The map above shows California and Connecticut side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
California vs Connecticut Geography
Land area: California has a land area of 155,859 square miles (403,673 km²), while Connecticut has 4,843 square miles (12,542 km²). California's land area is 32.2 times larger than Connecticut's.
Total area: California: 163,694 square miles (423,965 km²) vs Connecticut: 5,544 square miles (14,358 km²), including inland and coastal water. California's total area is 29.5 times larger than Connecticut's.
Length: California is 761 miles (1,224 km) long from north to south; Connecticut is 73 miles (118 km). California's north-south length is 10.4 times longer than Connecticut's.
Width: California spans 706 miles (1,137 km) east to west; Connecticut spans 104 miles (167 km). California's east-west width is 6.8 times (579%) wider than Connecticut's.
Highest point: California's highest point is Mount Whitney at 14,484 feet (4,415 m); Connecticut's is Mount Frissell (south slope) at 2,376 feet (724 m). Mount Whitney is 12,108 feet higher than Mount Frissell (south slope).
Lowest point: California's lowest point is Death Valley at -279 feet; Connecticut's is Long Island Sound at 0 feet. California's lowest point is 279 feet lower.
California vs Connecticut Population and History
Population: California has a population of 39,431,263 (2024), while Connecticut has 3,675,069 (2024). California's population is 10.7 times larger than Connecticut's.
Population density: California: 253.0 people per square mile vs Connecticut: 758.9. Connecticut's population density is 3.0 times (200%) higher than California's.
Biggest city: California's biggest city is Los Angeles with 3,878,704 people; Connecticut's is Bridgeport with 151,599. Los Angeles' population is 25.6 times larger than Bridgeport's.
Largest metro area: California's largest metropolitan area is Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area (12,927,614 people) vs Connecticut's Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT metro area (1,169,048). Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area's population is 11.1 times larger than Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT metro area's.
History: California: Admitted to the Union on September 9, 1850, as the 31st state. Connecticut: Admitted to the Union on January 9, 1788, as the 5th state. In its current form, Connecticut is the older of the two by 62 years.
California vs Connecticut Economy
GDP: California's GDP is $4,048.1 billion (2024) vs Connecticut's $356.8 billion. California's economic output is 11.3 times larger than Connecticut's.
GDP per capita: California: $102,662 per person vs Connecticut: $97,096. California's GDP per capita is 1.1 times (6%) higher than Connecticut's.
Average income: California: $86,232 vs Connecticut: $95,067 average income per person (per capita personal income). Connecticut's average income is 1.1 times (10%) higher than California's.
California vs Connecticut Counties
Number of counties: California has 58 counties, while Connecticut has 9. California's county count is 6.4 times (544%) higher than Connecticut's.
Biggest county by area: California's largest county is San Bernardino County at 20,068 square miles; Connecticut's is Capitol Planning Region at 1,027 square miles. San Bernardino County's land area is 19.5 times larger than Capitol Planning Region's.
Smallest county by area: California: San Francisco County (47 sq mi) vs Connecticut: Greater Bridgeport Planning Region (140 sq mi). Greater Bridgeport Planning Region's land area is 3.0 times (200%) larger than San Francisco County's.
Most populous county: California: Los Angeles County (9,757,179 people) vs Connecticut: Capitol Planning Region (991,508 people). Los Angeles County's population is 9.8 times (884%) larger than Capitol Planning Region's.
Least populous county: California: Alpine County (1,099 people) vs Connecticut: Northeastern Connecticut Planning Region (97,701 people). Northeastern Connecticut Planning Region's population is 88.9 times larger than Alpine County's.
Richest county: California: Marin County ($190,891 per capita income) vs Connecticut: Western Connecticut Planning Region ($165,513). Marin County's income is 1.2 times (15%) richer than Western Connecticut Planning Region's.
Poorest county: California: Trinity County ($42,191 per capita income) vs Connecticut: Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region ($64,845). Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region's income is 1.5 times (54%) richer than Trinity County's.
California vs Connecticut Taxes
State income tax: California has a top income tax rate of 13.3%, while Connecticut has a top income tax rate of 6.99%. California's top rate is 6.31 percentage points higher.
Property tax: California: 0.71% effective rate vs Connecticut: 1.66% of home value per year. Connecticut's rate is 0.95 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: California: 9.03% combined state and average local rate vs Connecticut: 6.35%. California's combined rate is 2.68 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
California official website · Connecticut official website
More Size Comparisons
All California size comparisons · All Connecticut 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.