The map above shows California and Nebraska side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
California vs Nebraska Geography
Land area: California has a land area of 155,859 square miles (403,673 km²), while Nebraska has 76,815 square miles (198,950 km²). California's land area is 2.0 times (103%) larger than Nebraska's.
Total area: California: 163,694 square miles (423,965 km²) vs Nebraska: 77,347 square miles (200,329 km²), including inland and coastal water. California's total area is 2.1 times (112%) larger than Nebraska's.
Length: California is 761 miles (1,224 km) long from north to south; Nebraska is 497 miles (800 km). California's north-south length is 1.5 times (53%) longer than Nebraska's.
Width: California spans 706 miles (1,137 km) east to west; Nebraska spans 464 miles (747 km). California's east-west width is 1.5 times (52%) wider than Nebraska's.
Highest point: California's highest point is Mount Whitney at 14,484 feet (4,415 m); Nebraska's is Panorama Point at 5,428 feet (1,654 m). Mount Whitney is 9,056 feet higher than Panorama Point.
Lowest point: California's lowest point is Death Valley at -279 feet; Nebraska's is Missouri River at 840 feet. California's lowest point is 1,119 feet lower.
California vs Nebraska Population and History
Population: California has a population of 39,431,263 (2024), while Nebraska has 2,005,465 (2024). California's population is 19.7 times larger than Nebraska's.
Population density: California: 253.0 people per square mile vs Nebraska: 26.1. California's population density is 9.7 times (869%) higher than Nebraska's.
Biggest city: California's biggest city is Los Angeles with 3,878,704 people; Nebraska's is Omaha with 489,265. Los Angeles' population is 7.9 times (693%) larger than Omaha's.
Largest metro area: California's largest metropolitan area is Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area (12,927,614 people) vs Nebraska's Omaha, NE-IA metro area (1,001,010). Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area's population is 12.9 times larger than Omaha, NE-IA metro area's.
History: California: Admitted to the Union on September 9, 1850, as the 31st state. Nebraska: Admitted to the Union on March 1, 1867, as the 37th state. In its current form, California is the older of the two by 17 years.
California vs Nebraska Economy
GDP: California's GDP is $4,048.1 billion (2024) vs Nebraska's $189.2 billion. California's economic output is 21.4 times larger than Nebraska's.
GDP per capita: California: $102,662 per person vs Nebraska: $94,363. California's GDP per capita is 1.1 times (9%) higher than Nebraska's.
Average income: California: $86,232 vs Nebraska: $72,701 average income per person (per capita personal income). California's average income is 1.2 times (19%) higher than Nebraska's.
California vs Nebraska Counties
Number of counties: California has 58 counties, while Nebraska has 93. Nebraska's county count is 1.6 times (60%) higher than California's.
Biggest county by area: California's largest county is San Bernardino County at 20,068 square miles; Nebraska's is Cherry County at 5,960 square miles. San Bernardino County's land area is 3.4 times (237%) larger than Cherry County's.
Smallest county by area: California: San Francisco County (47 sq mi) vs Nebraska: Sarpy County (238 sq mi). Sarpy County's land area is 5.1 times (410%) larger than San Francisco County's.
Most populous county: California: Los Angeles County (9,757,179 people) vs Nebraska: Douglas County (601,158 people). Los Angeles County's population is 16.2 times larger than Douglas County's.
Least populous county: California: Alpine County (1,099 people) vs Nebraska: McPherson County (376 people). Alpine County's population is 2.9 times (192%) larger than McPherson County's.
Richest county: California: Marin County ($190,891 per capita income) vs Nebraska: Pierce County ($112,729). Marin County's income is 1.7 times (69%) richer than Pierce County's.
Poorest county: California: Trinity County ($42,191 per capita income) vs Nebraska: Johnson County ($45,756). Johnson County's income is 1.1 times (8%) richer than Trinity County's.
California vs Nebraska Taxes
State income tax: California has a top income tax rate of 13.3%, while Nebraska has a top income tax rate of 4.55%. California's top rate is 8.75 percentage points higher.
Property tax: California: 0.71% effective rate vs Nebraska: 1.42% of home value per year. Nebraska's rate is 0.71 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: California: 9.03% combined state and average local rate vs Nebraska: 6.98%. California's combined rate is 2.05 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
California official website · Nebraska official website
More Size Comparisons
All California size comparisons · All Nebraska 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.