4.1 times (309%) larger than Huntsville's.
Largest metro area
- Alabama's largest metropolitan area is Birmingham, AL metro area (1,192,583 people) vs North Carolina's Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area (2,883,370).
- Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area's population is 2.4 times (142%) larger than Birmingham, AL metro area's.
History
- Alabama: Admitted to the Union on December 14, 1819, as the 22nd state.
- North Carolina: Admitted to the Union on November 21, 1789, as the 12th state.
- In its current form, North Carolina is the older of the two by 30 years.
Alabama vs North Carolina Economy
GDP
- Alabama's GDP is $325.3 billion (2024) vs North Carolina's $844.2 billion.
- North Carolina's economic output is 2.6 times (160%) larger than Alabama's.
GDP per capita
- Alabama: $63,080 per person vs North Carolina: $76,427.
- North Carolina's GDP per capita is 1.2 times (21%) higher than Alabama's.
Average income
- Alabama: $57,311 vs North Carolina: $65,634 average income per person (per capita personal income).
- North Carolina's average income is 1.1 times (15%) higher than Alabama's.
Alabama vs North Carolina Counties
Number of counties
- Alabama has 67 counties, while North Carolina has 100.
- North Carolina's county count is 1.5 times (49%) higher than Alabama's.
Biggest county by area
- Alabama's largest county is Baldwin County at 1,590 square miles; North Carolina's is Robeson County at 947 square miles.
- Baldwin County's land area is 1.7 times (68%) larger than Robeson County's.
Smallest county by area
- Alabama: Etowah County (535 sq mi) vs North Carolina: Chowan County (173 sq mi).
- Etowah County's land area is 3.1 times (210%) larger than Chowan County's.
Most populous county
- Alabama: Jefferson County (664,744 people) vs North Carolina: Wake County (1,232,444 people).
- Wake County's population is 1.9 times (85%) larger than Jefferson County's.
Least populous county
- Alabama: Greene County (7,127 people) vs North Carolina: Tyrrell County (3,517 people).
- Greene County's population is 2.0 times (103%) larger than Tyrrell County's.
Richest county
- Alabama: Jefferson County ($75,312 per capita income) vs North Carolina: Chatham County ($91,638).
- Chatham County's income is 1.2 times (22%) richer than Jefferson County's.
Poorest county
- Alabama: Bullock County ($39,403 per capita income) vs North Carolina: Warren County ($40,932).
- Bullock County and Warren County have about the same income.
Alabama vs North Carolina Taxes
State income tax
- Alabama has a top income tax rate of 5%, while North Carolina has a top income tax rate of 3.99%.
- Alabama's top rate is 1.01 percentage points higher.
Property tax
- Alabama: 0.38% effective rate vs North Carolina: 0.61% of home value per year.
- North Carolina's rate is 0.23 percentage points higher.
Sales tax
- Alabama: 9.46% combined state and average local rate vs North Carolina: 7.1%.
- Alabama's combined rate is 2.36 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Alabama official website · North Carolina official website
Download the Alabama vs North Carolina Size Comparison Map for free
To download the map, right-click the image above (or press and hold on a phone or tablet) and choose Save image as. The map is free to use anywhere, including on your own website or in print, as long as you credit it with a link back to this page or to BrilliantMaps.com.
More Size Comparisons
All Alabama 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.