The map above shows Alaska and North Carolina side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Alaska vs North Carolina Geography
Land area: Alaska has a land area of 571,242 square miles (1,479,509 km²), while North Carolina has 48,624 square miles (125,936 km²). Alaska's land area is 11.7 times larger than North Carolina's.
Total area: Alaska: 665,725 square miles (1,724,220 km²) vs North Carolina: 53,819 square miles (139,390 km²), including inland and coastal water. Alaska's total area is 12.4 times larger than North Carolina's.
Length: Alaska is 1,201 miles (1,933 km) long from north to south; North Carolina is 258 miles (415 km). Alaska's north-south length is 4.7 times (366%) longer than North Carolina's.
Width: Alaska spans 1,544 miles (2,485 km) east to west; North Carolina spans 487 miles (784 km). Alaska's east-west width is 3.2 times (217%) wider than North Carolina's.
Highest point: Alaska's highest point is Denali at 20,235 feet (6,168 m); North Carolina's is Mount Mitchell at 6,674 feet (2,034 m). Denali is 13,561 feet higher than Mount Mitchell.
Lowest point: Alaska's lowest point is Pacific Ocean at 0 feet; North Carolina's is Atlantic Ocean at 0 feet. Both lowest points are at or near sea level.
Alaska vs North Carolina Population and History
Population: Alaska has a population of 740,133 (2024), while North Carolina has 11,046,024 (2024). North Carolina's population is 14.9 times larger than Alaska's.
Population density: Alaska: 1.3 people per square mile vs North Carolina: 227.2. North Carolina's population density is 174.8 times higher than Alaska's.
Biggest city: Alaska's biggest city is Anchorage with 289,600 people; North Carolina's is Charlotte with 943,476. Charlotte's population is 3.3 times (226%) larger than Anchorage's.
Largest metro area: Alaska's largest metropolitan area is Anchorage, AK metro area (407,213 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 7.1 times (608%) larger than Anchorage, AK metro area's.
History: Alaska: Admitted to the Union on January 3, 1959, as the 49th 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 170 years.
Alaska vs North Carolina Economy
GDP: Alaska's GDP is $71.6 billion (2024) vs North Carolina's $844.2 billion. North Carolina's economic output is 11.8 times larger than Alaska's.
GDP per capita: Alaska: $96,695 per person vs North Carolina: $76,427. Alaska's GDP per capita is 1.3 times (27%) higher than North Carolina's.
Average income: Alaska: $76,234 vs North Carolina: $65,634 average income per person (per capita personal income). Alaska's average income is 1.2 times (16%) higher than North Carolina's.
Alaska vs North Carolina Counties
Number of counties: Alaska has 30 counties, while North Carolina has 100. North Carolina's county count is 3.3 times (233%) higher than Alaska's.
Biggest county by area: Alaska's largest county is Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area at 145,769 square miles; North Carolina's is Robeson County at 947 square miles. Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area's land area is 153.9 times larger than Robeson County's.
Smallest county by area: Alaska: Skagway Municipality (443 sq mi) vs North Carolina: Chowan County (173 sq mi). Skagway Municipality's land area is 2.6 times (156%) larger than Chowan County's.
Most populous county: Alaska: Anchorage Municipality (289,600 people) vs North Carolina: Wake County (1,232,444 people). Wake County's population is 4.3 times (326%) larger than Anchorage Municipality's.
Least populous county: Alaska: Yakutat City and Borough (690 people) vs North Carolina: Tyrrell County (3,517 people). Tyrrell County's population is 5.1 times (410%) larger than Yakutat City and Borough's.
Richest county: Alaska: Bristol Bay Borough ($158,406 per capita income) vs North Carolina: Chatham County ($91,638). Bristol Bay Borough's income is 1.7 times (73%) richer than Chatham County's.
Poorest county: Alaska: Kusilvak Census Area ($37,765 per capita income) vs North Carolina: Warren County ($40,932). Warren County's income is 1.1 times (8%) richer than Kusilvak Census Area's.
Alaska vs North Carolina Taxes
State income tax: Alaska has no state income tax, while North Carolina has a top income tax rate of 3.99%. North Carolina's top rate is 3.99 percentage points higher.
Property tax: Alaska: 1.06% effective rate vs North Carolina: 0.61% of home value per year. Alaska's rate is 0.45 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: Alaska: 1.82% combined state and average local rate vs North Carolina: 7.1%. North Carolina's combined rate is 5.28 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Alaska official website · North Carolina official website
More Size Comparisons
All Alaska 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.