The map above shows California and Indiana side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
California vs Indiana Geography
Land area: California has a land area of 155,859 square miles (403,673 km²), while Indiana has 35,825 square miles (92,787 km²). California's land area is 4.4 times (335%) larger than Indiana's.
Total area: California: 163,694 square miles (423,965 km²) vs Indiana: 36,421 square miles (94,331 km²), including inland and coastal water. California's total area is 4.5 times (349%) larger than Indiana's.
Length: California is 761 miles (1,224 km) long from north to south; Indiana is 276 miles (444 km). California's north-south length is 2.8 times (176%) longer than Indiana's.
Width: California spans 706 miles (1,137 km) east to west; Indiana spans 193 miles (310 km). California's east-west width is 3.7 times (266%) wider than Indiana's.
Highest point: California's highest point is Mount Whitney at 14,484 feet (4,415 m); Indiana's is Hoosier Hill at 1,255 feet (383 m). Mount Whitney is 13,229 feet higher than Hoosier Hill.
Lowest point: California's lowest point is Death Valley at -279 feet; Indiana's is Ohio River at 330 feet. California's lowest point is 609 feet lower.
California vs Indiana Population and History
Population: California has a population of 39,431,263 (2024), while Indiana has 6,924,275 (2024). California's population is 5.7 times (469%) larger than Indiana's.
Population density: California: 253.0 people per square mile vs Indiana: 193.3. California's population density is 1.3 times (31%) higher than Indiana's.
Biggest city: California's biggest city is Los Angeles with 3,878,704 people; Indiana's is Indianapolis with 891,484. Los Angeles' population is 4.4 times (335%) larger than Indianapolis'.
Largest metro area: California's largest metropolitan area is Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area (12,927,614 people) vs Indiana's Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area (9,408,576). Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area's population is 1.4 times (37%) larger than Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area's.
History: California: Admitted to the Union on September 9, 1850, as the 31st state. Indiana: Admitted to the Union on December 11, 1816, as the 19th state. In its current form, Indiana is the older of the two by 34 years.
California vs Indiana Economy
GDP: California's GDP is $4,048.1 billion (2024) vs Indiana's $519.5 billion. California's economic output is 7.8 times (679%) larger than Indiana's.
GDP per capita: California: $102,662 per person vs Indiana: $75,028. California's GDP per capita is 1.4 times (37%) higher than Indiana's.
Average income: California: $86,232 vs Indiana: $64,077 average income per person (per capita personal income). California's average income is 1.3 times (35%) higher than Indiana's.
California vs Indiana Counties
Number of counties: California has 58 counties, while Indiana has 92. Indiana's county count is 1.6 times (59%) higher than California's.
Biggest county by area: California's largest county is San Bernardino County at 20,068 square miles; Indiana's is Allen County at 657 square miles. San Bernardino County's land area is 30.5 times larger than Allen County's.
Smallest county by area: California: San Francisco County (47 sq mi) vs Indiana: Ohio County (86 sq mi). Ohio County's land area is 1.8 times (85%) larger than San Francisco County's.
Most populous county: California: Los Angeles County (9,757,179 people) vs Indiana: Marion County (981,628 people). Los Angeles County's population is 9.9 times (894%) larger than Marion County's.
Least populous county: California: Alpine County (1,099 people) vs Indiana: Ohio County (5,996 people). Ohio County's population is 5.5 times (446%) larger than Alpine County's.
Richest county: California: Marin County ($190,891 per capita income) vs Indiana: Hamilton County ($104,283). Marin County's income is 1.8 times (83%) richer than Hamilton County's.
Poorest county: California: Trinity County ($42,191 per capita income) vs Indiana: Miami County ($44,940). Miami County's income is 1.1 times (7%) richer than Trinity County's.
California vs Indiana Taxes
State income tax: California has a top income tax rate of 13.3%, while Indiana has a top income tax rate of 2.95%. California's top rate is 10.35 percentage points higher.
Property tax: California: 0.71% effective rate vs Indiana: 0.74% of home value per year. Indiana's rate is 0.03 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: California: 9.03% combined state and average local rate vs Indiana: 7%. California's combined rate is 2.03 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
California official website · Indiana official website
More Size Comparisons
All California size comparisons · All Indiana 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.