The map above shows Arizona and California side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Arizona vs California Geography
Land area: Arizona has a land area of 113,655 square miles (294,366 km²), while California has 155,859 square miles (403,673 km²). California's land area is 1.4 times (37%) larger than Arizona's.
Total area: Arizona: 113,985 square miles (295,220 km²) vs California: 163,694 square miles (423,965 km²), including inland and coastal water. California's total area is 1.4 times (44%) larger than Arizona's.
Length: Arizona is 429 miles (690 km) long from north to south; California is 761 miles (1,224 km). California's north-south length is 1.8 times (77%) longer than Arizona's.
Width: Arizona spans 452 miles (727 km) east to west; California spans 706 miles (1,137 km). California's east-west width is 1.6 times (56%) wider than Arizona's.
Highest point: Arizona's highest point is Humphreys Peak at 12,620 feet (3,847 m); California's is Mount Whitney at 14,484 feet (4,415 m). Mount Whitney is 1,864 feet higher than Humphreys Peak.
Lowest point: Arizona's lowest point is Colorado River at 71 feet; California's is Death Valley at -279 feet. California's lowest point is 350 feet lower.
Arizona vs California Population and History
Population: Arizona has a population of 7,582,384 (2024), while California has 39,431,263 (2024). California's population is 5.2 times (420%) larger than Arizona's.
Population density: Arizona: 66.7 people per square mile vs California: 253.0. California's population density is 3.8 times (279%) higher than Arizona's.
Biggest city: Arizona's biggest city is Phoenix with 1,673,164 people; California's is Los Angeles with 3,878,704. Los Angeles' population is 2.3 times (132%) larger than Phoenix's.
Largest metro area: Arizona's largest metropolitan area is Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ metro area (5,186,958 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 2.5 times (149%) larger than Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ metro area's.
History: Arizona: Admitted to the Union on February 14, 1912, as the 48th state. California: Admitted to the Union on September 9, 1850, as the 31st state. In its current form, California is the older of the two by 62 years.
Arizona vs California Economy
GDP: Arizona's GDP is $570.1 billion (2024) vs California's $4,048.1 billion. California's economic output is 7.1 times (610%) larger than Arizona's.
GDP per capita: Arizona: $75,186 per person vs California: $102,662. California's GDP per capita is 1.4 times (37%) higher than Arizona's.
Average income: Arizona: $65,798 vs California: $86,232 average income per person (per capita personal income). California's average income is 1.3 times (31%) higher than Arizona's.
Arizona vs California Counties
Number of counties: Arizona has 15 counties, while California has 58. California's county count is 3.9 times (287%) higher than Arizona's.
Biggest county by area: Arizona's largest county is Coconino County at 18,616 square miles; California's is San Bernardino County at 20,068 square miles. San Bernardino County's land area is 1.1 times (8%) larger than Coconino County's.
Smallest county by area: Arizona: Santa Cruz County (1,236 sq mi) vs California: San Francisco County (47 sq mi). Santa Cruz County's land area is 26.5 times larger than San Francisco County's.
Most populous county: Arizona: Maricopa County (4,673,096 people) vs California: Los Angeles County (9,757,179 people). Los Angeles County's population is 2.1 times (109%) larger than Maricopa County's.
Least populous county: Arizona: Greenlee County (9,410 people) vs California: Alpine County (1,099 people). Greenlee County's population is 8.6 times (756%) larger than Alpine County's.
Richest county: Arizona: Maricopa County ($72,176 per capita income) vs California: Marin County ($190,891). Marin County's income is 2.6 times (164%) richer than Maricopa County's.
Poorest county: Arizona: Graham County ($44,164 per capita income) vs California: Trinity County ($42,191). Graham County and Trinity County have about the same income.
Arizona vs California Taxes
State income tax: Arizona has a top income tax rate of 2.5%, while California has a top income tax rate of 13.3%. California's top rate is 10.8 percentage points higher.
Property tax: Arizona: 0.43% effective rate vs California: 0.71% of home value per year. California's rate is 0.28 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: Arizona: 8.54% combined state and average local rate vs California: 9.03%. California's combined rate is 0.49 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Arizona official website · California official website
More Size Comparisons
All Arizona 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.